Antigua alone is said to have 365 – one for each day of the year. Options range from the magnificent sweep of Grace Bay in the Turks and Caicos to the soft powder sands and crystalline waters of Honeymoon Beach in the US Virgin Islands.I hear Barbados is “in” this year?Barbados has always been popular with Brits, just as French-speaking Martinique is with Francophiles and the former Netherlands colonies of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao are with the Dutch. Barefoot, sand-between-your-toes, beach bars are the best option available – although you will be expected to adhere to a dress code in smarter resorts such as Cobblers Cove in Barbados or the Jamaica Inn on Jamaica’s north coast.How do I choose a beach?Good question There are hundreds, if not thousands to choose from. Some islands have a reputation for catering to celebrities and royalty – Mustique and Barbados among them – but most Caribbean islands are welcoming, whoever you are.So I won’t need a tux and tails, then? No way. Packages for one and three-nights are also available (from £190 per person, to £650 per person).For more information contact The Vineyard (01635 528770; )Sarah Barrell.

I’m thinking of going to the Caribbean this winter, is it as snobby as they say?

I’m thinking of going to the Caribbean this winter, is it as snobby as they say?
Not at all. A two-night package, starting on Christmas Eve, costs £500 per person, based on two sharing. This price includes afternoon tea, a candlelit Christmas Eve dinner with carol singers accompanied by a classical pianist, Christmas Day breakfast, and the Christmas lunch tasting menu, supper and brunch on Boxing Day followed by a Californian wine evening hosted by the hotel’s sommelier – with food to compliment from the chef. The Chef, John Campbell, is in charge of the Christmas Day tasting menu that will start with champagne and canap?and include such highlights as terrine of squab, foie gras and a traditional, free-range, roast Christmas turkey. This 31-room hotel near Newbury takes its inspiration from the Californian wine-growing region’s hotels, and along with paying particular attention to its guests’ gastronomic needs, the spa offers the chance to unwind in the pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room.

For more information contact The Gore (020-7584 6601; )6 The star of Michelin Make a Christmas pilgrimage to the Vineyard Hotel, a viticulturalist’s haven in Berkshire that comes complete with a one-star Michelin restaurant. The price for a two-night break, commencing Christmas Eve, is £260 per person, based on two sharing. This includes a three-course a la carte dinner on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day breakfast, a four-course Christmas lunch plus a late-morning breakfast on Boxing Day to prepare guests for the scrum of the sales. Those who wish to stay on to recuperate on Boxing Day evening can take advantage of the bargain-hunter’s room rate of £50 per person, per night. Still up for grabs over the Christmas period is the bed formerly slept in by Judy Garland and the former suite of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba (she of the peachy desert) who favoured the Gore for its proximity to The Royal Albert Hall. This is followed by champagne and a four-course Christmas lunch, with a light supper in the evening.