Best Beach Resorts in the Caribbean

2. Galley Bay, Antigua

The most magnificent beach on the west coast of Antigua is, perhaps, Galley Bay, a 600-yard curve of palm-backed, sumptuous blond sand shelving into turquoise water: in other words, the archetypal Caribbean strand. The Galley Bay Resort & Spa (galleybayresort.com), with its rooms, dining rooms, spa and watersports, hides among the palms. The sand is so sumptuous that walking to breakfast becomes aerobic exercise. Kuoni (0800 092 4444; kuoni.co.uk) offers a week from £3, 647 all-inclusive. Quote KU9090 when booking. James Henderson

3. Pink Sands, Harbour Island, Bahamas

The Bahamas’ most famous beach is the fabulous Pink Sands on Harbour Island – three incomparable miles of pink-tinged sand looking out on to the royal blue of the reef-protected shallows and the navy of the ocean deep. Perfect for a morning walk. And Harbour Island has low key activity and good restaurants for the rest of the day. Scott Dunn (020 8682 5020; scottdunn.com) offers seven nights (plus one in Miami because of the flights) at The Landing (harbourislandlanding.com) from £1, 795, room only. James Henderson

4. Trunk Bay Beach, St John, US Virgin Islands

Just under three hours’ flying time from Miami, the US Virgin Islands are a popular sunshine and cruise getaway for US citizens. I find St John the most appealing: thanks to the philanthropy of Laurance S Rockefeller, two-thirds of this green and hilly island is a national park. The long, sandy, tree-lined Trunk Bay Beach falls within this park, which means that it is often busy but also well-maintained with lifeguards and a snorkelling trail. On the west coast of the island, the 174-room well-appointed Westin St John Resort & Villas (00 1 866 716 8108; westinresortstjohn.com; from £226 per night, room only) is a spacious and family-friendly beach resort. Nigel Tisdall

Trunk Bay Beach Photo: AP/Fotolia

5. Meads Bay, Anguilla

In my view, Anguilla has the best beaches in the Caribbean – clean, dazzlingly white sands, bewitchingly clear water and a safe, hassle-free atmosphere. You can drive the length of this nominally British island in 45 minutes and there’s plenty of good places to eat but no major sights, making it an ideal choice for beach addicts. Meads Bay, in the West End, is a mile-long strip of perfection sprinkled with hotels and restaurants, including the high-end Malliouhana (malliouhana.aubergeresorts.com). Booked through Carrier (0161 492 1354; carrier.co.uk): from £3, 270 with breakfast flying via Paris and St Martin. Nigel Tisdall

6. Orient Beach, St Martin

St Martin/St Maarten is the smallest island in the world divided between two nations. The north side is a petit morceau of France, while St Maarten in the south has a Dutch heritage. This spectacular east-coast beach is a winning blend of French Riviera-style vivacity and laid-back Caribbean charm. Adorned with some 20 bars and a dazzling parade of beach loungers, Orient Beach is all about buckets of chilled beer, tempting tapas menus, watersports, massages and – at its southern end – nudity. There are plenty of hotels close to its sands, but I prefer hillside Karibuni Lodge (00 590 690 643 858; lekaribuni.com; from £160 per night with breakfast), which has just six rooms with kitchen facilities and a small shared pool. Nigel Tisdall