How to find the perfect Caribbean beach

Whether you want peace or a party, look in our top 20, selected by Fred Mawer.

Caribbean booking guide

If you have been dreaming of escaping our miserable winter - January saw above-average rainfall in virtually all parts of Britain - there are few better places to head for than the Caribbean. In February and March, daytime temperatures across the region are in the high 20s and on most islands you will be unlucky to encounter more than a few showers in a week.

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Beaches are what the Caribbean does best. The islands really can deliver those clichéd images of silky-soft sands, swaying palms and bath-warm turquoise seas.

But which beach is right for you? Some suit families, others are perfect for partygoers or watersports fanatics, others are right for people in search of a back-to-nature experience.

I have picked 20 of the best beach options in the region to suit different types of holidaymaker - and pretty much every budget.

Unless stated, prices are per person for a week in early March in the cheapest double room, including flights. The prices are guidelines; March is high season in the Caribbean and some hotels might be full.

If you can wait until May for your dose of Caribbean sun, your holiday might be as much as 25 per cent cheaper, and the weather is still normally very good.

Best for families with young children
Grace Bay, Turks & Caicos

Twelve mile-long Grace Bay, on Providenciales, is the best of the many exceptional beaches in the Turks & Caicos islands. It's ideal for families.

The sand is brilliant white and super-soft and the waters are safe for swimming. The hotels are just a short drive from the airport.

Stay at Beaches Turks & Caicos on Grace Bay: this family-oriented, all-inclusive resort has a pirate ship children's complex, well-regarded childcare and trained nannies. Travelling with Kuoni in early April, £1,749; children aged 2-16, £999 (based on four sharing).

Best for families with older children
Atlantis, Bahamas

Atlantis faces several great beaches on New Providence's Paradise Island, but the allure of the sands is overshadowed by the array of entertainment at this 3,000-room, Vegas-styled resort hotel complex.

Highlights for families include a water park with a high-thrills, mile-long river ride and terrifying water slides; Dolphin Cay, where you can paddle with dolphins; and spectacular aquariums. Whatever you make of it all, you and your children will not be bored.

With Kuoni in early April, £1,320, room only; children aged 2-16, £1,160 (based on four sharing).

Best for romantics
Maunday's Bay, Anguilla

The exclusive little island of Anguilla deserves to appear in any list of top Caribbean beach destinations.

The British dependency has more than 30 beaches, many with the softest, whitest sands imaginable.

Those on a romantic break with money to burn should book into Cap Juluca (£3,050 b&b, ITC Classics). Its string of Moorish villas ranges the length of, and opens directly on to, Maunday's Bay, a mile-long curve of flawless - and, effectively, private - beach.

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