Ferry day trip to Anguilla

Anguilla is close enough to see from Saint Martin's north shore, and the public ferry from Marigot reaches Blowing Point in about 20 minutes, with boats roughly every hour through the day. Pricier fast boats from the dock by Princess Juliana airport take about half an hour and include the transfer. Either way bring a passport and some cash for the departure tax charged on each side, and sit facing forward if spray bothers you, because it can be a wet ride.

Once across, the island is flat, 16 miles long and given over to beaches, and a rental car is the easiest way to get between them (driving is on the left). Shoal Bay East is the famous one, a long reef-protected stretch that is seldom crowded. Rendezvous Bay faces back towards Saint Martin, Meads Bay is lined with resorts but good for a walk, and Little Bay is a tiny cove best reached by boat, with turtles and reef fish right off the rocks. Sandy Ground has the bars and live music if you stay into the evening, though check the last ferry before you settle in.