As we descend down a set of wooden stairs to a secluded beach, we see the flickering glow of tiki torches. As we get closer, we can smell the fire burning amongst the tables. My husband and I are on this beach to experience the raw culinary experience.

Every year I take a tropical vacation to dip my feet in the sand and search of the best beach. Once I arrived at Malliouhana, I set out to find the best beach on Anguilla.  The staff told me there are 33 beaches on the Island of Anguilla so I was ready to explore. You can go on a tour of 7 Anguilla beaches but I chose to spend a longer time at a few.

My new husband and I came to Malliouhana for many reasons, but the main one was that we could go cay hopping on a traditional West Indian sailboat. Having met on a sailboat, we knew we wanted to recreate that experience on our honeymoon.

News travels fast on a small island, and within days of Mr. Leon Roydon seeing Meads Bay, we all knew it was going to the location of a luxury hotel. Mr. Roydon had been shown Meads Bay by the tourist board, and he fell in love with the area that would become Malliouhana.

Beautiful places like Anguilla often breed artists inspired by their surroundings—and craftsman Cheddie Richardson is one of them. “I wandered into his carving studio by accident, but I’ve been a fan ever since” ...

On her first Friday night in Anguilla, Natassia Parker saw gray plumes of smoke rise and smelled the char of grilled meat in the air. “I didn’t know it then, but this island is a barbeque mecca and those were signs the weekend had started,” she says. “By now I’ve tried every roadside stand, but Ken’s BBQ is adored by locals and well worth the 20-minute drive from Malliouhana.