Beach bummin' in the Caribbean
Package it
Looking for a Caribbean all-inclusive with your name embossed on it? Get spontaneous. More than ever, last-minute bookings are a steal.* Seven nights at the beachfront all-inclusive Gran Caribe Hotel Villa Cojimar in Cayo Guillermo can be enjoyed for $586 per person return from Toronto with Air Canada Vacations. For more deals, check out Sunquest, Transat Holidays and Signature Vacations.
Surf 'n' save
Be sure to shop around when hunting for the perfect getaway; a competitive climate has resulted in travel incentives changing daily if not hourly. Several sites (expedia.ca and orbitz.ca among them) have eliminated most flight-booking charges. Reserving a hotel and flight simultaneously can also help you score savings. If you're more of the private villa type, wimco.com is worth a surf (for example, in St. Peter, Barbados, a one-bedroom "Little Seascape" with a private path to Gibbs Beach goes for $1887 per week).
Off the map
Canadian travellers usually look for two things in a Caribbean holiday: short, direct flights and a beach. Although a trip to Saba offers neither, sometimes you have to let go and think outside the brochure. South of St. Maarten, this tiny jewel of an island is a volcanic outcrop, fringed by cliffs. With Cousteau-worthy diving and vacation properties such as The Cottage Club, which charges a low-season rate of $113 per night, consider going off the beaten track.
Another find, Vieques, is off the east coast of Puerto Rico. There are countless guest houses such as Inn on the Blue Horizon, which starts at $140 per night.
Ecologically endowed Dominica touts misty mountains, postcard-perfect volcanoes, rainforests, challenging hiking, spectacular scuba and snorkeling, as well as cheap and cheerful properties such as Dominica's Sea View Apartments, which begin at $92 per night.
