Relax, unwind, and tee it up on Anguilla’s only golf course.
Anguilla is a tiny, eel-shaped island ringed by 33 blindingly white beaches, boasting a quiet cachet and sophistication that sets it apart from other Caribbean getaways. You’ll find no casinos, nightclubs, cruise ships, chain hotels, or duty-free shopping on this British overseas territory. What you will find nestled in a curve of Rendezvous Bay and its nearly two-mile stretch of powdery white sand is CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa and its low-rise, Greek-inspired whitewashed structures. Reopened last December following major renovations to its pools, restaurants, and 93 guest rooms, the oceanfront resort, built in 1999 by the owner of the CuisinArt kitchenware company, is a relaxing, family-friendly retreat that attracts both Americans and Europeans.
From the main house and its reflecting pool, winding pathways lead past colorful bougainvillea and swaying palms to the tented Café Mediterraneo, where breakfast and lunch are served. Upstairs from Venus Spa is newly opened Tokyo Bay, Anguilla’s first authentic Japanese restaurant. As befits its culinary heritage, CuisinArt takes its wining (there’s a 3,600-bottle cellar) and dining seriously. Chefs use fresh herbs and vegetables propagated at its 18,000-square-foot hydroponic farm to produce exceptional sauces, salads, and side dishes.
The resort added to its allure in 2011, when it acquired an abandoned $50 million golf facility adjacent to its property. After spending millions to revive the facility, the Greg Norman-designed course today presents a splendid test of golf woven through sea grape, thatched palm, and white cedar, with saltwater lagoons and mangrove thickets flanking many of the holes. Oriented to the sparkling sea and the mountainous coast of nearby St. Maarten, this majestic layout is one of the prettiest courses in the islands. With its perilous hazards and breezy conditions, the course is firm in its demands, but generous bail-out areas accommodate players of lesser attainment. An impressive white clubhouse behind the 18th green houses Italia, a new restaurant headed by a chef from Parma, Italy. (The tiramisu is out of this world.)
Like a great beauty who hasn’t let flattery go to her head, CuisinArt is content to let its natural attributes and expanded amenities engage guests like no other property in this corner of the Caribbean.
THE AGENDA
Hydroponic Farm Tour
Join Dr. David Resh for a fascinating tour of the resort’s hydroponic farm, where tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, and other fresh vegetables are grown in a soil-less environment within a large greenhouse. Superior in taste, quality, and appearance, these vine-ripened veggies are the key to the resort’s culinary excellence.
Bankie Banx Dune Preserve
Propped up on pilings a short walk from the resort is a multi-level beach bar and club built from shipwrecked boats and salvaged driftwood. Banx, a native Anguillan and reggae music pioneer, usually performs on weekends. Duneshine, a fermented ginger cocktail, is the potent house drink.
Special-Interest Bays & Beaches
Consider Crocus Bay for snorkeling, Savannah Bay for body surfing, Maunday’s Bay for beachcombing, Captain’s Bay for seclusion, and Shoal Bay West for sunsets. Or, simply relax at Rendezvous Bay, where beach attendants pass around soothing sorbet to guests in mid-afternoon.