Sandals Halcyon Beach

Sandals Halcyon Beach sits on a white-sand beach on the Castries Gros Islet Highway, a low-rise resort of gingerbread-detailed cottages built no taller than the palm trees around them. TripAdvisor rates it 4.5 out of five and lists it as luxury and romantic. This is an adults only resort designed for couples, and everything is included: meals, drinks, land and water sports, and the stocked minibar in your room. The scale is intimate rather than sprawling, which is what gives the place its unhurried feel.

Thirteen room categories run across three levels, Sandals Luxury, Club Level and Butler. Views take in the ocean, the beach and the tropical gardens, and swim-up rooms open straight onto the water. Air conditioning, a private balcony or patio, a minibar and room service come as standard. The Koko Rondovals draw on the island's volcanoes in deep wood and green, each with a Tranquility Soaking Tub under a pergola, a plunge pool and an outdoor shower. Butler Suites add oceanfront settings.

Water sports take in kayaks, paddleboards, Hobie Cats, snorkelling, waterskiing, wakeboarding, kneeboarding and tubing, with equipment and instruction provided. Scuba diving through the PADI programme reaches the reefs, walls and wrecks these waters are known for. On land there is day and night tennis, pickleball, beach volleyball, table tennis, shuffleboard, croquet, lawn chess, board games and pool tables. Green fees at Cap Estate Golf and Country Club are covered, with shuttles to the course, and entertainment runs day and night.

Three pools sit within the grounds, one of them the longest in the Caribbean, along with three whirlpools and a dedicated scuba pool. Sun loungers, umbrellas and a sun terrace run alongside, and one pool is reserved for adults. Red Lane Spa handles treatments, which are restorative and individualised and rooted in Caribbean tradition, from full body and couples massage to facials. The fitness centre is fitted with TechnoGym equipment, and group classes run alongside cardio and weight training.

Seven restaurants and seven bars sit within the grounds, one of the bars built into a pool. Kelly's Dockside is perched above the water and pairs seafood with Saint Lucian Creole cookery, with reservations needed. Kimonos grills teppanyaki to order, Mario's serves Italian, Soy Sushi Bar pours sake alongside its rolls, and Bayside runs as an international buffet by day and a French brasserie by night. A Culinary Concierge Desk handles dietary requirements.

The Pitons and the Anse Chastanet reef are the two attractions the resort points to first. Island Routes runs a Soufriere Adventure Cruise taking in the Pitons and the Sulphur Springs mud baths, and bird watching, treetop ziplining and a dune buggy adventure can all be booked in advance. Hewanorra International Airport is a 36-mile drive away, about 58 kilometres, with transfers covered and an airport lounge on arrival.