Antigua: how the Caribbean is meant to be I am staying in Jolly Harbour, on the west coast. Behind a superb beach, there are two "fingers" of two-bedroom apartments and some stand-alone villas, about 500 in all, overlooking the marina and lagoon. Apartments in Jolly Harbour They were built in the boom years before the credit crunch. Some are privately owned, others timeshare properties, like the one I am in, which is one of a number managed by Typically Tropical Villas. They offer good value - about $900/£550 a week in season for two bedrooms. "One of our guests costed it for last summer and it was less than Ibiza," says Amy Hone of Typically Tropical Villas. There is certainly a range of prices available, as I discover when I set off on a circular tour of the island, clockwise from Jolly Harbour. A couple of miles, and several white-sand bays, to the north is one of Antigua's smart new villa developments, Galley Bay Heights. Around 10 of the 25 homes in this private estate are available for rent. These are huge, beautiful houses, each with a grey shingle roof, an acreage of veranda usually fronted by an infinity pool, and a lovely view of the bay. Inside they are all stylish and extremely comfortable. On the other side of Antigua, Jumby Bay Villas are on a private island, and they are something apart even for the Caribbean. The 14 estate houses, each in its enclave of gardens facing the sea, are very smart: Ty Molineaux, which has eight bedrooms, looks like a grand country house transported to the tropics. Houses come with housekeepers and staff who stay as late as you need them. Some houses even have their own stretch of sand, which, for all the dreamy archetype, is not the norm in the Caribbean, where beaches tend to be reserved for hotels. Falmouth harbour, the heartland of Antiguan villa tourism Not all the rental villas in Antigua are independent buildings. Some houses and apartments (privately owned and often privately decorated) are in "villa resorts," so if you don't want to look after yourself entirely, then you can use the facilities of the hotel. Nonsuch Bay, for example, opened in 2009. Its apartments are ranged around an amphitheatrical bay, and each is built in true Caribbean style with tropical hardwoods and excellent indoor/outdoor space, including lovely verandas. There are also some independently built homes on the ridge line above. The hotel specialises in sailing lessons, particularly for children, in the huge, calm bay. And in the island's south-eastern corner, the St James Club is a more thoroughgoing resort hotel in the typical Caribbean mould. Here you have the infrastructure of a large resort, including six pools, four restaurants, a spa, teens' and children's clubs and a palm-backed beach. There are around 75 mainly two-bedroom apartments in the rental pool. But the heartland of Antiguan villa tourism is a couple of miles from here, at English and Falmouth harbours. Where once there was a fort on almost every headland in Antigua, now the heights are dotted with houses. St Anne's Point stands on the footprint of a fortress at the southern edge of Falmouth Harbour. Formerly it surveyed trading and naval ships. Now it watches all the yachting activity. The best of the independent villas have an owner or manager who will look after you, sometimes providing a concierge service, giving advice and then arranging the right sort of chef on request, or a day out on a yacht, even making restaurant bookings for you. "There are 42 bars and restaurants in the area," says Louisa Tubbs, whose Carib House in Turtle Bay has been operating for the past 10 years, "so it's very lively in season. There's somewhere buzzing every night: Cloggys on a Wednesday, the Friday night Fish Fry at Copper and Lumber Store, all culminating in Sunday afternoon at Shirley Heights. Harmony Hall And by day? Harmony Hall, set around a sugar mill in a hilltop garden, is a favourite day out for independent guests. The most elegant lunch in this area is at Catherine's Café "Plage," which has just moved to Pigeon Point beach, a modern setting with white drapes and a lovely view out to sea. Again, after a long lunch, it's tempting to find a lounger for the afternoon... But the classic moment of Caribbean perfection is surely a white-sand beach, with a view of the sunset over the sea horizon, and possibly a cocktail, something Antigua generally does well. I chose Ffrye's Bay, a quiet cove in the south-west. But it almost wasn't to be this time. In October the sun barely burned through the grey clouds. A storm tracked across the sky, dragging rain like the tentacles of a jellyfish. Eventually though, it moved off and the distant