Tiny Anguilla is home to no less than 33 beaches, blessed with some of the most gloriously white sands in the Caribbean. A clutch of high end hotels and gourmet restaurants attract a well-to-do crowd, but the island has a more low key, laid back vibe than its glitzy neighbours, St Martin and St Barths.

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.

The idyllic island of Jost Van Dyke, named after an early Dutch settler, is known for its laid back vibe and friendly beach bars, including the famous Foxy’s, which counts Keith Richards amongst its past customers. It’s a place to kick back and relax, and the clear blue waters are also perfect for snorkelling.

Unlike the rest of the British Virgin Islands, which are volcanic in origin, Anegada is flat and formed from coral and limestone. The island supports a rich array of wildlife, including flamingos and Anegada rock iguanas, and it’s a great destination for snorkelling and scuba diving.

The Dutch Caribbean island of Saba is just five miles square, a place where pretty little villages cling to the steep sides of a dormant volcano swathed in thick rainforest. This wild and unspoilt landscape is the main attraction, along with the excellent snorkelling and diving just off the coast.

Gustavia is the chic and petite capital of Saint Barths, a tiny French Caribbean island that’s renowned as a haunt of the rich and the famous. You can certainly live well here if you’ve got the means, with an array of gourmet restaurants and luxury boutiques aimed squarely at the A-list. The beautiful beaches, on the other hand, are free and open to all.