Caribbean holidays provide an alluring combination of sand, sea and pirate scullduggery. But every island is different, so read Amanda Morison’s round-up of the most popular to discover which will suit your castaways. For suggestions of where to stay, click on our fully searchable Caribbean Travel Directory

ANGUILLA
It’s slow-paced and very exclusive on this low-lying 16-mile long slither of 33 white beaches. Expect to share the sands with celebrities such as Robert de Niro, Meg Ryan and Courtney Cox, not to mention the baby turtles which scramble to the sea between May and November. Other wild creatures, including iguana, bats and the red-billed tropicbird, can be round in the island’s tiny rainforest.

ANTIGUA
Famous for its 365 beaches, reliable dry weather and fantastic sailing – the Race Week
at the end of the winter season attracts yachts from around the globe.
Cricket is also popular, and you’ll often share the beach with an impromptu innings.
Adventurous families will love the zipwire tour high in the canopy of the island’s rainforest.

BARBADOS
Barbados is a glitzy, ritzy island, where A-listers expect fantastic service in some of the world’s most exclusive hotels – the west isn’t known as the ‘gold coast’ for its gorgeous sands alone. As the Caribbean’s most densely populated island, things can get busy, but you can escape by heading inland to walk among cane fields, or to the quiet east coast where ractically empty beaches are pounded by Atlantic waves beloved of surfers. For a taste of local life, try the weekly fish fry at Oistins.

CUBA
Think Cuba, think Castro, cigars, crumbling architecture and music. But it’s the glorious
beaches on the Caribbean’s largest island that will keep the children happy. Varadero is the most popular resort, and it’s a two-hour drive from Havana, so close enough for day trips.

Hotels at Varadero tend to be all-inclusive and great value, and offer plenty of excursions –
two of the best are exploring UNESCO World Heritage site Trinidad, or a speedy boat
adventure through mangroves.

ST KITTS AND NEVIS
The launch of direct BA flights to St Kitts earlier this year makes this heavenly island, and
Nevis, its baby brother, a perfect two stay destination. Once one of the richest of the Caribbean islands due to its sugar plantations, it has a strong sense of identity.

ST LUCIA
St Lucia is wildly beautiful, with banana and cocoa plantations, jagged volcanic mountains, and the world’s only ‘drive-through’ volcano (more bubbling sulphur springs, but with a great view). The beaches are spectacular, and the best can be found on the sheltered northern coast where you can head to banana boat or waterski.

TURKS & CAICOS
Turks & Caicos is made up of 40 low-lying islands, of which only eight are inhabited, 200
miles of ivory sands, and some of the Caribbean’s best diving. What was once a backwater ffering little but a salt industry and a haven for pirates, is now a centre for offshore banking.

Providenciales, the main island, is relatively busy and popular with visitors from the US.
Don’t be put off – the condostyle hotels deliver great service and huge suites, many kitted
out with vast fridges and washing machines.