Anguilla beach snorkeling
 

Never been to Anguilla, but have read that it has good snorkeling from shore. We are looking for budget minded accomodations (under $150 per night) with excellent snorkeling off the beach. Any advice? Thanks!<BR>

From what I hear, there isn't much in the way of snorkeling on Anguilla. The beaches are supposed to be first class but if snorkeling/diving is important to you, I would go elsewhere...like Grand Cayman or BVI.

We did some beach snorkling on Anguilla. No where near as nice as St. John or Cozumel or BVs, but we did see fish, conch, turtles, even a ray!<BR><BR>Just look for the darker areas in the water when you are at the beach, that's where the bottom is not sandy, it's reef.<BR><BR>Do be careful, don't touch or step down!!<BR><BR>We enjoyed snorkling off of Shoal East (ask Roger/Pressue King, he'll show you where. Didn't stay there, but heard that Shoal Beach Hotel and Madierman are both lovely, reasonably priced hotels.<BR><BR>Also did some snorkling about Little Harbour...it's very shallow waaaay out to the point. <BR><BR>good info on caribbean-on-line.com

There's lots of snorkeling from the beach. At shoal bay east, walk down toward Allamenda Beach Club and Sea Breeze--get into the water and cruise over the inner reef THEN keep on going out another 50-75 yards and you are on the edge of an outer reef---at the edge of blue water--in one 30 minute snorkel one morning we saw and swam with giant rays, an octopus, a few giant worms, a trumpet fish, and the usual assortment of grunts, etc. In Little Bay, by boat we snorkeled along the wall near shore and saw spiny lobsters, huge sea urchins, some squid like guys (name escapes me, etc. We snorekeld Shoal bay every morning for a week and it was always different and fun. Also great snorekeling on the way to Prickly Pear Cay----great coral formations, sea turtles, barracuda. <BR><BR>In short, there's enough snorkeling on Anguilla to satisfy all but the most jaded folks--and then when you're done, of course, you're still on the nicest island in the Caribbean.

Anyone who has experienced GOOD snorkeling from SHORE knows that Anguilla is severely lacking in that category compared to many other islands.

Marc,<BR><BR>Although I think Anguilla is a great destination, with amazing beaches, the snorkeling simply is average at best. If you really want some truely &quot;great&quot; snorkeling from shore, you need to experience St John, Grand Cayman, Cozumel....