sky took on a roseate glow and the last rays of sunlight glinted on the slate-grey sea. Yes, that's what the Caribbean is supposed to be. Antigua essentials Virgin Atlantic (0844 209 2770; virgin-atlantic.com) has three flights a week from London Gatwick to Antigua from £641 return. How to book a villa Independent villas can be booked direct or through villa rental agents. Expect to pay from around £1,000 per week for a two-bedroom apartment and up to £12,000 for a five-bedroom house (though actually the sky's the limit). It's worth knowing that prices can drop as much as a third in the low season, after mid-April. Blue Escapes (antigua-villa-rentals.com) offers villas all over the island, as does the long-standing villa operator Caribrep Villas (caribrepvillas.com). Sea View Heights (antiguaholidayvillas.com) has several villas in Galley Bay Heights and some elsewhere. Less expensive properties are available in Jolly Harbour through Typically Tropical (typicallytropicalvillas.com). The estate homes on Jumby Bay are booked through Jumby Bay Villa Rentals (jumbybayvillarentals.com). Also Nonsuch Bay (nonsuchbayresort.com) and St James Club (stjamesclubantigua.com). Individual houses include Moondance (moondance antigua.com), the Carib House (thecaribhouse.com) and St Annes Point (st-annes-point.com). If you rent a villa, you are very likely to need a car so that you can go out to eat and explore the island. There are plenty of rental companies, most of which have desks at the airport. Try Thrifty Car Rental (001 268 462 9532), Hertz Rent a Car (268 481 4440) and Carter's (268 463 0675). You will require a local driving licence, cost $20/£12, which can be issued by the rental company. When you contact the villa rental companies it is worth stipulating what levels of service you are looking for, as they can offer a lot of extras. These can include baby car-seats, high chairs and a travel cot, a chef with a particular style of cuisine, a butler and a masseuse who will come to your villa. If you do not know the way to your villa you can go there by taxi for the first time and the car rental company can deliver to your villa. If you want to return your car at the airport, remember that you'll need to get all your party's suitcases into it. Some of Antigua's loveliest beaches are in the relatively remote south-western corner of the island and there are some great beach bars where you can get a sunset drink. Try OJ's and Darkwood beach bar on Darkwood Beach, and Dennis's on Ffrye's Beach. Note that prices in restaurants include ABST (Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax) but not service charge or tips. Cecilia's High Point Café £££ A creole house with a pretty veranda just above the breezy waterfront. French, international and some Swedish dishes. Lunch most days (not Tuesday and Wednesday) and dinner on Monday and Thursday (Dutchman's Bay; 268 562 7070; highpointantigua.com). Catherine's Café £££ Pretty bistro set under canvas on a waterfront deck opposite Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour. French cuisine, particularly seafood, to a background of cool music and an extensive wine list (Antigua Slipway; 268 460 5050). Harmony Hall ££ An Italian restaurant set around an old hilltop sugar mill above Brown's Bay, tables set under parasols and looking through the sloping gardens to the water. A lovely day out. There is an art gallery and you can also go across to the beach on the island in the bay (Brown's Bay; 268 460 4120; harmonyhallantigua.com). Abracadabra, English Harbour ££ The heartbeat of the strip of restaurants in English Harbour, Abracadabra sits in a garden with a white picket fence, with covered dining rooms and sitting areas. A café by day and informal Italian restaurant in the evenings. Later a club with some famous DJs (English Harbour; 268 460 2701; theabracadabra.com). Papa Zouk ££ In the unlikely location of a suburb of St John's, a very cool spot for seafood in creole style, brightly coloured "madras" tablecloths and decoration, rums from all over the Caribbean and beyond, plus of course the zouk music, which comes from the French Caribbean, Martinique and Guadeloupe (Hilda Davis Drive; 268 562 1284). The south-west when cruise ships are in St John's: suddenly your deserted beach has hundreds of people on it. An hour before dusk is the busiest time for sandflies, insects so small they are nicknamed "no-see-ums." Mosquito spray will keep them at bay. Potholes: Antigua's roads are studded with them. The Antigua Tourist Board (01245 707471; antigua-barbuda.org) and the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (caribbean.co.uk). Antigua travel guide