Little Bay: Anguilla's Secret Cliffside Snorkel Cove
A hidden limestone amphitheater where you drop in by boat, kayak, or a knotted rope ΓÇö and swim with turtles above coral caves.
Why Go
Most Anguilla beaches are long ribbons of powder-fine sand you can drive right up to. Little Bay is the opposite: a pocket-sized crescent tucked beneath 60-foot limestone cliffs on the island's northwest coast, reachable only from the water (or by rappelling down a fixed rope). The cliffs kill almost all the swell, so the water inside the cove sits glass-flat and neon turquoise even when the rest of the coast is churning ΓÇö which is exactly why the snorkeling here is the best on the island.
The Experience
You'll almost certainly arrive from Crocus Bay, a five-minute boat hop around the headland. Local skipper Calvin runs a small metal skiff from the sand at Crocus and knows every cave mouth and rock ledge worth a second look; da'Vida's, also on Crocus Bay, rents kayaks and snorkel gear if you'd rather paddle in yourself. As you round the point the cliffs suddenly open into a bowl of pale sand maybe 30 meters wide, streaked with pelican shadows. Slip a mask on before you even step off the boat ΓÇö the shallows fill with parrotfish grazing the coral heads, and the caves along the eastern wall shelter green turtles, spiny lobsters tucked under ledges, trumpetfish hanging vertical in the columns of light, and the occasional squadron of squid. There are no vendors, no beach bar, no shade beyond what the cliffs throw in the late afternoon ΓÇö just water so clear you can watch your own shadow ripple across the seafloor 15 feet below.
What to Try
Swim the eastern cliff wall first (right as you face the water) ΓÇö that's where the caves, ledges, and the highest turtle-count sit. Then work back along the sandy center for stingrays half-buried near shore, and finish on the western side where the reef pushes out into deeper blue and jacks patrol the drop-off. If you're arriving with Calvin, ask him to time pickup for the golden 4pm light ΓÇö the cliffs glow terracotta and the water turns to liquid glass.
Insider Tip
Come first thing in the morning, before the day-charter catamarans from St. Martin muscle in around 11am. Between 9 and 10:30 you'll often have the whole cove to yourself, the water is at its stillest, and the turtles haven't been spooked yet. Bring reef-safe sunscreen (there's zero shade until mid-afternoon), a dry bag with a bottle of water and something to snack on, and ΓÇö if you're going down the rope ΓÇö leave anything you can't carry in one hand back at the car.
The Practical Stuff
Access: by boat or kayak from Crocus Bay (5 minutes), or a steep rope-assisted scramble from the clifftop parking pull-off. No facilities on the beach ΓÇö no toilets, food, drinks, shade, or lifeguard. Bring water, reef-safe SPF, a mask/snorkel/fins (rentals at da'Vida's), and water shoes if you plan the rope. Calvin's shuttle typically runs USD $15ΓÇô25 per person round-trip; kayak rentals run about $20ΓÇô30/hour. Best in calm conditions November through July; skip it if there's a north swell running. Half a day here is plenty ΓÇö pair it with lunch back at Crocus Bay.
Pair It With
- Crocus Bay Guide — Your launch point for Little Bay ΓÇö grab lunch at da'Vida's on the sand before or after, and rent kayaks or snorkel gear here.
- Shoal Bay East — Twenty minutes away and Anguilla's most famous beach ΓÇö pair Little Bay's cliffside intimacy with Shoal Bay's two miles of powder sand and beach bars for a full contrast day.
- Prickly Pear Cays — If Little Bay hooks you on Anguilla's snorkeling, spend a second day on a boat trip to Prickly Pear for even more reef and a barefoot beach lunch.
- Sandy Island — Another boat-only Anguillian micro-beach, but with a full lobster-grill lunch shack ΓÇö the perfect civilized bookend to Little Bay's wilder cove.