Sombrero

On May 1st, 1997 I (Vince) took a boat trip out to Sombrero. This island is part of Anguilla (owned by the government) and is 40 miles North-West of the main island of Anguilla.

The boat just pulls up near a metal ladder that has been lowered down into the water. You climb up the ladder and then there are stairs.

The island is about 3/4 mile long and 400 yards wide at the widest point. Much of the ground is big rocks, so hiking around the island is a bit slow. The light house is the main feature on the island.

There are no coral reefs or sandy beaches, the waves come right up to the rock. During hurricanes the waves blow right over the island. In Hurricane Luis the stove, refrigerator, etc were all washed out of the building near the base of the light house.

There are many many birds on Sombrero. It is hard to show how many with pictures. The birds were very approachable. This is not a zoom lens or anything, in the last shot I am about 10 feet from the closest bird.

I went up to the top of the light house and took a couple pictures from up there. The view of Sombrero is, of course, is very good.

The men who operate the tower say that on most days they can see St Martin, and frequently they can even see Saba. However, Anguilla is very low and so not usually visible.

The boat ride was about 1 hour and 45 minutes each way, and we spent about that long on the island. It was a fun trip.
Vince Cate