Which is the perfect Caribbean island for you?

CV Villas, the luxury villa holiday specialist known for its fine properties in sought-after locations around the world, offers a selection of elegant villas across the Caribbean ideal for a winter sun break.

Whether it’s total seclusion or lively nightlife, fascinating history or adventurous activities, picturesque beaches or colourful wildlife, A-list glamour or rustic charm that you’re after, CV Villas can help you pick the perfect Caribbean island. With deluxe villa options in each destination – all with in-house staff, private swimming pools and beautiful outdoor spaces – guests can enjoy their very own island paradise.

Choose from Barbados, St Lucia, Mustique or Grenada:

Barbados: The quintessential Caribbean island – the perfect introduction for the first-time visitor 

Famed for its gorgeous beaches, crystalline waters, UNESCO World Heritage listed capital, fantastic nightlife and welcoming Bajan people, Barbados has it all. First-time visitors to the Caribbean will delight in spending lazy days on some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, drinking punch at beach-front rum shacks, dancing to calypso and reggae at poolside bars and open-air nightclubs, and hiking across dramatic coastlines. The capital, Bridgetown, offers iconic colonial architecture and fascinating museums, while historic plantation houses in the sugar cane fields of the interior provide an intriguing and necessary glimpse into the island’s history.

The archetypal Barbadian experience – watching a game of cricket – should definitely not be missed either, with cricket greens in every village providing ample opportunity to catch an informal game. Barbados also plays host to several high-profile sporting and cultural events throughout the year, with the polo season running from January to the end of May, February’s Holetown Festival – which celebrates the arrival of the first settlers and brings the town alive with steel bands, street fairs, vintage car parades and Bajan food stalls – and the Sandy Lane Gold Cup horse racing in March. One of the island’s best-known exports (apart from Rihanna, of course) is rum, and a trip to Barbados wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of its many distilleries (Mount Gay and Cockspur’s, amongst others) to learn about the process of making a pirate’s favourite tipple.

Stay at Mullins Mill (sleeps 16)

Featuring in CV Villa’s Private Collection, this outstanding eight-bedroomed hilltop house is a converted 17th century sugar mill surrounded by eight acres of exotic gardens. Elegantly furnished with rich mahogany and rare antiques, the lodgings are split across the main house, the mill house, an adjoining two story annexe and a guest cottage. 

The ultimate in luxurious touches include a tennis court, private beach house, lagoon-style pool and Jacuzzi. A full team of private staff will cater to guests’ every whim, delivering freshly-prepared lunches to the water’s edge dining gazebo, mixing cocktails, organising excursions, and taking guests on a tour of the grounds to identify exotic plants, flowers and fruits. A week’s stay at Mullin’s Mill costs  from £1,044 pp (£16,711 total). Includes housekeeper, cook service (ingredients payable locally), butler and night security. Flights extra.  

Stay at Easy Reach (sleeps six)

This family villa enjoys a prime spot right on the sands of Barbados’ famous Mullins Beach. Children can play beach games and snorkel in the clear seas while parents relax with a cocktail and take in beautiful sunsets from the timber terrace. Decked out in an enchanting ‘chic shack’ style, with rustic white wood floors and ceilings, arty driftwood furniture and vibrant upholstery in nautical blues and stripes, this three-bedroomed house has a spacious open plan layout for idyllic indoor/outdoor living. A five-minute drive away, the charming colonial town of Speightstown is filled with sidewalk vendors displaying tropical produce, fishermen bringing in their catch along the jetty, and grand town houses which once belonged to wealthy merchants. Restaurants and bars serve up flavoursome Bajan cuisine and rum cocktails. A week’s stay at Easy Reach costs from £718 pp (£4,310 total). Includes housekeeper and cook service (two meals per day, ingredients payable locally). Flights extra. 

St Lucia: Perfect for romance, seclusion and wildlife

Loved-up couples will enjoy the utter seclusion and natural beauty that St Lucia has to offer. Lined with palm-fringed beaches and filled with dramatic peaks and plunging valleys covered in a lush blanket of rainforest, the island is home to an abundance of wildlife, including several indigenous species such as the Jacquot parrot and the St Lucia Whiptail (the world’s rarest lizard). In the south west, the volcanic peaks of Petit Piton and Gros Piton are a captivating sight and make for a challenging climb with rewarding views from the top. Adventurous couples will also love zip lining though the rainforest canopy, mountain biking, reef snorkelling, and spotting whales and dolphins out at sea. Rodney Bay, in the north of the island, offers lazy days on the mile-long golden sand Reduit Beach, sumptuous cuisine at its many excellent restaurants, and a buzzing party atmosphere at its lively bars and nightclubs after nightfall.

Stay at Smuggler’s Nest (sleeps four)

Near Rodney Bay in the beautiful relaxed north of the island, this two-bedroomed hideaway villa set above a sandy cove sleeps four but also makes the ideal romantic retreat for two. Airy, light rooms filled with Indonesian antiques and soft white furnishings provide the most comfortable of spaces to relax in, while romantic touches in the master suite include a four-poster bed and a bath tub à deux. Surrounded by tropical gardens featuring a large lagoon pool which resembles a natural ocean inlet, the grounds lead to a footpath taking guests directly to the idyllic cove below, perfect for snorkelling or for candlelit beach picnics. The island’s capital, Castries, known for its bustling market filled with handicrafts and fresh produce, and its stunning cathedral with beautifully coloured murals, is a 25-minute drive away.

