One size fits all—small. And one style—beachy. From the Caymans to Barbados, 15 islands have the kind of escape everyone dreams about

Rates quoted are for the current month, the low season. Unless otherwise noted, rates are not all-inclusive.

Anguilla
On an island famous for beaches and beach hotels, Blue Waters stands out—a Moorish-style complex of apartments and gardens along a great mile-and-a-half strand. Polished hardwoods offset the all-white decor; even the kitchen is all-white, and well-stocked (264-497-6292, fax -6982; apartments have a three-night minimum, $125-$175 per night plus 20 percent service and tax). But if you're not in the mood to cook, stroll three minutes down the beach to the casually elegant Trattoria Tramonto, which serves only 30 people on an open beach-bound porch as opera tapes play. The fab menu was crafted by chef Valter Belli from northern Italy's Reggio Emilia (264-497-8819; entrees, $22-$38).

Opened in 1962 on 60 acres of coconut groves and tropical plants that have never truly been tamed, Rendezvous Bay Hotel and Villas was Anguilla's first beach resort. Skip the original 20 rooms, which are a bit too original, and opt for one of the 16 one-bedroom villas or eight studios on gorgeous Rendezvous Bay. The resort began as, and remains, a family place, with the extended Gumbs family at the helm, orchestrating things from the front porch. Its Cedar Grove Cafe is one of Anguilla's best restaurants (264-497-6549; www.rendezvousbay.com doubles, $90-$150; v).

Each of the three white villas at Temenos sleeps eight or ten people, which brings the stratospheric price tag of $20,000 to $25,000 per week down to earth a bit. The compound is steps from a secluded beach, and each building has a large and gracious pool area, cool granite floors, bathrooms like marble ballrooms, and a butler, with a chef, a masseur, and a tennis pro waiting in the wings (264-222-9000; www.temenosvillas.com).

Antigua
People think of Harmony Hall, a resort on the eastern coast, as a serious art gallery and, under the direction of Riccardo and Marilisa Parisi, an even more serious restaurant. The buzz is still spreading about the handful of wildly painted Creole houses that spot the hillside, on a private slice of Brown's Bay. The compact complex has just six oversized rooms in two villas, all with cathedral ceilings and ocher walls—the better to display for-sale paintings. The artist's touch is seen throughout: a piece of driftwood to hold your soap, swoops of fabric made into curtains, lamp bases crafted by local potters. Half the rooms open onto private patios with Atlantic Ocean views. A fishing boat waits at the dock on the private beach, with a pleasant boatman to transport guests to deserted Green Island. The unspoken insider's tip is that Harmony Hall is where more and more members of the private, adjacent Mill Reef Club hang out for drinks and dinner, gathering at the 17th-century sugar mill cum bar over the local rum, Cavalier (268-460-4120; www.harmonyhall.com doubles, $150-$180; v).