ANTIGUA

WHAT? A luxury beach break with all the wellness trimmings

WHERE? Curtain Bluff resort, Antigua

HOW MUCH? Prices start at £532 a night for a double room; curtainbluff.com

WHO? Claire Sanderson, WH Editor-in-chief

A hotel this beautiful is surely honeymoon territory? Totally. Although, I went with my husband and two children under six, but I’m not too sleepdeprived to know the height of luxury when I experience it. Each sumptuous room comes complete with a balcony facing the ocean, and nip down to the private beach and you’ll find not only natural beauty or the perfect environment in which to selfcare, but waiter-serviced sunbeds, too. Oh, hello, daily midday pina colada, pleasure to meet you. And if I’m after a little action? Let the colada go down, then hit the all-inclusive extras, because your laze-to-move ratio is up to you. Become a waterski pro, like my other half; try and fail at paddleboarding, like me (the post-storm sea was particularly choppy and that’s the story I’m sticking to) or just rack up a few gym sessions in facilities guaranteed to be better than your usual back in Blighty. For a mindful way to end the day, I headed to sunset yoga more than once, especially after a shift coaching the kids on the top-quality tennis courts. Yes, working your way through all the sports on offer is bound to get the lactic acid flowing, so make like me and escape to the 465m² spa. With views of neighbouring islands Montseratt and St Kitts in the distance, you can relax in the Jacuzzi, nibbling on healthy snacks and enjoying the blissful serenity. Spa treatments cost extra, but I had a great deep tissue massage, which was worth the expense. Another highlight was the food. The buffet lunch at the beachside restaurant had an abundance of wonderful salads, and dinner was as good as any Michelin-starred restaurant I’ve been lucky enough to go to. Head to the main hotel building at 4pm every day to escape the sun and enjoy traditional afternoon tea – cream scones and cucumber sandwiches – all served on dainty china plates. Is there any point setting foot outside the hotel? If you can bear to, Nelson’s Dockyard in the English Harbour, just a short drive away, is worth a visit. It’s a Unesco World Heritage Site, built under British colonial rule in the 18th century – it still has original colonial buildings and even red telephone boxes. And you can’t visit Antigua without making a trip to Shirley Heights on a Sunday evening; it’s a traditional Caribbean cook-out and live music party at one of the island’s highest points, complete with spectacular views and legendary rum punches.