Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel: Maundays Bay's Moorish Mirage
White-domed villas, powder sand, and a champagne saber at sunset on Anguilla's calmest crescent bay.
Why Go
There are grand Caribbean resorts, and then there is Cap Juluca ΓÇö 179 acres of whitewashed Moorish-Greco domes strung along Maundays Bay, arguably the most photogenic mile of sand in Anguilla. Reimagined by Belmond in 2018 but rooted in its 1988 original vision, it trades tropical maximalism for a quieter, slower luxury: barefoot butlers, turquoise water that stays waist-deep for a hundred yards, and an intercom on your beach umbrella so nothing interrupts the view.
The Experience
Arrival sets the tone ΓÇö you're greeted with a rum punch under a fretwork archway and shown to one of 113 rooms or suites, most opening directly onto the sand. Days follow a gentle choreography: breakfast on your terrace, a walk to the far end of the bay before the sun climbs, and a claim on your assigned pair of loungers with the oversized umbrella that comes standard for every room. The Guerlain Spa, complimentary to use even without a treatment, has a hammam and outdoor plunge pools tucked into a garden courtyard. Afternoons drift into snorkel gear from the water sports hut, a Caribbean rum tasting with the resident historian, or a nap in the shade of a sea grape. As the light softens, the nightly champagne sabering on the beach signals the shift into evening ΓÇö cocktails at Cip's, dinner under the stars, and the sound of nothing but surf all the way back to your villa.
What to Try
Book at least one dinner at Pimms, the flagship restaurant literally jutting over the water on a coral-stone jetty ΓÇö the tasting menu leans on Chef Andy Gaskin's refined Anguillan cooking (crayfish, snapper, local goat). Uchu handles the other half of the palate with Peruvian-Nikkei plates and pisco sours worth the walk down the beach. For lunch, skip the formal rooms and eat with your feet in the sand at The Cap Shack ΓÇö grilled lobster roll, jerk chicken, frozen painkillers. Cip's by Cipriani delivers the Venetian classics (carpaccio, Bellinis) if you need a break from the Caribbean register. Non-negotiable freebies: the sunset champagne saber ritual, the guided reef snorkel, and morning yoga on the pier.
Insider Tip
The 'garden view' rooms are a trap in name only ΓÇö several of them are actually the closest to the spa and pool, quieter than the beachfront blocks at night, and price out hundreds less. Also: butler service is included for every room category, not just suites, and the butlers can pre-stock your minibar with specific bottles and snacks if you email cap.hostdesk@belmond.com a few days before arrival. Ask about the complimentary fishing trip with Sean ΓÇö it doesn't appear on the standard activity sheet but is bookable on request.
The Practical Stuff
Address: Maundays Bay, AI-2640, Anguilla, British West Indies. Phone: +1 264 497 6666. Concierge: cap.hostdesk@belmond.com. Check-in 4pm, check-out 12pm. 113 keys (68 rooms, 45 suites). Four restaurants on property (Pimms, Cip's by Cipriani, Uchu, The Cap Shack), plus the Sea & Reef beach bar. Guerlain Spa on site. Explorer's Club kids' program for ages 4ΓÇô12. Pet-friendly ($450 for up to 5 nights, max two pets, 22.7kg each). Reach the resort via a 20-minute drive from Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA), or via the Blowing Point ferry from St. Martin followed by a 25-minute transfer. Peak season DecemberΓÇôApril; the resort closes for a portion of September for annual maintenance.
Pair It With
- Blanchards Beach Shack — A ten-minute cab up the coast to Meads Bay for the island's beloved lobster roll and rum punch on plastic chairs ΓÇö a deliberate contrast to Cap Juluca's polish and a local institution since 1994.
- Sandy Island — A tiny sandbar reachable only by a five-minute boat from Sandy Ground; grilled lobster, cold Caribs, and nothing else. The perfect half-day off-resort adventure your Cap Juluca concierge can arrange.
- Da'Vida / Crocus Bay — Pair a morning of snorkeling the Little Bay cliffs (accessible by kayak from Crocus Bay) with a long, rum-soaked lunch on the beach ΓÇö a good excuse to see the greener, quieter east end of the island.
- Sunshine Shack, Rendezvous Bay — Garvey Lake's legendary beach bar is a fifteen-minute walk down the sand from Cap Juluca ΓÇö barbecue ribs, live music on weekends, and the antidote to a week of tasting menus.