Cap Juluca
Belmond Legends
Where island bliss finds its meaning
A white-washed architectural gem crowning one of the world’s best beaches, Cap Juluca is the ultimate expression of barefoot luxury. Having started life as a culinary destination and soon expanded into a boutique hotel for those in-the-know, it remains an intimate island retreat full of local soul.
Island Bliss
Some 3500 years ago, Arawak explorers from South America set sail in search of a new home. They would discover a 20-mile stretch of pristine sand in the Caribbean Sea, dubbing the land Malliouhana, meaning ‘arrow-headed sea serpent’ in reflection of the island’s shape. They established farms and villages, creating ceremonial sites to honor the spirits of the island. It wasn’t long before the rest of the world realized that such a treasure had been found. European settlers would arrive, with the Spanish renaming the island Anguilla. The English and the French vied for control of the island for over 150 years, with Anguilla eventually settling as a British overseas territory.
Pimms was established as a destination restaurant in 1987. Less than a year later, the hotel was built around it. Owners Sue and Robin Ricketts sat on idyllic Meads Bay with their friends Roland Richard and Nick Douglas, and decided to name it after the Juluca—the Arawak rainbow spirit. This was an apt choice in more ways than one. After a light rain, the sun will always return to spread colour across the bay. Moreover, Sue and Robin believed that there was an Arawak spirit of joy perpetually found on Maunday’s Bay, citing it as one of the reasons guests would return year after year.
Colour Like No Other
Set across 179 acres on Anguilla’s southwestern end, Cap Juluca is nestled in two crescent-shaped coves on Maundays Bay. Fusing the island’s laid-back spirit of tranquillity with a refined sense of indulgence, the resort became a magnet for the global jet set: a place where people from across the world could come together with locals to form a new-found family. A favourite hideaway of the jet set, our resort is celebrated for the way it brings guests and staff together like one big happy family. In fact, many of our employees, or ‘Julucans’, have been with the hotel since it opened in 1988.
The clusters of white, Greco-Moorish-style villas, fringed by breeze-ruffled palms, were designed by Los Angeles-based architect Oscar Farmer, who called them his “most romantic architectural creation”. Cap Juluca was always in-tune with the local environment; a host to nature walks and lecturers, it was also the first spot in the Caribbean to host an endangered plant garden. It would go on to host the island’s first dedicated herb garden, where guests could pluck their favourite species to be made into fresh-brewed tea.
A Caribbean Stage
When Cap Juluca was fully renovated in 2018, designer Lauren Rottet paid special attention to ensure a balance of natural authenticity and modern comfort. Many design flourishes were sourced from local artisans in Anguilla and nearby St Martin. The colour scheme features splashes of jewelled blues and greens to mirror the dazzling waves and lush vegetation, with warm neutral tones to complement the curves of the sandy bay.
Today, the resort is a stage to your Caribbean fantasy: a place to sit back and relax but be a silver-screen star, and feel hidden away in plain sight. An alluring icon that has enchanted the likes of Liam Neeson, Denzel Washington and Princess Alexandra. The original Pimms restaurant remains a gastronomic icon and one of the most romantic eateries on the island, with a menu that pays tribute to the bounty of the Caribbean. Newer additions celebrate the sense of a world coming together; Uchu offers refined Peruvian specialties, while Cip’s by Cipriani brings a taste of Venice and the Hotel Cipriani to a dream-like beachfront setting.
Whether you while away the hours beside the beach or launch into Anguillan culture, there’s a pulse of life here that’s impossible to resist. And once you realise you’ve found the true meaning of island bliss, you’ll be a Julucan for life.
Meet more
Belmond Legends
Copacabana Palace
Where Rio Starts
Discover the ineffable allure of Copacabana Palace, where glamourous guests transcend generations and the warm Carioca welcome invites you in to write your own history.
