Go Bequia to a golden age: The best place to go for a barefoot, sleepy

holiday – and taste some top rum

Eager to escape the winter blues, nothing is more tempting than Bequia in the Caribbean. The goal Is to take a direct flight to Argyle International Airport or to JF Mitchell in Bequia to relax, read anything but newspapers and switch off from the world.

This sleepy, laid-back isle feels as if it has been caught in a time warp – it’s one of the few remaining islands in the Caribbean that oozes old-time charm from the second you land.

Party town: If you feel the need for nightlife, you can make your way to Port Elizabeth in Bequia and pop into one of the bars along the boardwalk

A short taxi ride past pretty, pastel-coloured houses, will take you to the Bequia Beach Resort on Friendship Bay. This is the place to go if you are looking for a barefoot, sleepy holiday.

It is privately owned by a friendly Swede called Bengt Mortstedt, who is passionate about his hotel. He has created a place that makes his guests feel like friends.

Your days can be spent swimming, reading and enjoying a game of boules or a trip to the spa. Evenings are low-key, drinking cocktails, listening to the waves and chatting with other guests.

If you want to venture out, there are a surprising amount of things to see and do – island tours, museum visits, Robinson Crusoe beaches, turtle-watching, sailing. The bonus is that everything is on your doorstep, the island being only seven square miles with a population of over six thousand.

There’s a multitude of beautiful reefs around Bequia abundant with fish and, with luck, you’ll enjoy a visit from a sea turtle

The Bequia Beach Resort is the place to go if you are looking for a barefoot, sleepy holiday and it is privately owned

If you feel the need for nightlife, you can make your way to Port Elizabeth and pop into one of the bars along the boardwalk.

This is the place to taste the best rum, chat with the very friendly locals and watch incredible sunsets. And later on, it has to be Jack’s. This is where the partying happens. Make sure you head down on barbecue night.

When you are fully relaxed from a week of chilling, you can fly to the southern Grenadines (Canouan and Union Island). While there you can visit Paradise on earth called the Tobago Cays. Unspoilt in every form.

The whale season between October and February sees whales migrating back from the Arctic to the warm waters of the Caribbean to breed. But if you go at a different time of year, dolphins are ever-present in these warm waters.

There’s a multitude of beautiful reefs abundant with fish and, with luck, you’ll enjoy a visit from a sea turtle, as most swimmers will see. This is a great place to wind down, reminisce and watch the sun go down over Pigeon Island. Now that is what I call the perfect end to a perfect day.