Maybe you’re looking for a classic beach getaway. Maybe you’re looking for an adventurous jaunt to an eco-resort. Or maybe you’re looking for a foodie holiday. Spring is one of the best times to visit the Caribbean — the crowds thin out, the prices fall a bit and the weather is still spectacular. So if you’re thinking about a tropical island escape this spring, here are 10 great places to choose from.
Martinique
Martinique remains one of the Caribbean’s great “undiscovered” destinations. It’s an elegant, culturally rich island with some of the region’s best gastronomy (and, of course, 11 rhum distilleries). In short, Martinique is a place for travelers with great taste. And it’s easier to get here than ever before, thanks to flights with American Airlines (out of Miami) and a host of northeast US cities (with Norwegian). But your next trip here should be a French Caribbean take on the classic island getaway: an escape to the beautiful Relais & Chateaux Cap Est Lagoon Resort and Spa in Martinique’s beach enclave of Le Francois. For a real splurge, go for one of the hotel’s plunge pool suites (above).
St Kitts
While it’s a small island, St Kitts is big on charm, with the kind of untouched feeling that’s harder and harder to find in the Caribbean. While there are a host of beaches here, the best way to see St Kitts is at one of the island’s hillside hotels, from the Ottley’s Plantation Inn to the recently-opened luxury Kittitian Hill resort. The latter (pictured above) is home to high-design villas with some of the region’s most striking views.
St Martin
It’s friendly, it’s easy to fly to and it’s beautiful. But French St Martin’s real story is that it’s almost inarguably the region’s culinary capital, with a slate of top chefs working on earth-shatteringly-good dishes that combine the rich flavors of the Caribbean with traditional French gastronomic artistry (like at Le Soleil in Grand Case, above). Looking for a new place to try on the island? Why not explore the Sol e Luna guest house, an exquisitely-designed hotel that’s home to one of St Martin’s best restaurants.
Antigua
Right now, Antigua is the Caribbean’s hotel development hotspot, and for a reason: it’s a beautiful place with an almost impossible number of beaches (365 by the tourist board’s count). And while it’s famous for the aforementioned sand and sailing, it’s an under-the-radar destination for watersports, thanks to a host of tucked-in bays and inlets. And if you’re thinking of a family getaway to the island, try the Verandah all-inclusive resort, where you can learn to sail, windsurf or simply snorkel around with the family.
Dominica
Maybe you’ve tried an eco-lodge in Dominica, or the beautiful Secret Bay. But Dominica is home to a robust collection of charming small hotels, including the Pagua Bay, a rustic-meets-modern getaway with ocean-view “cabana” style rooms. It’s a unique setting right on the sea on the Nature Island.
Barbados
Is it the Caribbean’s sweetest island? Barbados is a warm, gentle island with a certain kind of refinement. That means that even its all-inclusive hotels have a different level of quality. So why not try your next Bajan getaway at the Mango Bay all-inclusive? The 76-room property is set on a lovely stretch of white sand beach. Better yet? Unlimited Barbados rum.
Bonaire
Bonaire is a Caribbean diving capital (and home to a rapidly-developing food scene). But there are also pockets of luxury here, like the Harbour Village resort. The grand, comfortable property is also home to one of the island’s best stretches of sand (and a floating restaurant). And if you want to dive, you can go right off the shore, too.
Eleuthera
It’s hard to go wrong in the Out Islands of the Bahamas, but beachy Eleuthera is hard to pass up. This laid-back but elegant island is home to some terrific hotels, none more so than the Cove, Eleuthera, a blend of colonial style and modern chic, with a kind of effortless cool.
The Dominican Republic
Sure, you can go all-inclusive in the DR, but why not go for a slice of something different? While Puerto Plata is one of the country’s largest tourism hubs, there are corners of extreme cool, like the boutique Casa Colonial hotel. This high-design property is an example of what makes the Dominican’s hotel product so unique: European-quality design and service with Caribbean comfort.
Aruba
The southern Caribbean’s beach capital has another side: the increasingly energetic city of Oranjestad. And no, it’s not just for cruise visitors: this is a cool place, with great shopping, up-and-coming restaurants and one major hotel: the Renaissance Aruba. This is a great place to stay, with a secret: a 40-acre “island paradise,” home to the only private beach in Aruba, accessed through a special canal route.