Anguilla: A Walking & Hiking Guide (ePub)

"Offers what no other guide provides - information on enjoying the Caribbean exclusively on foot. Keep this if you already own it; otherwise, try to purchase it from a used book dealer." Library Journal. "... Fast becoming a popular handbook for all manner of visitors to the Caribbean Islands." Roanoke Times "Amblers, hikers, beachcombers, power walkers, and anyone who likes to experience the Caribbean with their feet: this book's for you." Caribbean Travel & Life "Writing as though he is offering advice to old friends, Adkins has unveiled the splendors of foot exploration on the islands." Backpacker magazine Thoughts of the Caribbean bring to mind images of lying on sun-drenched beaches with a gentle surf lapping at your feet or of dancing to the rhythms of a calypso band at a world-class resort. Yes, the islands of the Caribbean are this, but they are also so much more! Beyond the glitter of the casinos, the temptations of the duty-free shops, and the passive pursuit of a golden tan is a unique and fascinating world that is best discovered on foot. Nowhere else is it possible to experience, in such a small area, so many different cultures and social conditions, such diverse vegetation, and such varied landscape as in the Caribbean. Even the most casual walker can step out the door of a luxury hotel onto a palm-lined beach to search for conch shells and hermit crabs, pass through the center of a busy and historically-rich port town, then enter a cactus and boulder-strewn landscape. From there, you can walk among stalks of sugarcane, or up the slopes of a lush, rain forest-covered volcanic mountain to discover crashing waterfalls and thousands of multi-hued tropical flowers. All of these delights can be experienced in less than an hour's walk from major towns and tourist spots. Just five miles north of St. Martin, Anguilla, like St. Barth, is ringed by beaches - over 30 of them. The island's main attraction is walking on the sparkling coral sand. However, in contrast to the nearby islands, many of the beaches here are lightly developed or uninhabited. For splendid, isolated walking on crescent-shaped, white sand beaches, Anguilla can't be beat. The highest point on the island is only 213 feet. Composed mostly of tertiary limestone, Anguilla receives little rainfall, making the landscape stark and bare when compared to its more mountainous neighbors. While there are a few beaches lined with palm and manchineel trees, most of the vegetation is low lying scrub brush. There are several small islands around Anguilla that are often visited by charter boats, and each deserves some exploration. Anguilla, due to its flat topography and uncrowded roads, has become increasingly popular with people who come over from St. Martin for a day of easy exploration and surfside walking.