In many ways, luxury villas are the ultimate Caribbean vacation experience. It’s far beyond — and very different — than spending your time in a resort. A villa means you aren’t just staying on an island — you’re living on an island, and in the best possible way. But not every island offers this kind of luxury villa experience — you have to know where to go and you have to find the right villa management company to help you both plan your trip and manage your experience on the ground, from renting a car to stocking your fridge to ensuring the villa is properly staffed. It’s the latter that truly separates the greatest villa vacations — the top Caribbean villas can include everything from butlers and in-house chefs to on-demand masseuses.

Because when you’re staying in a villa like this, just about everything you can imagine is taken care of. And isn’t that what luxury is all about?

Here are our favorite Caribbean destinations for the ultimate villa experience, with recommendations on the top companies to help you create your dream villa vacation.

St Barth This is just about the pinnacle of the Caribbean villa vacation — while St Barth is small, it is filled with spectacular villas, both in the hills and right on the beach. For the most authentic St Barth villa experiences, try St Barth Properties.