Above: Guavaberry Spring Bay, Virgin Gorda. Photo:UK Guardian

Above: Mongoose Apartments, Tortola. Photo:UK Guardian

Guavaberry Spring Bay, Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands

The rocks that give so much character to the beaches of the Baths and Spring Bay on Virgin Gorda, the third-largest of the British Virgin Islands, run through the Guavaberry resort too. Great boulders, covered in bougainvillea and night-blooming sirius cactus, surge from the rising ground on both sides of the quiet road near the south of the island. In among them stand 20 cottages, each with kitchen, living room, barbecue and lovely outside space, and one, two or three bedrooms. A small central area has shop, internet, laundry, books, snorkelling gear and regulars who gather to shoot the breeze. But life centres on the delightful beach and its superb sand and sea, framed by the famous boulders, jumbled on one another to create nooks, sun traps and explorable caves. There are bars and restaurants within walking distance. 

 +1 284 495 5227, guavaberryspringbay.com, from $150 (£100) a night. Virgin Gorda is reached from Antigua (served by British Airways, Virgin) via Beef Island off Tortola (on local airline LIAT), and a ferry

Mongoose Apartments, Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Beach bars stand shoulder to shoulder for 300m on Cane Garden Bay, the liveliest beach on Tortola, so there is plenty of choice of loungers, watersports, live music and happy hours. You may want to avoid the beach on cruise ship day, when it heaves, but in the evening it can be your own – for truly spectacular views of the sun setting between Jost van Dyke and distant St Thomas. Mongoose Apartments are hidden in greenery just three minutes from the sand, with six one-bedroom apartments in a block surrounded by palms, each with kitchen and balcony. They're simple, comfortable, and the welcome's friendly. 

 +1 284 495 4421, mongooseapartments.com, from $145. Reach the BVI from Antigua, as above