Merrywing Bay

Merrywing Bay is a quiet, privately characterful beach on Anguilla's southwestern coast - the less-visited half of the Aurora Anguilla resort's two-beach footprint. While the resort's Rendezvous Bay side is the more famous stretch, Merrywing Bay has its own distinct appeal: a curving crescent of white sand with open views of St. Martin across the channel, reef-accessible snorkeling, and a breezy, trade-wind-cooled atmosphere that has attracted developers and resort visionaries for two decades.

The bay sits between Rendezvous Bay to the east and Cove Bay to the west, and it curves in a way that consistently catches the cooling southeast trade winds - making it one of the more comfortable spots on the island during warm months. Aurora Anguilla's Merrywing Bay side houses the resort's entertainment complex: the waterpark with slides and lazy river, the pickleball courts, the Aurora Amphitheatre, the Breezes beachfront restaurant, and the Greg Norman-designed golf course behind it. For Aurora guests seeking activity and amenities, Merrywing Bay is the place. For those seeking the quiet, classic beach experience, the resort's Rendezvous Bay side is typically the preference.

The bay has an interesting development history. The Merrywing site attracted the attention of major developers for years - the St. Regis brand and then Temenos both pursued projects here in the mid-2000s. It was acquired by CuisinArt Golf Resort & Spa as The Reef in 2013, and subsequently became part of Aurora Anguilla in 2020.

As a public beach, Merrywing Bay is open to non-resort visitors, but facilities and beach chairs are oriented toward Aurora guests. Non-guests should be aware that parts of the shoreline are rocky close to the water, which can limit casual wading - the beach is more visually striking than it is a classic swimming beach. Snorkeling is rewarding around the active reefs between Merrywing and Cove Bay, which is the strongest water activity draw in this area.