The busiest and most developed of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas is nevertheless blessed with typically Caribbean good looks. The main town, Charlotte Amalie, is situated on a perfect natural harbour, and in its colonial heyday its warehouses were filled with indigo, tobacco and cotton.

Languid, laid-back Virgin Gorda is blessed with beautiful beaches and wonderfully friendly people. Life proceeds at a slower pace here, and highlights include The Baths, an unusual collection of granite boulders, grottoes and pools on the island’s southwest shore.

Antigua is famously home to 365 beaches - one for every day of the year - and there is an undeniable allure to the many white sand coves dotted along the coast. The capital, St John's, is worth a look, but if you've got time to visit the south coast you'll find historic Nelson's Dockyard a lot more interesting.

Bequia is an incredibly friendly, laid-back island blessed with pristine golden sand beaches and some excellent restaurants. It’s also a popular sailing destination; the yachts tend to congregate around Admiralty Bay, where you’ll find the little waterfront town of Port Elizabeth.

Scarborough is the capital of Tobago, a sleepy island where tourism remains mostly low key. The town has a few interesting colonial era sights, but we’d recommend exploring Tobago’s natural treasures instead, including stunning reefs, secluded waterfalls and a rainforest reserve that draws birdwatchers from around the globe.

There’s more to Barbados than just beaches; the delightful architecture of the old garrison in Bridgetown, the capital, is fully deserving of its UNESCO World Heritage status, and the island interior is littered with old sugar plantations and natural wonders such as Harrison’s Cave.

Situated just to the west of the Tobago Cays, Mayreau is a tiny, barely inhabited island that can only be reached by boat. There is very little to do, which is the main attraction for those lucky few who wash up here; the palm-fringed beaches and gently lapping waters are the Caribbean island idyll par excellence.

Castries, Saint Lucia’s diminutive capital, is home to some interesting markets and colonial buildings. The island’s highlights are situated elsewhere, however, and we’d recommend either heading south towards Soufrière, where the iconic Piton mountains guard a beautiful bay, or north to the bars, restaurants and beaches of Rodney Bay.

The island of Dominica stands out from the rest of the Caribbean, a rugged natural paradise that remains blissfully free of mass market tourism. The capital, Roseau, is pleasant enough, but the island interior offers so much more, including thick jungle, bubbling hot springs, cascading waterfalls and abundant birdlife.

Guadeloupe is made up of two main islands that resemble the wings of a butterfly, and several smaller islands offering a diverse array of cultural, historical and natural attractions. The islands are swathed in lush rainforest and fringed by golden beaches, and a strong French influence is discernible in the flavoursome Creole cuisine.

Philipsburg is the gateway to an intriguing little Caribbean island with a dual personality: the Dutch side, St. Maarten, is the livelier of the two, with shopping malls, casinos and more of a nightlife scene, while French-speaking St. Martin is a more refined (and more expensive) affair, with a laid-back, continental air and a host of exclusive resorts and restaurants.

Tortola is the largest and most populous of the British Virgin Islands, and the bustling port at Road Town is a magnet for sailors from around the world. The island is blessed with some gorgeous beaches and secluded coves, and it's a great place for a spot of snorkelling.