Update 4/3/2011: Country Cottage Anguilla now has its own website! Please check it out at http://www.CountryCottageAnguilla.com for the most up-to-date information about its amenities and rates since items in the post below may be outdated.

Update 1/18/2011: Country Cottage Anguilla has new contact information. The phone numbers have been updated within the post below.

During my most recent trip to Anguilla, I had the pleasure of staying at a charming little guest house/apartment in Welches named “Country Cottage Anguilla”.  It’s located in a wonderfully quiet and peaceful spot on the northeastern part of the island and is a very short drive (4 minutes) away from stunning Shoal Bay East.  (Apparently, there is also a path that strong hikers can take to walk to SBE in about 20 minutes from the Cottage, but I didn’t try that, myself, on this trip.)

The apartment-style unit is located on the second floor of a building that is on the same property as the owners’ home.  While Country Cottage Anguilla is not located right on the beach, it does have a nice view of the sea and an amazingly refreshing breeze that flows through the whole second story.

Country Cottage Anguilla: View from outside (photo courtesy of CountryCottageAnguilla.com)

Country Cottage Anguilla is owned and run by the very friendly Isaiah Fleming who, while being a pretty laid-back guy, would clearly stop at nothing to make sure that your stay is an enjoyable one. It’s easy to see that he’s proud of the cottage, and in my opinion, he definitely should be because the work that has been put into making it a stylish, comfortable, clean and an extremely well-stocked place to stay is more than evident.

The unit has one bedroom with a small terrace, a nicely sized bathroom with a shower (no tub), a well-equipped kitchen, a nicely sized front terrace, a dining area and a great living area with an L-shaped couch that can serve as two twin-sized beds.

Country Cottage: Bedroom

The bedroom is equipped with an air-conditioning unit, a ceiling fan as well as a standing fan.  During my stay, however, I simply opened all of the bedroom windows to allow the outside breeze to flow through and that kept me perfectly cool.

Country Cottage: Kitchen & Dining Area

The kitchen was just about as well equipped as I could ever expect with a refrigerator, freezer, stove, oven, microwave, toaster oven, coffee machine, blender and all the cooking and dining equipment you might need.  Before my arrival, the refrigerator had even been stocked with some much-appreciated cold drinks.

Country Cottage: Stylish couch

The living area (which also has a ceiling fan) is bright and cheery and is a very comfortable place to relax and/or take a nap. All windows in the unit are screened in, which helps to keep pesky insects out.  They also provide a TV, DVD player, radio, wireless internet access (obviously available throughout the unit), as well as a nice selection of books and board games in this area.

Who could ask for anything more, really? Maybe some coolers and beach chairs to take to the beach? Oh yeah, they provide those too.  You can even rent a prepaid cell phone during your stay at Country Cottage Anguilla (you will have to go buy your own minutes or “top up” on your own though) for as little as $2 a day (rate current as of June 2010).

Country Cottage Anguilla is perfect for those who:

• don’t mind staying slightly off the beaten path (it’s just a few turns off of the main road just northeast of the Shoal Bay roundabout)
• are looking for budget-conscious options on an island where lodging costs can get very high (Country Cottage rates during the time of my stay – June 2010 – were about US $125 per night with specials available for longer stays.)
• need a well-equipped place to stay for a longer term than a standard vacation
• would like to support local businesses during their stay on Anguilla

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Country Cottage Anguilla, including current rates and availability, please contact

email: CountryCottageAnguilla@hotmail.com

phone: 264-497-0242 (office) or

264-235-6728 (mobile) or

264-772-2764 (mobile)

They don’t have a website yet, but I’m told that it’s in the works! I’ll keep you posted here if I get more information on it.

I very much enjoyed my stay at Country Cottage Anguilla and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to send any of my friends there.  I can’t say that for all the places I’ve stayed on Anguilla, including some places that cost twice as much (or more!) as this well-kept secret location.  Due to the Flemings’ great attention to detail, I had everything that I could possibly have needed during my stay. I don’t doubt that, if there had been something else I wanted, the Flemings would have helped me to get it.  I highly recommend that you stay at Country Cottage Anguilla if you get a chance!

I’ve included more photos of the Country Cottage Anguilla in the slideshow below. Some photos are courtesy of http://www.CountryCottageAnguilla.com. (If an automatic slideshow doesn’t cycle below, make sure that you have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed.)   Use your mouse to hover over the photos to see the descriptions and, if you like, click the square icon in the bottom right corner to view the photos in a larger full-screen view (and press ESC to return to normal view). Enjoy!