When Linda and Charles Hickox first sailed past Anguilla in the early 80s, the island was the epitome of an untouched Caribbean paradise; there were only a few sandy roads and villages, and certainly not any upscale hotels or fine-dining restaurants. Off the shore, sea turtles and colourful fish darted around the shallows and there was hardly another yacht in sight, while indigenous Arawak ceremonial sites and colonial-era houses stood untouched on its hills.
What instantly enchanted the young couple, however, were the miles and miles of white-sand beaches. Anguilla is small – its shrubby interior barely spanning 100 square kilometres – with a disproportionate share of gorgeous shorelines. The Hickoxes dropped anchor at Maundays Bay, a sweeping crescent of fine sand and turquoise waters, little knowing they’d found the site for one of the northern Caribbean’s most iconic hotels.
A couple of years later, Linda and Charles opened Pimms, still the most iconic restaurant on the island, and a few years after that they launched Cap Juluca. The vision for Anguilla’s first true luxury resort was a white-washed sanctuary blending North African architecture with Caribbean warmth. Named after the rainbow spirit of Anguilla’s earliest known inhabitants, the indigenous Arawak people, the hotel strives to create harmony with its surroundings.
Approaching by water, Cap Juluca’s famous white villas – arranged along the crescent of Maundays Bay front like sugar cubes – slowly come into focus, framing the beach with their Morocco-meets-Grecian glamour. As you get closer, you’ll see palm trees and immaculately manicured tropical gardens around the mini villas, many with private swimming pools.
The hotel was given a full refurbishment in 2018 when it was acquired by Belmond. Just one week after it closed up the hotel to begin building works, Hurricane Irma tore through the island, destroying everything apart from those sturdy white villas. Under the careful and endlessly tasteful eye of designer Lauren Rottet, the brief of the renovation that followed was to preserve its soul while elevating the design.
The white domes, arched doorways and breezy interiors of the villas – known here as ‘casitas’ – recall Santorini more than St Barths. Stepping away from the more traditional Moroccan interiors, the colour scheme in the casitas now features splashes of jewelled blues and greens to mirror the waves and vegetation, with warm neutral tones to complement the curves of the sandy bay. Key furniture pieces include the seagrass armoires, woven wicker chairs and four-poster beds complete with linen drapes that waft in the wind when you slide the doors open. In some properties, the enormous bathrooms lead onto private solariums. Many materials and design features were sourced from local artisans in Anguilla, as well as from nearby St Martin.
Each casita is just a few steps from the beach, with the sound of the waves carrying through to the bedrooms and inspiring the temptation for a pre-breakfast swim. Spread along the crescent bay, some are walking distance from the main hotel building with its restaurants and spa; for those further away you can hitch a ride in one of the roving golf buggies, off-road bicycles or vintage beach cruisers. The hotel is set across 179 acres on Anguilla’s southwestern tip, far enough from any neighbouring towns or hotels that you can totally switch off.
Complimentary water-sports options here include windsurfing, paddle boarding and Hobie Cat sailing from Maundays Bay itself. If you do venture beyond, cruise to Little Bay on the other side of the island for an active day of snorkelling, kayaking or cliff jumping. On your way there, keep an eye out for Marissa’s Blowhole and then Anguilla Arch further on, two beauty spots that your skipper can point out.
There’s more swimming and snorkelling to be had at aptly named Shoal Bay near Island Harbour, as well as seven different marine parks protecting coral reefs for more serious diving. Further asea, Prickly Pear Cays are a pair of tiny islands covered with scrubby greenery and a salt marsh. Stop here for a decadent family-style lunch and an afternoon lounging on the beach, or anchor offshore and eat onboard. Finally, end with sunset drinks and dinner at Mead’s Bay, before an evening of music and dancing at Bankie Banx’s Dune Preserve.
Back in the hotel, be sure to leave one final morning to really indulge in the new spa complex, opened in 2025. Cap Juluca Spa by Guerlain draws inspiration from what’s known of Arawak rituals, and in particular their harmonious connection with nature. There’s a comprehensive menu of treatments, ranging from the weird and wonderful Ocean Vibes, an invigorating face and body ritual that incorporates an ocean tambour and ice bubbles in the form of chilled turquoise blue spheres, to the 90-minute Crystal Bowl Energy, a multi-sensory face mask of pink quartz with the vibrations and sounds of crystal bowls to “enhance inner peace and harmony”. If you’re after something more classic, soothing after-sun skin wraps, deep-tissue massages, pedicures and facials are also available.
With its killer spa, sun-soaked swimming pools and artfully designed casitas – not to mention some of the best menus in the islands – Cap Juluca ticks a lot of boxes as this fine island’s very finest bolthole.
