Overlooked by CeBlue Villas & Beach Resort, on part of the highest peak in Anguilla, and lower down by daVida Restaurant and daVida Bayside Grill, and served by a yacht pier, Crocus Bay is evolving as one of the most popular places on the island. The bay and its surrounding area also have a great deal of historical significance.
According to historical notes, two invading French frigates landed between 700 and 1000 men at Crocus Bay in 1745, only to be repulsed by 150 militiamen under Governor Hodge. It is said that it was at that site where the wood for the roof of the Ebenezer Methodist Church in The Valley was landed and from where workers carried the material on their heads to the building site. It was also an area frequented in 1969 by members of the British invasion force.
Just above the bay is the reverse osmosis plant which is the main supply of desalination water throughout the island. Aside from CeBlue Villas & Beach Resort, Crocus Hill also accommodates the Water Authority, reservoirs and a well water desalination plant; communication towers, the remains of the old fort, prison, and post office; the Fisheries and Marine Resources Department; Lloyd’s Guest House, one of the first places of visitor accommodation in Anguilla; other guest houses, apartments and private residencies; the old Cottage Hospital now occupied by WISE (Workshop Initiative for Support in Education) part of the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School; and the Anguilla Red Cross housed in a section of the old hospital.
But the area of visitor interest, relaxation, dining, and sailing, is the beautiful Crocus Bay itself. Everyday a number of Anguillian young men leisurely sit under the tamarind tree gazing out to sea and chatting away – sometimes engaging the visitors who delight in meeting the locals.
The visitors are largely from nearby CeBlue, and various properties around the island who go to dine at daVidas or to swim at the somewhat sheltered beach. It is generally not a crowded beach, frequented by Anguillian swimmers mainly from The Valley area. From there, visitors often travel by various types of seacraft to neighbouring Little Bay, to the north, for further relaxation.
