Jumby Bay Island

The island is home to three white sand beaches, sheltered by coral reefs and home to endangered varieties of turtles, birds and sheep (of all things), and is accessible only by boat, a five-minute ride from the main island of Antigua.

After a recent renovation, the central hotel building is looking better than ever, its 40 rooms and suites blending traditional colonial touches with an edge of clean-lined modernity; dark mahogany furnishings and four-poster beds in the bedrooms, and new courtyard garden bathrooms, to allow for outdoor showers. Eleven villas are scattered farther afield throughout the island, some remote indeed from the goings-on in the resort’s center—ideal for the privacy-starved, perhaps less so for families with small children (themselves a new sight at Jumby Bay, now that the age policies have been relaxed).

The beaches are prime leisure attractions, whether for swimmers, sunbathers or amateur Darwins, and hiking and biking trails criss-cross the island. Those in need of more structured recreation will find a pool, fitness center, three tennis courts and a putting green among the all-inclusive offerings, as well as a selection of water sports. Meals are included as well, of course, and you never know who you’ll see living the lifestyle of the rich and famous in the dining room of the estate house or at the Saturday night beach-front barbecue.