Happy Bay

Happy Bay hides behind its headland with the access arithmetic that keeps beaches honest: the ten-minute footpath from Friar's Bay - roots, sea views, a modest scramble's worth of commitment - lands on a golden cove where palms lean true over calm water, Anguilla holds the horizon, and the crowd rarely exceeds the path's daily filter. Snorkelling works the rocky arms, shade pockets migrate with the sun, and the bay's occasional pop-up bar constitutes the entire economy. It is the French side's connoisseur default - and the walk back at golden hour completes the argument.

What you actually see

• The golden cove - the path-filtered crescent.
• The leaning palms - shade at classic Caribbean angles.
• The rocky-arm snorkel - fish life off both points.
• The Anguilla horizon - the channel's island line.

When to go

December to May with the season; mornings and late afternoons carry the calm the path preserves. Swell days stir the arms' snorkelling honestly.

Honest expectations

Facilities are none-to-pop-up - carry water and shade discipline; the path asks proper footing, which is precisely the beach's insurance.

Nearby

Friar's Bay, Grand Case's dining lane and Marigot.