Ask a local islander to name a favourite month in his or her Caribbean paradise and the odds are it’ll be May or June. Not only are the islands less crowded, the weather is usually sublime, the higher humidity and rainfall of summer still biding their time on the horizon. The average rainfall on Barbados this month, for example, is just 2.3in — half the amount that power-showers down in July, August and September — while the humidity hovers at about 67%, compared with a steamy 76% in the height of summer. And hurricanes hardly happen, as the “June too soon” line in the familiar weather-lore ditty reassures us.

There’s another compelling reason to choose the Caribbean in the next six weeks: prices are at their lowest. Not only do hoteliers slice as much as 75% off their winter rates, they often layer up the discounts with other inducements to lure bods to their beds, from free extra nights to room upgrades, inclusive meal plans to “kids stay free” deals. For example, in May or June you can stay for two weeks, room-only, at the Jamaica Inn, in Ocho Rios, for £1,111pp — less than the price for one week in February (£1,655) — with ITC Classics (01244 355527, www.itcclassics.co.uk).

Having decided on a late run to the Caribbean, you now face the same problem Columbus had when he turned up in 1492 — with so many islands, “I hardly knew how to determine to which I should go first”. Read on, Chris.

BARBADOS FOR LUXURY

It’s not that it holds a monopoly on snazzy retreats, but the west coast of Barbados — the “platinum coast” — happens to have a lot more of them than any of its neighbours.

Save 75%: even at Sandy Lane, the Versailles of the Caribbean, which is hardly a steal at any time of year, two weeks’ B&B between now and the end of June will cost £3,595, with eight rounds of golf thrown in; two weeks over Christmas would cost £14,455, without even a peek at the fairway. Through Elegant Resorts (01244 897516, www.elegantresorts.co.uk).

Save 36%: on balance, though, we prefer the intimate, rather genteel Cobblers Cove. Blink and you’d miss it from the outside, but step through the door and the place opens like a Crayola box of greens (garden), blues (sea) and the rest of the rainbow (flowers).

Throughout May and June, the hotel is offering 10 nights for the price of seven: £1,298. There is a minor catch — guests must pay locally for four dinners and three breakfasts, at a cost of US$371 (£200), making a total of about £1,500. In February, though, 10 nights’ B&B, with no other meals, would cost £2,345. Through La Joie de Vivre (01483 272379, www.lajoiedevivre.co.uk).

ST LUCIA FOR FAMILIES

St Lucia scores highly for those travelling with children, thanks to nonstop flights (never to be underestimated) and a choice of hotels that work well for kids, as well as villa rentals. It’s also large enough to provide a spectrum of distractions for all ages: the fine sandy beach at Rodney Bay, 4WD trips, hiking and biking in the rainforest, botanic gardens, even a pongy drive-in volcano. And it offers a wide range of eats for fickle taste buds, from hunky imported US T-bones to Chinese duck and dumplings.

Save 25%: families putting up at Windjammer Landing have the best of both worlds — each villa has a fully equipped kitchen, while the hotel has all the usual amenities, including four restaurants, watersports, a children’s club and nannies. Two adults and two children staying in a one-bedroom villa during the May half-term week would pay a total of £3,356, room-only (£1,116 per adult and £500 per child), including British Airways flights, transfers and free domestic connections within the UK. In February, the same holiday would cost £4,470 (£1,668 per adult and £567 per child). Through Caribtours (020 7751 0660, www.caribtours.co.uk).

TOBAGO FOR TRADITION

It does have the bucket-and-spade packages — and the beaches are golden and sandy — but there is much more to Tobago. The island is ideal for those who want a more authentic Caribbean experience, staying in places with character and enjoying breathtaking highland scenery speckled with the colours of birds, butterflies and blooms.

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