Belmond Cap Juluca: Anguilla's Moorish-Inspired Beachfront Sanctuary
Domed-white villas, powder-soft sand and butler-level polish on Maundays Bay.
Why Go
Picture a mile-long crescent of blindingly white sand fringing water so clear it looks Photoshopped, then plant twelve gleaming Greco-Moorish villas along it ΓÇö that's Cap Juluca. Since a $121 million rebirth under Belmond, the 1988 icon has traded its dowager charm for a sharper, quieter kind of luxury, but the DNA is unchanged: barefoot days, no crowds, and the sense that the Caribbean is happening only to you.
The Experience
The resort strings itself along Maundays Bay in a slow arc of domed villas, arched loggias and hand-laid Moroccan tile that stays cool underfoot even at midday. Everything is oriented toward the water ΓÇö rooms open onto private terraces where the sea starts about twenty paces from your bed, and paved sand-side paths connect the pools, the Guerlain spa, and Chef Andy Gaskin's restaurants without ever forcing you into shoes. Service is anchored by a personal Belmond host who acts as concierge, fixer and local intel channel for the length of your stay. Expect a rhythm that runs from sunrise Pilates on the sand, to long lunches, to rum-tinged sunsets on a daybed that no one else seems to know exists.
What to Try
Book dinner at Pimms, the whitewashed pavilion that sits almost on the water ΓÇö the Anguillan crayfish and the tasting menu are the two things regulars order without looking at the card. For something looser, drop into Uchu for Peruvian-Caribbean small plates and a pisco flight before the sun goes down. Spend at least one morning at the Cap Juluca Spa by Guerlain (the ocean-view treatment rooms are the reason to come), and book the sunrise horseback ride down the empty beach ΓÇö it's the resort's signature experience and it doesn't disappoint. Sailors should ask the host to arrange a private catamaran to Prickly Pear Cay for a lunch you'll still be talking about a year later.
Insider Tip
Villa numbers matter more than category. The lowest-numbered villas (starting around Villa 1) sit at the quiet, curved end of Maundays Bay closest to the point ΓÇö you get the best sunset angle, the calmest stretch of sand and almost no foot traffic. If you're celebrating something, ask specifically for a beachfront one-bedroom in the 1ΓÇô6 range rather than upgrading to a bigger category further down the beach.
The Practical Stuff
Fly into Princess Juliana (SXM) on St. Maarten, then take the 25-minute private Funtime or Calypso ferry to Blowing Point ΓÇö the Belmond host will meet you dockside. A direct Anguilla (AXA) arrival via San Juan is smoother but pricier. High season runs mid-December to mid-April with a hard peak around the holidays; May and November are the sweet spots for lower rates and near-empty beaches. The resort typically closes for a few weeks in September for the low season. Dress code is Caribbean-elegant at dinner ΓÇö linen, no flip-flops at Pimms. Currency is Eastern Caribbean Dollar but USD is accepted everywhere; tipping is not automatically included on the bill.
Pair It With
- Sunset sail to Prickly Pear Cay — A half-day catamaran charter from Cap Juluca's beach to the uninhabited cays off Anguilla is the perfect counterweight to a resort-heavy stay ΓÇö snorkeling, grilled lobster, and no one else in sight.
- Dinner at Blanchards — Anguilla's most storied off-property restaurant sits ten minutes up the coast on Meads Bay; go for the corn chowder, the rum list and a night away from the resort dining room.
- Shoal Bay East beach day — Even guests at a beach as stunning as Maundays owe themselves an afternoon on Shoal Bay East ΓÇö it's the island's other legendary stretch of sand and the beach bars (Gwen's, Uncle Ernie's) are pure Anguilla.
- Scilly Cay lunch — A five-minute boat hop from Island Harbour to a tiny private cay where you eat grilled crayfish and drink rum punch with your feet in the sand ΓÇö a rite of passage on Anguilla and easy for the Belmond host to arrange.