A week’s stay at Smuggler’s Nest costs from £892 pp (£3,571 total). Includes housekeeper and cook service (six days, ingredients payable locally). Flights extra.

Mustique: Perfect for A-list luxury and glamour

At a tiny one-and-a-half by three miles and with a population of just five hundred, it is one of the smallest inhabited Caribbean islands, but minuscule Mustique has played host to some of the world’s most lavish parties and has been the playground of the rich and famous since David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Princess Margaret made it their favoured holiday spot in the 1970s. The world’s glitterati rub shoulders at this eccentric island resort, where Tommy Hilfiger and Bryan Adams own homes, and the Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William, Sir Paul McCartney and Beyonce like to holiday. Mustique’s glamorous hangouts include the idyllic white-sand Macaroni Beach and the famous Basil’s Bar, which reopened in 2019 after a Philippe Starck redesign; it’s the coolest spot on the island to drink zingy Mustique Mules and feast on lobster and mahi-mahi. With no cars on the island (the transport of choice is a Kawasaki Mule – a type of four-wheel drive golf buggy) and a relaxed – yet exclusive – feel, Mustique offers the ultimate in barefoot luxury.

Stay at Moana (sleeps six)

Reflecting the island’s glamorous past and A-list status, Villa Moana has a chic yet rustic style, with its stylish décor incorporating trendy bamboo and wicker furniture, tropical print textiles and upholstery, fun pebble-tiled bathrooms and multicoloured hammocks adorning the veranda. Overlooking the picture-perfect L’Ansecoy Bay, on the north of the island, this three-bedroomed villa boasts two private pools and direct access to the beach below. Guests can enjoy deliciously fresh Caribbean cuisine such as jerk chicken, callaloo soup (a hearty traditional broth featuring okra, crab and coconut) and mango sorbet prepared by the talented in-house chef, before relaxing with cocktail in hand on the sea-view veranda. If they can bear to leave their private paradise, there’s a Kawasaki Mule to hand in which to explore the island. 

A week’s stay at Moana costs from £2,384 pp (£14,308 total). Includes housekeeper, cook service (ingredients payable locally), use of a vehicle and an exclusive weekly cocktail party on Tuesday evenings in the Cotton House. Flights extra.

Grenada: Perfect for seeing a quieter, less-visited side to the Caribbean

Known as the Spice Island (you can actually smell the fragrant nutmeg and mace in the air), beautiful Grenada is far less touristy than some of the other Caribbean islands. With a friendly, relaxed and quiet feel, and no resorts or high-rise developments, it offers a window into how the Caribbean was fifty years ago. Soft sand beaches, lush rainforest, heavenly waterfalls, and pretty little coves make it a natural wonderland ripe for exploring. It’s a veritable playground for divers and snorkellers, too, with abundant colourful reef, fascinating wrecks, and a unique underwater sculpture park featuring eerie life-sized figures. The elegant capital, St George’s, is great for a day trip, with historic 18th century architecture, a buzzing harbour area, and the hilltop colonial complex of Fort George, which offers beautiful views across land and sea. Learn about the island’s main exports – nutmeg, cocoa and rum – while touring plantation estates, factories and distilleries, and then buy your own to take home at the lively St George’s market.

Stay at Rolling Surf (sleeps eight)

Sitting right on the water’s edge, with an infinity pool overlooking the turquoise waters and sail boats of Prickly Bay, Rolling Surf is one of few beachfront homes on Grenada. Tucking into freshly caught fish and tropical fruits on its covered veranda, guests will feel as if they’re on the deck of a luxury boat. Inside the villa, two of its four spacious bedrooms open out on to the poolside terrace, and the master suite features a grand four-poster bed and whirlpool bath. Its huge kitchen is designed for entertaining, centred around an island breakfast bar and complete with state-of-the-art facilities, while a fitness room and TV room provide spaces for working out and relaxation after a tough day at the beach. A leisurely stroll away, the luxurious Calabash Hotel is home to two of Grenada’s finest restaurants, serving inventive dishes using the island’s bounty, as well as small tapas plates, burgers and salads, to be enjoyed while taking in sweeping harbour views.
A week’s stay at Rolling Surf costs from £1,048 pp (£8,386 total). Includes transfers, maid service and cook service for breakfast and lunch (ingredients payable locally). Flights extra.

For more information, call CV Villas on 020 7261 5499 or visit www.cvvillas.com.

Notes to editors

For more than 40 years, CV Villas has organised tailor-made villa holidays in inspiring locations across Europe and beyond. A CV Villas holiday combines beautiful villas in unrivalled settings with expert local support and, if desired, flights and car hire too.

From its origins in Corfu, the 900-strong portfolio now features villas in some of the world’s most sought-after locations, including Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Morocco, the Caribbean and the USA. Many properties are exclusively available through CV Villas. 

CV Villas’ Private Collection is an exceptional portfolio of the world’s finest and most luxurious fully-staffed villas in stunning settings.

Press: For further information, high-res images or to discuss a commissioned press trip, please contact Lizzie Cooper or Kate Chapman at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or l.cooper@travelpr.co.uk / k.chapman@travelpr.co.uk.