Catamaran day sail to Prickly Pear Cays

Prickly Pear is two uninhabited cays well north of Anguilla, split by a narrow channel, and this is a long sail for a long beach day. Catamarans leave Simpson Bay in the morning, run along the St Maarten coast and cross the Anguilla Channel, returning in the late afternoon.

East Cay is the one with the sand, a mile of it backed by salt ponds; the western cay is a rugged rock with no easy landing. The cays are an Anguillan marine park with fixed moorings, no spearfishing and generally calm water, so the snorkelling over the reefs is easy. Lunch is usually a barbecue buffet on board (ribs, chicken, johnny cakes), and the open bar runs all day. On the way home many boats pause for a second swim off one of Anguilla's beaches, such as Meads Bay. Some boats sail from Anse Marcel or Grand Case on the French side instead, a crossing of around two and a half hours.

You enter Anguillan waters, so everyone needs a valid passport, and the clearance fees are normally in the price. Most of these boats are barefoot once you step aboard.