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.

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.

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

Laid back and low key, Saint Kitts is an island typified by rolling green hills, characterful beach bars and the lingering remnants of the sugar cane trade that once dominated here. Attractions include the UNESCO-listed Brimstone Hill fortress, the 18-mile Scenic Railway and the faded Georgian elegance of the capital, Basseterre.

Sleepy, low key and utterly charming, Nevis is a real Caribbean gem. Dominated by the towering Nevis Peak, the island is dotted with former plantation houses that have been turned into characterful hotels. Drop in for lunch or afternoon tea, and if there’s time have a look round the elegantly faded Georgian capital, Charlestown.