Caribbean resorts that call for serious rest and relaxation

Imagine this: While everyone back home is bundling up and shoveling snow from their driveways, you are relaxing on a beach, soaking in the sun. Make it your reality by booking a getaway to one of these Caribbean resorts, where relaxing is the top item on the agenda and all that is cold is your drink.

Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort, St. Kitts

Tucked among the trees is Belle Mont Sanctuary Resort, a special spot that overlooks where the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea meet. The “charming” cottages and villas are designed to nudge guests into slowing down, with features like private pools, outdoor tubs and showers and “sweeping” ocean views, said Travel and Leisure. Because of Belle Mont’s prime location, the sounds of nature — birds chirping, waves crashing — can be heard at all times. It offers a lively soundtrack during the day and a comforting lullaby at night.

Buoy Haus Beach Resort, St. Thomas

A “chilled-out island escape” awaits at Buoy Haus Beach Resort, said Travel and Leisure. Every room comes with a balcony where guests can start their day with a cup of coffee, then spend their morning reading or taking in views of the gardens and “bright blue waters of Frenchman’s Reef.”

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Come afternoon, move to the infinity pool before enjoying a rum and chocolate tasting and then a leisurely tour on the hotel’s Flying Frenchman catamaran. Guests also have access to Buoy House’s sister property next door, the Westin Beach Resort & Spa. It’s the “best of both worlds.”

Emerald Hill, Mustique

Secluded Emerald Hill provides guests with complete privacy. This fully-staffed villa is booked by one party at a time and can sleep eight, giving families and friend groups plenty of room to spread out.

The tranquil grounds feature a stone infinity pool, koi pond, gazebo and multiple sundecks that look out over the water, and all four bedrooms have private verandas. Villa staff will work with guests to book experiences, including tennis coaching, horseback riding on the beach and catamaran charters.

GoldenEye, Jamaica

This is “Jamaica’s favorite estate,” where the “good-natured” staff helps guests experience the “sheer joy of island living,” said Condé Nast Traveler. GoldenEye is the former estate of Ian Fleming (he wrote the James Bond books here), and over the years it has transformed into a melange of private villas, lagoon cottages and beach huts.

Outside, take it easy with a casual snorkel in the clear lagoon or swim in the “bewitching turquoise sea,” or stay in for a calming vibrational sound healing and hot stone massage in The Spa. The rooms have a “cheerful feel,” with “well-thought-out” amenities like hand-dyed batik robes and personal music players.

Grace Bay Club, Turks and Caicos

There are no bad views at the impressive Grace Bay Club. This flagship property of Grace Bay Resorts sits “perched on one of the world’s most famous beaches,” giving guests “unrestricted access to 1,100 feet of prime beachfront,” said Forbes.

Every suite looks out on the turquoise waters, so there is “blue as far as the eye can see.” Relaxing here is easy. Rise early for a gorgeous sunrise walk on the white sand, dip in and out of the three pools, book a massage at the Anani Spa and clink glasses at the 90-foot-long Infiniti Bar, which “gives the illusion of extending into the sea.”

The Inn at English Harbour, Antigua

With a maximum capacity of 62 guests, it's easy to pretend the intimate Inn at English Harbour is your private sanctuary. The “small but perfectly formed” estate is set against a “dramatic backdrop of turquoise waters and pink-hued Caribbean sunsets,” said Condé Nast Traveler, and you will want to spend hours walking around the grounds.

For instant access to the sand, book a Beach Cabana; if you’d prefer a private plunge and spectacular view of English Harbour, go with a hillside pool suite. All guests have access to an array of amenities, including beach hammocks, tennis courts, a library, freshwater pool and spa.

Mandarin Oriental Canouan, St. Vincent and the Grenadines

When staying at the Mandarin Oriental Canouan, it feels like the gorgeous property is your little secret. Canouan is a three-square-mile island in the Grenadines archipelago, an “under-the-radar” destination with natural areas “so unspoiled you feel as if you’re one of the first to visit,” said Travel and Leisure.

You can see it all from the 5,000-square-foot hillside villas at the resort, which are in a “league of their own” with private infinity pools, patios and, in some cases, elevators. You’ll want to spend all your time relaxing in the villa. But do get outside and see the red-footed tortoises that live here and take a boat to the overwater spa bungalow for a calming facial or body treatment.

Silversands Beach House, Grenada

Silversands Beach House has perfected indoor/outdoor living. The 28 canopied accommodations sit on a “forested headland above platinum-bright Portici Beach,” with verandas overlooking the “aquamarine shallows” and pine decor that “lets nature do the talking,” said The Times of London.

Guests are spoiled for choice, with dozens of excursions and experiences to book. Private yoga, reiki, guided meditation and cold plunges “delight wellness fans,” while those who would rather relax by focusing on taste can sign up for farm-to-table gourmet dining, chocolate making and high tea at the nearby Tower Estates.

Zemi Beach House, Anguilla

This “approachable yet luxurious” retreat sits on six acres of Shoal Bay East, one of Anguilla’s “most coveted” beaches, said Condé Nast Traveler. Its location is ideal for those who want to “unplug and lay out on the beach for a few days” while still having access to pools, a tennis court and the Thai House Spa.

Guests can unwind with a “sublime” massage or facial, soak in the soothing Vitality pool (it’s heated to body temperature), sip a fruity concoction at the Juice Bar and sit in the hamman, which was the “first of its kind in the Caribbean.”