Leeward Islands: Beaches. Rainforests. Volcanoes.

Antiguans claim the beach is just the beginning, but it’s hard to ignore this island’s icing-sugar shores. Guests may choose from 365 sandy coves along 50 miles of postcard-perfect coastline. Galley Bay is best for surfers, Jabberwock Beach for kiteboards, and Half Moon Bay will inspire your Instagram.

There’s a world of wildlife on Antigua. Hurtle through the rainforest canopy on a zipline, or kayak slowly through the island’s mangrove swamps. Locals prefer a mix of the island’s three ‘C’s: cocktails, coconuts and cricket. Take a beach, a bat and a bottle of English Harbour rum to join the fun.

Nevis was known as ‘the land of beautiful water’. The turquoise sea still laps at the island’s ice-white sand. The day’s hardest decision is whether to dine on lobster or mahi-mahi for lunch. Welcome to the island of the three Rs: rest, relaxation and rum punch.

Dive deep through Nevis’ silent depths. Take a RIB to the wreck of the M/S Corinthian, then sea-scooter through a cloud of parrotfish, triggerfish and grouper. Beyond the beach, Nevis is the Caribbean gone wild. Tropical trails weave past orchids, parrots and green vervet monkeys. Its untamed interior rises to a 985m cloud forest peak.

The beaches of St Kitts speak of Caribbean poetry. Names include Turtle Beach, Banana Beach and Half Moon Bay. Its hundred-mile coast is lapped by a translucent sea that hovers around 80°F (27°C). It’s a land of mangoes, papaya and coconuts where the sunshine never disappears.

To swim ashore at Sandy Bank is a Robinson Crusoe fantasy. To ride the RIB up to The Strip in Frigate Bay is a shade more lively. Mr. X's Shiggidy Shack is an island institution offering flame-grilled lobster and a nightly fire-eating display. Ziggy’s Bar is fuelled by Carib beer, tilapia fish burgers and reggae beats.

Just 1,600 lucky locals share 60-square-miles of prime Caribbean paradise. Barbuda’s beaches are frequented only by frigate birds, turtles and wild donkeys. Each one is so empty that crew can plan a picnic, pitch a marquee, or organise a birthday blowout in total privacy.

Barbuda’s Atlantic coast is wild, windy and great for kitesurfers. The Caribbean side is soft, sandy and sublime, with rose-pink beaches and nodding palms. This island is the perfect place to expand culinary horizons. Guests can join fishermen as they cast for snapper, barracuda and grunt, or hunt for lobster by hand with a wire lasso. Yacht captains liaise with locals to locate the island’s 90 shipwrecks.

Saba is a piece of paradise that sailors prefer to keep to themselves. Guests receive a big Dutch welcome with mahi-mahi curry and mango pie. For a view across heaven hike half a mile up Mount Scenery. It's a magical lookout point – and (officially at least) the highest peak in Holland.
If there’s one Caribbean destination to dive right into, it’s the Saba National Marine Park. The reef complex is shockingly rich in octopi, turtles, parrotfish and the occasional friendly shark. The Pinnacles is a dive site that rises 30m from the seabed in a tropical twist of lava and coral. Other sites include dark caves, volcanic vents and a canyon plunge.

Saint-Barthélemy is a stupendous sight from sea. ‘St Barths’ is an impossible squiggle of white sand, topaz water and green hills. Its southern beaches lie close to the island capital Gustavia, a town with Bollinger in the blood. The northern shores are a yachtsman’s dream, with a steady breeze and sealife-rich sea.

Away from the crowds, St Barth’s beaches are cover-shoot class. Its most secret ones are best seen by paddleboat, jetski or RIB. Gouverneur Plage boasts white sand and precious little else, aside from rumours of pirate treasure. Saline Plage may be the island's second largest, yet there’s not a beach bar in sight.

The French and the Dutch had 7,000 Caribbean islands to choose among. But so alluring was St Martin (also known at St Maarten) that they had to divide it in two. The French side of this island is discreet and chic, with the odd naturist beach. The Dutch side is flamboyant and fun, with nightlife in easy reach.

With over 40 beaches, your captain can select the perfect stretch to paddleboard, snorkel, surf or sail. The adventurous can follow a crew-led mission to the 424m-high Paradise Peak. Thrill-seekers can fly above a mango plantation on an extreme zip line.