For serious shopping (Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and the like), take the ferry and visit the shops in Marigot on French St. Martin. St. Martin is also a good place to stock up on French wines and cheeses if you're planning a long stay on Anguilla.

Clothes are not cheap on Anguilla, and the hotel boutiques do not go out of their way to stock bargains. Stocked to the rafters with everything you need to be a stylin' Anguillan -- silky kurtas, bejeweled caftans, scads of fine and costume jewelry, slinky bathing suits -- is ZaZAA (tel. 264/497-0460) in Shoal Bay East at the Ku resort. If you need a bathing suit, T-shirt, stylish sandals, or any beach gear, you'll find it in the colorful cottage at Irie Life (tel. 264/498-6526) on the cliff-side road at South Hill. ("Irie" is Rastafarian for "cool.") Even if you don't buy anything, you'll get a fantastic view down to Sandy Ground.

Anguilla Art

Anguilla has a thriving local arts and crafts scene and a surprising number of small art galleries featuring the works of talented resident artists both native-born and from around the world. In the Valley, the Anguilla Arts and Crafts Center (tel. 264/497-2200) has paintings and ceramics by local artists, as well as embroidery and lovely cloth dolls. If you're looking for collectibles, or just looking for good art, head to the following:

  • Alak Gallery, Shoal Bay East Rd. (tel. 264/497-7270). Accomplished Anguillan artist Louise Brooks paints genre island scenes and Caribbean flora and fauna in vivid, saturated hues. Roosters hold a particular charm for Brooks.
  • Art Café, Coconut Paradise Building, Island Harbour (tel. 264/497-8595) has intriguing rotating art exhibits and also doubles as a restaurant serving breakfast and lunch (chicken roti, burgers, local fish, and lobster).
  • Bartlett Collections, by the roundabout at South Hill (tel. 264/497-6625), has island crafts (as well as terrific smoothies at its outdoor cafe).
  • Lynne Bernbaum (tel. 264/497-5211; www.lynnebernbaum.com), is an American painter whose George Hill studio features her bold images of Anguilla, the Caribbean, and France. In addition to paintings, Ms. Bernbaum sells prints of her works, including some very Anguillan cactuses and goats.
  • Cheddie's Carving Studio, West End Road, the Cove (tel. 264/497-2949; www.cheddieonline.com), is the domain of self-taught Cheddie Richardson, who sculpts intricate, whimsical figures from driftwood, stone, and coral.
  • Devonish Art Gallery, in Long Bay opposite CuisinArt Road (tel. 264/497-2949), features the work of Courtney Devonish, the well-known Anguillan potter and sculptor, as well as a good collection of paintings from local artists.
  • Savannah Gallery, Coronation Street, Lower Valley (tel. 264/497-2263; www.savannahgallery.com), on the road to Crocus Bay, has a fine selection of paintings by Anguillan and Caribbean artists.
  • Stone Cellar Art Gallery, Government Corner, the Valley (tel. 264/498-0123; www.oldfactory-anguilla.ai): This 1868 former cotton gin has rough-hewn limestone walls and wood-beam ceilings. It's the home of rotating art exhibits (on the second floor) and Sir Roland Richardson's Caribbean Impressionistic paintings on the first.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.