Beach beauties: sleep by the sea

Jamaica Perched on the summit of a cliff overlooking Boston Bay, the Great Huts bill themselves as "paradise on the edge". Accommodation is in a range of African-inspired treehouses, huts and tents, ranging from the enormous bamboo Fig Tree House, with its canoe hot tub and ocean-front views, to the circular, cheerily-decorated Granary. • greathuts.com . Granary $60 per day B&B, Fig Tree House (sleeps four) $250. Mexico Accessible only by boat, set in 18 acres of wooded mountains, guests at Majahuitas , on the Pacific coast, must often wish themselves stranded. The local wildlife includes hummingbirds, parakeets, deer and whales, and the eight palm-thatched casitas – most with open-air bedrooms – all look out to sea. There are no mod-cons (electrical sockets, air-conditioning), but plenty of diversions, such as ping pong and snorkelling. • Doubles US$250-$375 per night, full board. Book through i-escape . Bali Peace, but perhaps not quiet, is on offer at Gajah Mina Beach Resort . Chief among the attractions is the predawn chorus of doves and pwhs (quail-like birds). Nine antique-furnished villas built from teak, coconut wood and unpolished marble are set back from the salt-water pool, above the private, black-sand beach. Wind, kite and conventional surfing are all on offer at Balian beach, a 20-minute cliff-top walk away, but with an on-call masseur, you may feel like nothing more strenuous than picking mangoes from the garden for lunch. • Double villa from US$95 B&B, plus tax. Book through i-escape.com . St Lucia There's plenty to do at the secluded Ti Kaye Village, Resort and Spa on the west coast of St Lucia: horseback riding, a rainforest hike, whale watching, zip-line canopy adventures. That said, the trip from your ocean-view cottage to the silver sand Anse Cochon bay below could prove exercise enough. Built into the hillside, there are "stairs everywhere" – including 166 down to the waves. All cottages have outside garden showers and hammocks. • Tikaye.com . Doubles from $280 per day; cottages (sleeping 2-4) from $355.