They’re often rustic, with the luxury usually in the details. That’s because they focus on one thing: getting in touch with the natural environment in the Caribbean. They’re not hotels — they’re the Caribbean’s eco-lodges, the tiny properties surrounded by lush landscapes or empty beaches, the ones that impact your vacation far more than they ever impact the environment. Here are our favourites for 2014.

Tendacayou Eco-Lodge and Spa — Guadeloupe

This property on the northwestern corner of the lush island of Basse-Terre in Deshaies redefines the eco-lodge. With its eclectic fashion and inspired design, it isn’t just an eco-lodge — it’s eco-chic.