Anguilla

Anguilla decided long ago what it wanted to be: the island with the best beaches in the Caribbean and none of the noise. No cruise ships, no casinos, no high-rises. Just thirty-three beaches of powdered white sand, each seemingly emptier than the last, and water in shades of blue that look retouched until you are standing in them. Days here follow a gentle script. A morning swim at Shoal Bay. Grilled crayfish at a beach shack where the chef is also the owner, the fisherman and the entertainment. An afternoon of doing gloriously little. Yet the food scene is serious, among the region's best, and the villas and resorts are world-class without shouting about it. Anguilla is for travellers who have outgrown proving anything. Pure, polished escape.