Long Bay Beach
A hushed crescent of powder-white sand on Anguilla's quiet west end.
Why Go
While cruise-day crowds pile onto Shoal Bay East, Long Bay stays almost eerily empty — a half-mile arc of talcum sand and glassy turquoise water where your only company is likely a pelican and the occasional passing sailboat.
The Experience
Long Bay sits tucked along Anguilla's western coast, framed by low sea-grape and casuarina trees and backed by a scatter of private villas rather than resort loungers. The reef sits close enough to knock down swell but far enough out that the shoreline stays swimmable and calm, with water that shades from clear at your ankles to a deep, painterly blue toward the horizon. The sand is the fine, cool-underfoot kind Anguilla is famous for — the sort you'll be brushing out of your bag for weeks — and because there are no vendors, no beach bars, and no jet-ski rentals, the soundtrack is just wind, rustling palm fronds, and a very lazy surf. Late afternoon is when Long Bay pulls its trick: the sun drops directly over the water, lighting the whole bay in gold, and you'll often have the entire beach to yourself.
What to Try
Bring a mask and fins — the reef fringing the north end of the bay holds parrotfish, sergeant majors, and the occasional eagle ray, and the water is usually clear enough for shore snorkeling without a boat. Walk the full length of the beach at least once; the far western tip is where the sand is softest and the shade best. Time your visit for the last two hours before sunset and stay through dusk with a cooler — this is one of the best sunset spots on the island and there's no closing time.
Insider Tip
There are zero facilities here — no bathrooms, no chair rentals, no shack selling rum punch. Stop at the nearest supermarket in West End or grab takeaway from Blanchards Beach Shack on Meads Bay before you come, and pack more water than you think you need. Reef shoes help at the entry points where a little turtle grass and scattered coral rubble sit just offshore.
The Practical Stuff
Access is via a short unpaved track off the main West End Road — a regular rental car handles it fine in dry weather. Parking is informal, just pull off under the sea grapes. Free and open 24/7, no lifeguard on duty. Cell service is decent but patchy at the far ends of the bay. Currents are generally mild, but the west-facing exposure means the water can get choppy on windy days — check conditions before swimming out past the reef.
Pair It With
- Blanchards Beach Shack — Grab a lobster roll and a rum punch to-go on nearby Meads Bay before heading over — Long Bay has no food or drink of its own.
- Meads Bay — The livelier sister beach 10 minutes east, with beach bars, chair rentals, and people-watching when you want the opposite energy.
- Sandy Ground — End the day here for sunset drinks and live music at Elvis' or Roy's Bayside Grill once Long Bay's own sunset show wraps.
- Shoal Bay West — A short drive south along the same coast for another stretch of quiet sand and calm swimming water.
