Antigua
A beach for every day of the year, Nelson's Dockyard and a day trip to the pink sand of Barbuda.
Winter sun with character: each island has its own beaches, food and pace, from the Pitons to Grace Bay
Caribbean travel: Caribbean
How to think about Caribbean
The Caribbean islands share warm water and winter sun, then differ in almost everything else. Barbados has the calm west coast, good restaurants and a well-worn social scene. St Lucia is green and mountainous, with the Pitons rising straight out of the sea. Antigua is about beaches and sailing around English Harbour.
Jamaica has the most music, the strongest food and the Blue Mountains behind the coast. The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos are flatter, with pale sand and clear shallows, and the Exuma Cays are made for days on a boat.
Most people choose one island and stay put, which suits a region built for rest. If you want two, pair islands that are close by air, such as St Lucia with Barbados or Antigua. The drier months from December to April are the classic time to go. Hurricane season runs from June to November, and we plan around it.
Destinations in Caribbean
Bahamas
Hundreds of cays scattered across clear, shallow banks, reached by a direct flight from Heathrow to Nassau.
Barbados
Daily direct flights, a calm west coast and a serious food and rum culture: an easy week of sun from London.
Jamaica
Blue Mountain coffee, river rafting, reggae and a north coast of fine old hotels: a beach holiday with a strong culture.
St Lucia
Two volcanic peaks rising from the sea, rainforest down to the shore and hillside hotels with open walls facing the Pitons.
Turks and Caicos
The pale sand of Grace Bay, a barrier reef and calm, shallow water, on a British Overseas Territory.
Journeys in Caribbean
Sample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Barbados with children: ten nights on the calm west coast
One base, no transfers: ten nights at a family hotel on the calm west coast near Holetown, with turtles off the beach, a catamaran day, Harrison's Cave and the wild Atlantic side at Bathsheba. A direct flight from London.
St Lucia: five nights below the Pitons, five on the north coast
Five nights on the forested hills above Soufrière, looking straight at the Pitons, then five at a spa resort on the calmer north coast. Rainforest walks, a sulphur spring mud bath and a boat day between the two.
Plan your Caribbean trip
No forms to get through first. Tell us roughly what you have in mind and a specialist will take it from there.