By Simon Heptinstall
With Valentine's Day just a few weeks away... here are some great ideas for a last-minute romantic getaway!
Who can do it? Couples who love the best of both worlds: intimate and quiet… plus hot and buzzing
Let’s go! The smallest Sandals resort in the world has a huge romantic heart - just right for grown-up lovers. With just 52 rooms, service is intimate and personal: the two of you will cosy up in the authentic atmosphere of a small Jamaican B&B. Take a wander together along The Hip Strip’s shops, bars and clubs right round the corner or relax on the sunny sandy beach out front. Lush tropical garden hideaways are all around too. Free buses whisk you to bigger Sandals resorts for sexy spas, sizzling sports, plus extra eating and entertainment options.
Top tip: There’s 24-hour room service.
Who can do it?Adventurous couples who believe big is best
Let’s go! Get up close and intimate with each other… and with a dolphin in the special dolphin pool. Walk hand-in-hand through underwater tunnels surrounded by sharks, stingrays and piranha fish, then dare each other on huge waterpark rides. Later choose between an amazing 23 restaurants - from gourmet sushi to fast food diners. Then pick from dancing, bands, casino, cinema, live comedy or a chilled-out club. He could hit the golf course while she luxuriates in the spa, or you could both bask in 20 different swimming areas and miles of white sand beaches.
Top tip: For special romance choose a suite at The Cove, the new exclusive luxury area with its own adult-only pool.
Who can do it?Lovers looking for luxurious Caribbean fantasies-come-true
Let’s go! An all-inclusive lovers’ haven (or should that be heaven?) with two white sand beaches, 17-acre exotic gardens, seven swimming pools, four bars, three restaurants and individual suites, villas and verandas romantically draped with brightly coloured bougainvillea flowers. If you can drag yourselves from air-conditioned, satellite TV-equipped bedrooms, you could tackle watersports together, then enjoy live music and dancing every night.
Top tip: Try the hotel speciality - coconut crush liberally splashed with local rum
Who can do it?Those who find class, style and beauty irresistible
Let’s go! You and your partner can't fail to be won over by a sumptuous king-sized four-poster bed in your room. And isn’t that private balcony or terrace perfect for intimate drinks at sunset? St Lucia’s first boutique hotel for couples is an all-inclusive resort that shows its romantic credentials by offering free weddings to unmarried lovers who stay seven nights in one of the delightful Verandah Suites. Even if you don’t tie the knot in style, couples can lounge in a whirlpool together, swing in hammocks, discover the spa, or tackle a wide range of sports, including archery, a golf clinic, and open-air gym.
Top tip: Need to pop the question? The candlelit Trysting Place Restaurant sets the mood - fine bone china, crystal glasses and the gentle tunes of a resident guitarist.
Who can do it?Honeymooners and lovers with a taste for grown-up pleasures
Let’s go! Step from this adult-only, all-inclusive resort straight onto the famous Sandy Lane Beach, or take the short walk to town together. It’s easy to sunbathe together on lush lawns next to three interconnecting swimming pools. Later try traditional Caribbean barbecues in four acres of exotic garden. Local musicians can serenade you every night. Dress up for the weekly cocktail party or keep yourselves to yourselves in your lovely air-conditioned room. Many have a balcony or terrace… and all have a sumptuous king-sized bed.
Top tip: Virgin guests get big discounts at the spa - so why not try a treatment together?
If you're looking for a fantastic romantic break, check out our deals to the Caribbean now
Simon Heptinstall is a freelance travel writer and photographer, published regularly in the Daily Mail. He also appears on BBC4 show Only Connect as captain of the Travelwriters team