Coral Sands

Coral Sands Hotel is the Caribbean done right: turquoise water crashing onto a pink sand beach, a handful of guests, and low-key luxury with a staff that promises to treat you like family or a celebrity. Tucked away on the Bahamas’ small Harbour Island, one of 14 populated Out Islands, Coral Sands feels light-years away from the nearby Caribbean mega-resorts.

For a start, there are only 38 guestrooms, including one- and two-bedroom cottages and a three-bedroom private villa (with full access to the hotel’s amenities). The hotel recently underwent a full-scale refresh, including interior design work by British design icon Barbara Hulanicki, and the resulting rooms are as bright and cheerful as you’d expect in this part of the world. But we know that you don’t travel to the Caribbean for the interiors, so you’ll be glad to know that everything above a standard room includes a balcony.

Then there’s the restaurant. The French chef who helms the Terrace Restaurant is one of the best in the Caribbean, and you shouldn’t leave without trying his French-Caribbean bouillabaisse. But if you want something more casual — not to mention extraordinary views — grab a lobster roll at the Beach Bar, perched high atop the beach.

About that beach: Harbour Island’s famous pink sand is tinted by a microscopic organism with a reddish-pink shell, and it’s only found on the east side of the island — and at Coral Sands Hotel, you’ll have access to a prime stretch of beach to enjoy it. Lounge under a private tiki hut or grab a kayaks or paddleboard (if you’re feeling more adventurous, staff can arrange snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing, and more). If you can bring yourself to leave the beach, there’s only one town on this island, and it’s worth exploring. Only five minutes from the hotel, Dunmore Town was the Bahamas’ first capital, more than 300 years ago. The cottages and white picket fences you’ll find in town are British colonial in design and Caribbean in color — shades of pink and turquoise to match the nearby sea.