Fantasy Island

Set amid 179 acres on the shores of Maundays Bay on the small island of Anguilla in the British West Indies, Cap Juluca has a laid-back vibe that attracts guests who are craving a reset; a chance to disconnect, barefoot and bathing-suit clad. It’s truly an unrivaled location, this jewel of a resort where the sparkling turquoise waters of the Caribbean are the constant backdrop and the whitesand, mile-long beach is considered one of the world’s best.

The five-star resort is now owned by the exclusive hotel group Belmond and boasts 66 guest rooms and 42 suites—the signature Jonquil Suite is an ultimate haven with its own infinity pool, oceanfront jacuzzi and two bathrooms, each with its own hot tub—four restaurants, and a spa that utilizes the healing powers of the sea, applying ancient techniques and local products in its therapies.

For all its high-end amenities now, Cap Juluca had much more modest beginnings. Linda and Charles Hickox spotted the undeveloped Maundays Bay in 1984 on a boat trip and decided to build a restaurant there. Four years later, they built an 18-room hotel on the site that was an instant hit with the jet-setting crowd. Over the next decades, the hotel gradually expanded; after buying the property in 2017 from the Hickoxes, Belmond carried out a multi-year $121 million renovation, led by Lauren Rottet of Rottet Studio.

The property’s original two-story, whitewashed Moorish-inspired structures are intact, while the interior accommodations have been reimagined to reflect a luxuriously appointed private residence—think British Colonial style with a touch of modern. Each guest room and suite includes a private veranda or balcony to take in the captivating sunsets and sunrises over the sea.

Nearby, Cap Juluca has three-and five-bedroom villas that offer optimal seclusion for family and friends traveling together. The multi-story pool villas include a full kitchen with a dining atrium for private meals, direct beach access, and a personal freshwater swimming pool.

Honoring Anguilla’s reverence of the sea, resort guests can join local third-generation Anguillan fisherman Shawn Romney to learn about the importance of fishing for the local community. Using a traditional yo-yo reel, Romney and his guests will head over to the eastern point of Maundays Bay, a favorite local fishing spot for decades. They will cast lines searching for a yellowtail snapper, blue runner, or parrotfish before taking the fresh catch back to the resort’s new restaurant, Uchu, for a private ceviche lunch paired with fresh produce grown in the property’s greenhouse.

Uchu, which joined the property’s other three restaurants—Pimm’s, Cip’s by Cipriani, and Cap Shack—this year, features a menu of contemporary Peruvian cuisine. The restaurant offers a casual chic seafront dining option by day with a lunch menu based on local seafood. A playground for water activities, resort guests can adventure on an offshore trip to the tiny chain of uninhabited islands of Prickly Pear Cays, acquire an open water dive certification, or take part in windsurfing, water skiing, or snorkeling off the coast. As the sun rises, avid bird watchers can join local conservationist Jackie Cestero on a morning walk around Cove Pond, a nesting habitat for over 40 species of tropical birds—from the green-throated Carib to the Antillean Bullfinch.

One of Cap Juluca’s new excursions involves setting off in the property’s sea blue vintage Volkswagen van to explore the island’s 33 beaches. Guided by one of the resort’s hosts, no detail is overlooked for a perfect beach day, outfitted with beach chairs, towels, a stocked drink cooler, and a Polaroid camera to capture candid shots from the day. A gourmet picnic lunch will be set up filled with à la carte menu items such as a smoked salmon poke bowl or lobster sandwich. As the sun sets, guests can opt for a champagne toast as they sit back and watch the horizon on the cruise back to Maundays Bay.

For more information on Cap Juluca, visit Belmond.com.