Cap Juluca, Anguilla - It’s All About the Beach

*originally published in Cruise and Travel Lifestyles, Winter/Spring 2011

By Vanessa Lee

The location of Cap Juluca on Maundays Beach in Anguilla is nothing less than breathtaking and if a glorious beach and excellent watersports combined with outstanding service is your thing then you will be very happy here. World renowned Cap Juluca opened 23 years ago and is an icon in the Caribbean. However it is not content to sit on its laurels and new owners have an ambitious plan of renovations and refurbishment which is already underway. This outstanding hotel will only get better in the years to come as new villas are built and the current ones renovated to the highest standards.

The beach is incredible. Very comfy lounge chairs await, bar and food service is speedy and exemplary and ipods, massages and cabanas are all a part of the mix. All watersports in Maundays Bay off the hotel’s beach are complimentary and this includes sailing, snorkeling, waterskiing and more.

The main house, a keystone of the property, has a Moorish influence, a canvas dome and a stunning chandelier as a centerpiece. This is the welcome area and also one in which guests gather often for cocktails and camaraderie – which this hotel offers aplenty. The West Indies style Maundays Club offers entertainment several nights a week; there are two libraries – East and West –with tons of books and DVDs and a terrace facing the ocean for great sunset views. Restaurants include Pimms for fine dinners, Blue by the sea which offers barbecues in the sand on some evenings (no shoes allowed!) and Spice which focuses on Pan Asian cuisine. Flights wine bar is also a favorite spot.

The hotel is comprised of 98 rooms with 3-6 rooms located in 18 villas. Refurbishments are underway and 2-3 villas will be renovated each year for the next five years. These exclusive retreats will be stunning and contain the very best amenities including 40-inch sony HDTV’s, Bose wave stereos, iPods and naturally, fabulous furnishings and linens.

The Greg Norman-designed Temenos Golf Course, the only one on Anguilla is nearby and run by the hotel.