In search of... Clear seas and pure white sand

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. 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. 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. 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. Barbados is also popular with celebrities because Concorde used to fly there.

I don't fancy that kind of beach

Most of the upmarket hotels are on the west coast, and it's here that you'll find most of the celeb hang-outs. However, the south coast is a much more egalitarian affair - and closer to the real Barbados. St Lawrence Gap, for instance, is the centre of some wild nightlife and also has great beaches. And it's not that expensive: Virgin Holidays (0870 220 2464; www.virgin.com/holidays) offers seven nights b&b at a small hotel, Time Out at the Gap, for £659 per person, based on two sharing, from January to March, including return flights and transfers. Alternatively, Tropical Places (0800 316 5125; www.tropicalplaces.co.uk) features the three-star Coconut Beach in the same area, offering room-only accommodation from £599 per person, based on two sharing, for January departures.

I was looking for somewhere with wildlife rather than wild nightlife

The Caribbean is not exactly known for its wildlife, to be honest. Most of the Caribbean wildlife is underwater.

You mean fish?

Fish, rays, turtles and dolphins enjoy cavorting in the warm, shallow waters of the Caribbean sea almost as much as we do. Being underwater is one of the great pleasures of the region. Some of the best islands are the Caymans, Bonaire, Tobago, Grenada, the Turks and Caicos, and Cuba. Grand Cayman not only has top-notch marine life but also one of the Caribbean's top-rated beaches, Seven Mile Beach. Seven nights staying in the self-catering Indies Suites on Grand Cayman costs £889 per person, based on two sharing, during January through Hayes and Jarvis (www.hayesandjarvis.co.uk; 0870 903 7737), with a five-day dive package costing £239, including two boat dives per day.

But I'm really looking for a beach to escape from everything

Try Englishman's Bay on Tobago: its honey-coloured, golden sands, liberally strewn with coconut husks and palm fronds, curve gently around one of the Caribbean's most picturesque bays. This beach has no hotels, beach bars, hustlers, jet-skis, shops, or any other modern inconveniences. The loudest noise comes from tiny frogs that live along the stream banks behind the beach. For lunch, you can pull up a chair in the sand at a small beach café and scoff down curried crab with coconut (both ingredients harvested from the beach). You can visit on day trips from any of the hotels on Tobago's west end, or go native and stay at Mom's Bed & Breakfast, a wonderfully scenic guest house perched on a ridge overlooking Englishman's Bay. It even has a swimming pool and internet access. Rates go from US$85-$100 (£50-£58) per night, depending on the season (www.tobagobedandbreakfast.com). Or try the charming Toucan Inn, a lovely b&b five minutes walk from the sea, which is a popular meeting place for locals and tourists alike. Seven nights b&b costs £529 through Tropical Places from 1 January to 31 March, including return flights with Excel from Gatwick. Special offers currently available include seven nights at the Rex Turtle Beach Hotel, including return flights from Gatwick, for £585 per person, based on two sharing, for January departures through Hayes and Jarvis.

But I'd heard Pigeon Point was Tobago's most famous beach?

It is famous, and beautiful too. However, the locals are not so keen on it since the owners imposed an entrance charge and one of their security guards shot a fisherman who had objected to paying to work on "his" beach. Don't worry, though, most Caribbean beaches don't charge, and are open to everyone.

I want a proper family holiday. What about taking the kids?

Children are welcome almost everywhere. One way to cut costs is to go for an all-inclusive package: it's not the real Caribbean, but kids can snack all day and you don't have to worry about how much it's hurting your wallet. Over the February half-term, Odyssey Worldwide (0870 429 4242; www.odysseyworldwide.co.uk) is featuring the Sosua Beach Hotel in the Dominican Republic for £756 per adult and £691 per child (up to 11 years, sharing the same room). As well as a choice of restaurants, you have an array of leisure options, with free watersports and yoga.

I'm feeling elegant. What about somewhere really swanky?

If you're going for the best, talk to Seasons in Style (www.seasonsinstyle.-co.uk). It can check you into any one of around 50 of the Caribbean's top properties, from Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos to The Calabash on Grenada. You could spend a week in a suite at the beautiful Round Hill resort in Jamaica, for example, for £1,960 per person, based on two sharing, excluding meals.

I don't live near Gatwick, and I'm fed up with charges for regional add-ons.

Book through British Airways (www.-ba.com/beaches; 0870 243 3406) and it will throw in free add-on flights from most regional airports. On St Lucia, for example, it's got the Rex St Lucian for £892 per person for departures in January if you book before 15 December, including return flights, transfers and all-inclusive accommodation. Seven nights at the three-star Royal Antiguan Hotel costs from £668 per person, room-only, if booked before 15 December.

Any more options?

Plenty. Try the following operators: Caribbean Expression (020-8232 9781; www.carib-club.com), Caribworld (0870 076 6733; www.caribworld.co.uk), Complete Caribbean (01423 531031; www.-completecaribbean.co.uk), Elegant Resorts (www.elegantresorts.co.uk), Barefoot Traveller (020-8741 4319; www.barefootraveller.com), or Caribbean Unpackaged (020-8446 8122; www.-caribbean-unpackaged.com).

Nick Hanna is co-author (with Emma Stanford) of the National Geographic Traveler guide, 'The Caribbean'.

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