Boomerang’s Best of Anguilla
★ 4.8 · 460+ reviews
Anguilla and Prickly Pear in one day, with a swim with turtles. The full Anguilla day, and it works on a cruise day too.
Check dates and price
Twenty minutes to another island.
Anguilla is eleven miles from St Martin, and I have made this crossing more times than I can count. It is the kind of place you visit for one day and start planning your return on the boat ride back. Here is how the ferry works, what it really costs once the taxes are added, and when I would book a boat trip instead.
By Vic · Updated October 2026
Crossing
20 to 25 minutes
Same-day return
About $80, all taxes
From
Marigot, French side
Departures
About every hour
You need
A passport, even for a day
From St Martin to Anguilla
Eleven miles. That is all that separates St Martin from Anguilla, and yet the two islands could not feel more different. St Martin is busy, French and Dutch, full of restaurants and noise. Anguilla is flat, quiet, British, and its beaches are some of the most beautiful I know.
The ferry from Marigot takes 20 to 25 minutes. Add the passport checks on both sides and it is an easy day trip. Just remember that you are leaving one country for another: Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory, so bring your passport.
Getting to Anguilla
Which one I recommend depends on one question: do you just want to get there, or do you want the day planned for you?
The ferry locals use. It leaves from the Marigot ferry terminal, on the French side, and docks at Blowing Point in Anguilla. You buy your ticket at the terminal, no booking needed.
GB Ferries, Calypso Charters and Funtime Charters run boats from the Anguilla ferry terminal on Airport Road, right by SXM airport. Handy if you land and go straight to Anguilla with your luggage. More expensive, and best booked ahead.
The crossing, the snorkel stops, the beaches, drinks and often lunch, all organized. This is what I recommend for a first visit with only one day.
My tip: take the ferry if you want to explore Anguilla on your own, with a taxi or a rental car. Book a boat trip if what you really want is a beach day without thinking about timetables.
Public ferry
The public ferry runs every day, roughly every hour, from early morning to early evening. The crossing takes 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the sea.
| Direction | First ferry | Last ferry |
|---|---|---|
| Marigot → Anguilla | 8:30 AM | 6:00 PM |
| Anguilla → Marigot | 7:30 AM | 5:15 PM |
Times change with the season, holidays and the weather. I always check the official schedule from the Government of Anguilla the day before.
My tip: get to the Marigot terminal 30 to 45 minutes early. The crossing is short, but tickets, the departure tax and the passport check take time, especially in high season. And for the way back, do not aim for the last ferry: if it is full, you are spending the night in Anguilla.
Marigot ferry terminal, French side
Ferry cost
The ticket is only part of the price. You also pay a departure tax when you leave St Martin, and another when you leave Anguilla. The Anguilla one is lower if you come back the same day.
| Per adult | Day trip | Staying overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Ferry ticket, both ways | $60 | $60 |
| Departure tax in Marigot | €7 (about $8) | €7 (about $8) |
| Departure tax in Anguilla | about $11 | about $28 |
| Total, round trip | about $80 | about $95 |
Fares and taxes from the Government of Anguilla, checked in October 2026. They change from time to time, so take a little more than you need. Bring cash: it is the easiest way to pay at the terminals.
Arriving in Anguilla
Every ferry from St Martin docks at Blowing Point, on the south coast of Anguilla. Here is what happens next:
My tip: agree on the taxi fare before you get in, and ask the driver to pick you up in time for your return ferry. Keep your passport and return ticket somewhere easy to reach.
Ferry or day trip
| Public ferry | Boat trip | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | About $80, all taxes | Higher, but the whole day is included |
| What you get | The crossing only | Snorkel stops, beaches, drinks, often lunch |
| On arrival | Taxi or rental car to find | Nothing to organize |
| Freedom | Total, at your own pace | Planned stops |
| Best for | Independent travelers, return visits | A first visit, a single day |
My verdict: for a first visit with only one day, I would book a boat trip. You see more of Anguilla in less time, and you never look at your watch. On a second visit, take the ferry and pick your beach.
Organized day trips
The ferry gets you there. A boat trip gets you there with the whole day built around it: snorkel stops, beach time, drinks, and sometimes lunch. These are the three I would look at first.
★ 4.8 · 460+ reviews
Anguilla and Prickly Pear in one day, with a swim with turtles. The full Anguilla day, and it works on a cruise day too.
Check dates and price★ 4.9 · 440+ reviews
For a day about white sand and clear water. Beach time and snorkel stops, without having to figure out where to go.
Check dates and price★ 4.6 · 450+ reviews
A slower day on a catamaran, lunch on board, and time to swim off one of the prettiest little islands around Anguilla.
Check dates and priceWant a private boat instead, or to compare all five options? See my Anguilla day trips ranking.
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Before you go
Staying a few nights? Anguilla deserves more than a day. On my sister site BookAxA, I share where I would stay on the island.
Photo: Billy Bones Charters
Good to know
The public ferry from Marigot to Blowing Point takes 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the sea. Add time for tickets and passport checks on both sides.
The ticket is $30 each way. Add the Marigot departure tax (about €7) and the Anguilla departure tax (about $11 if you come back the same day, about $28 if you stay overnight). Count about $80 for a same-day round trip, about $95 if you stay.
Yes. Anguilla is a British Overseas Territory with its own immigration, so every traveler needs a valid passport, even for a day trip.
Yes, with a private ferry company. GB Ferries, Calypso Charters and Funtime Charters leave from the Anguilla ferry terminal on Airport Road, right by SXM airport. It costs more than the public ferry from Marigot and is best booked ahead.
The first public ferry leaves Marigot at 8:30 AM, then roughly every hour until about 6:00 PM. The last ferry back from Anguilla leaves around 5:15 PM. Check the official schedule the day before.
About $11 per adult if you leave the same day, and about $28 if you stayed more than 12 hours. You pay it at Blowing Point before your return ferry.
For a first visit with only one day, I think so. A boat trip includes snorkel stops, beaches, drinks and often lunch, with nothing to organize. The ferry is cheaper and gives you total freedom, which is perfect for a second visit.
Yes, it is the most popular way to see it. Take a morning ferry, spend the day at Shoal Bay or Meads Bay, and come back in the late afternoon. Just do not cut it close with the last ferry.
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