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.

Sailing away from Anguilla on a hand-crafted sailboat, we headed out to explore the small cays that dot the horizon. Looking for dolphins on the way became a game for the kids and us. The first stop brought us to a small sandy beach with nothing but the stunning turquoise water to look at. We swam and relaxed here listening to the stories of our captain about growing up in Anguilla. He tells the kids of the caves he explored as a child, and the kids are enthralled. Not long after, we are off again to explore the caves located on the eastern end of Anguilla.

One question that we love to ask our couples is, “what do you look forward to the most with your fiance?” Their response is always centered around a lifetime of blessings and meaningful moments. Our "dime in your shoe" tradition represents just that and more. A custom dating back to our British affiliation, brides receive a special dime from their mother or other loved one on their wedding day. The dime is then placed in the bride’s right shoe before she walks down the aisle, symbolizing blessings of wealth and good fortune for the couple.

Upon arrival in Anguilla, where the natural rhythm of rolling aqua waves, slight ocean breeze, and gentle sunshine ease a tension that you didn’t even know you had, it’s hard to believe how this paradise could get any better. However, on your wedding day, white rum begs to differ. A Caribbean tradition, white rum is traditionally sprinkled around bride and groom before their ceremony to ward off evil spirits and start off the celebration with good intentions.

Jennifer Zabinski of JZ Events shares her most memorable wedding-planning moments, from welcome gifts with altitude kits at Hotel Jerome, to yoga on the pool deck for wedding guests at Malliouhana. Whether emerging trend or tried-and-true detail, the newly-engaged will want to take note of how JZ Events approaches every step of the wedding process with unparalleled creativity, crafting your special day into something that can only be described as magic.

Drive 15 minutes east on Route 1 from Malliouhana and you’ll find a 16-foot boat, its hull painted bright yellow and green, perched on the beach in Sandy Ground. “This is Elvis’ Beach Bar—Anguilla’s after-party headquarters,” says General Services Manager Deanna Cabrera.

As waves licked the shore and the sun painted watercolor strokes, the horses plodded gently across powdery sand, heading toward the cerulean water. “This was no ordinary horseback ride on the beach,” says General Services Manager Deanna Cabrera about her first time at Seaside Stables on Cove Bay. “In Anguilla, they’ll wade right into the ocean to swim—with you still on board!” .

Ask for rum punch in Anguilla and you’ll find a thousand different versions of the Caribbean cocktail—a marriage of rum, citrus, and sugar occasionally spiked with fresh fruit juice, liqueurs, and bitters. But everyone has their favorite...

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.

A 27-mile ferry ride away from Anguilla lies mysterious Saba island. Chances are you’ve heard of busier St. Barts or St. Martin, but this unspoiled Dutch Antilles hideaway—which boasts incredible hiking and diving—is not on most tourist’s radars. “Of all the islands I’ve visited since moving to Anguilla, Saba is the most unexplored,”

After living in New York, Malliouhana’s Concierge, Becca Teklu, found paradise in Anguilla. Her best-kept secret for total escape is the island’s remote hideaway Little Bay, which is only accessible by boat and famous for its sugar-white beach. For your visit there, you’ll need our complimentary snorkeling gear to explore an underwater ecosystem thriving with turtles, eels, blue tangs, parrotfish, and stingrays. If wading into Little Bay's waters is not enough, climb up Jumping Rock and plunge 20 feet into the warm ocean below—one thrill Becca definitely prefers over riding New York’s subways!

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” ...