Sandy Island lies about two kilometres off Sandy Ground, and it is almost exactly what its name promises — a low sandbar with a fringe of palms, a reef around it, and a single open-sided restaurant. It is the classic Anguillian day out and it takes half a day at most.
Getting there
Boats leave from the dock at Sandy Ground through the morning and run back through the afternoon. The crossing takes around ten minutes. There is no scheduled timetable in the way a ferry has one; you turn up, and the boat goes when it goes. The last return is usually mid to late afternoon.
What is there
One restaurant, serving grilled crayfish, ribs, chicken and rum punch, with loungers on the sand under thatch. That is the entire infrastructure. The reef sits close to shore on the windward side, and the snorkelling is good — bring your own mask, since rental is limited.
Notes before you go
- The island has been washed over by hurricanes and rebuilt more than once; the palms are younger than the photographs suggest.
- There is no shade beyond the restaurant's thatch. Take sunscreen and a hat.
- Bring cash — the boat and the bar both prefer it.
- Check the weather. When the sea is up, the boats do not run.
The alternative: Prickly Pear and Scilly Cay
If Sandy Island is busy, Prickly Pear Cays are forty minutes out and considerably wilder, with better reef and no permanent restaurant on the eastern cay. At the other end of the island, Scilly Cay off Island Harbour is a tiny private islet with a grill and a bar — you stand on the dock at Island Harbour and wave, and a boat comes to fetch you.
The reef
Sandy Island is ringed by shallow reef that is easy to reach from the sand, and it is one of the few places on Anguilla where good snorkelling requires no boat trip beyond the crossing itself. Expect parrotfish, sergeant majors, the occasional ray and a great deal of elkhorn coral structure. Do not stand on it.
Booking and cost
The boat fare is paid per person at the dock and the restaurant runs a separate bill; between them a day here costs considerably less than lunch at a hotel on Meads Bay. In high season the restaurant takes bookings and the island can reach capacity by midday, so go early. Out of season, check whether the boats are running at all before driving to Sandy Ground.