Bahamas
A description of where the hotel is sited as well as its name, Pink Sands is everything a beachy getaway should be: open-air, breezy, and relaxed, with 25 cottages carefully distributed around the beautiful grounds. But beach is what this place is all about. It runs the entire length of the eastern shore of Harbour Island—all in all about three miles. The sand is truly pink, the water is truly aquamarine, and there are so few people around that it feels like yours alone. Thatched palapas provide shade, and if you stick close to the hotel, kind waiters bring you cooling drinks and sustaining snacks. Amazingly for a beach this gorgeous, development has been kept to a low-rise minimum, with only a handful of private houses and fewer than half a dozen hotels scattered along the shoreline (242-333-2030; www.pinksandsresort.com one-bedroom cottages, $525-$765).

Barbados
The small white sand beach at Cobblers Cove, unlike many others on Barbados's west coast, is a peaceful place, somewhat isolated from the throng. Still, from there it is just a seven-minute walk north along the shore to Speightstown, the island's second-largest community. A breakwater separates the quiet, relatively secluded beach from the water sports—skiing, windsurfing, snorkeling. You'll need to wait for low tide to walk south on the shore, but it's worth it if you're fond of sunsets over the sea. The designers of Cobblers Cove have, with some success, fused a relaxed Barbadian atmosphere with stately British architecture: island-made furnishings, country house-style facilities, and verdant gardens and brick pathways. Similarly, the kitchen creates a harmonious blend of old- and new-world flavors. 'The golden rule is 'Fresh whenever possible,' ' says manager and personable host Hamish Watson (246-422-2291; www.cobblerscove.com suites, $306-$1,034).

British Virgin Islands
Casual and free-flowing, Peter Island Resort's two-story buildings have no bad rooms, but the big junior suites are best: Set above Deadman's Bay, they have beach access and whirlpool tubs, and at $680 are not markedly more expensive. You may prefer the more relaxed, beachside Deadman's Beach Bar & Grill to the Tradewinds restaurant, which seems designed to ignore its prime location. The beach at White Bay is often deserted, and Honeymoon Beach is available to couples looking for a romantic charge—staff will deliver champagne. Snorkeling equipment, Hobie Wave sailboats, Windsurfers, and bicycles are available at no cost. Stay tuned for big news here. Come Christmas, two six-bedroom villas are slated to open, along with a $3.8 million spa (284-495-2000; www.peterisland.com doubles, $530).