It’s morning and the only things you hear are chirping birds and waving palms; there’s some blue in the distance, but up here it’s the green that matters.

The beach is a long walk or a shuttle ride away, but you’re perfect, up in the hills, spending your day with the trees.

This is another side of the Caribbean: the hillside hotel, where the views are different and the sounds are different, where you can engage with the region’s natural beauty in entirely new ways.

This is that rare gem in the Caribbean that isn’t on the beach. And that’s the point.

Here are our favorite hillside hotels in the Caribbean.

Hotel Plein Soleil, Martinique Set high above a lagoon on the Atlantic coast of Martinique, Plein Soleil is the essence of Martinique — fun and sophisticated, anchored by a world-class restaurant. But the biggest reason to come here is the design, with most of the breezy, chic rooms boasting their own private plunge pools, high above the water.