The high season is right around the corner, but resorts all over the Caribbean are still offering sweet, summery bargains. So whether you've got your heart set on a romantic getaway for two or a fun-filled vacation for the whole family, here are 23 irresistible excuses to hit the beach this winter.
CT+L Exclusives
Drop our name and reap the rewards at these resorts:
Take your pick of jungle or beach at the Kanantik Reef & Jungle Resort, on the coast of Belize north of Placencia. The eco-friendly oceanfront resort is offering readers an exclusive incentive to extend their stay: Book four nights and pay for only three, or pay for five nights and settle in for seven.
Package: Four for Three or Seven for Five
Rate: $300 per night*
Nights: Four or seven
Available: From Jan. 6 to Aug. 31, 2010. Offer applies to cabana rooms only; book by March 1.
Contact: 877-759-8834; kanantik.com; mention the CT+L exclusive.
You'll be in the midst of the jungle without roughing it at Ka'ana Boutique Resort, a lodge near the Guatemalan border, 70 miles west of Belize City and a world apart from the coast. The newish resort is slashing $120 per night off regular winter rates, and the dollar-stretching deal at this 15-cottage boutique includes daily breakfast and dinner for two.
Package: Dine on Us
Rate: From $300 per night
Nights: A minimum of four
Available: Through May 31, 2010
Contact: 877-522-6221; kaanabelize.com; mention the Dine on Us package.
We're smitten with Grenada (see our feature "Island In The Sun"), and with this CT+L exclusive, you'll get the chance to see why. Artsy Maca Bana is offering couples seven nights in a one-bedroom 'bana (think villa) with its own hot tub (ask for a deluxe villa upgrade on arrival, subject to availability), a three-course seafood dinner, a pair of 60-minute massages, a fridge stocked for your first morning's breakfast, all taxes and airport transfers.
Package: Unwind + Indulge
Rate: $1,923 per person, based on double occupancy
Nights: Seven
Available: From Jan. 5 to Feb. 10 and Feb. 20 to March 31, 2010; book by Dec. 31
Contact: 473-439-5355; macabana.com; mention the CT+L Spring 2010 promotion.
The whole family will be happy at the all-inclusive Coconut Bay Beach Resort & Spa, on the south coast of St. Lucia. Mom and Dad will appreciate a $350 resort credit (one per room, per week) that can be used on spa treatments, island excursions and gift-shop purchases, and kids will enjoy a free round of paintball, a kitesurfing class (one per room), a goody bag (for kids under 12), and the run of the on-site water park and children's center. Everyone gets meals, snacks and beverages thrown in, plus airport transfers.
Package: Holiday High Life for Less
Rate: $109 per adult, per night; $35 per night for kids 13 to 17; $25 per night for ages 3 to 12; under 3, free
Nights: No minimum
Available: From Dec. 21, 2009, to April 9, 2010; book by Dec. 20
Contact: 877-352-8898; cbayresort.com; mention promo code CT+L09.
Stay a Little Longer
The following resorts would like to invite you to extend your vacation. With promos like these, who could refuse?
Spend a free night in paradise at The Reefs, where you can stay for five nights and pay for only four. The 65-room beachside resort is also including daily breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner for two; a pair of three-day bus and ferry passes; and round-trip airport taxi transfers.
Package: Take 5
Rate: From $1,869 per night
Nights: Five
Available: From Dec. 1, 2009, to March 31, 2010. (Blackout dates Dec. 20 to Jan. 3.)
Contact: 800-742-2008; thereefs.com
At the grande dame of St. John resorts, Caneel Bay, guests can score a fifth night free when they book four, or splurge on six nights in one of the hotel's premium-category rooms (beachfront or better) and get the seventh free.
Package: Five for Four or Seven for Six 
Rate: From $495 per night
Nights: Five or Seven
Available: Jan. 3 to March 19, 2010
Contact: 888-767-3966; caneelbay.com
Over at the Westin St. John Resort & Villas, pick a five-, six- or seven-night deal. Book four nights and get the fifth free; book five and get the sixth free, plus a $150 resort credit; book six and get the seventh night free, plus a $200 resort credit. Be sure to request the free room upgrade when you book.
Package: Sunsational Savings
Rate: From $349 per night
Nights: Five, six or seven
Available: Through Dec. 17, 2010; book by Aug. 31, 2010
Contact: 888-627-7206; westinresortstjohn.com; request rate code SUNFREE.
The family-friendly West Bay Club sits on a prime stretch of Providenciales' famous Grace Bay Beach, and now you can enjoy the silky sands even longer at no extra cost. From now through February, get every fourth night you book for free, or stay for seven nights and pay for only five. Rates include complimentary airport transfers, as well as daily continental breakfast.
Package: Fourth Night Free
Rate: From $495 for a one-bedroom suite
Nights: Four or seven
Available: Through February 2010. (Blackout dates Dec. 21, 2009, to Jan. 2, 2010)
Contact: 888-701-0079; thewestbayclub.com
Virgin Gorda, BVI
Caneel Bay's sister property, Rosewood Little Dix Bay, is offering a similarly sweet deal, with five nights for the price of four. You'll save a hefty 20 percent on a five-night stay - which will give you time to ferry over to Jost Van Dyke and buy a round of Painkillers.
Package: Five for Four
Rate: From $650 per night
Nights: Five
Available: Jan. 3 to April 4, 2010
Contact: 888-767-3966; littledixbay.com
Let's Get Physical
Underwater or topside, these energetic deals will unleash the explorer within:
Explore above and below this famed dive destination from your base at Sand Dollar Condominium Resort, where the seven-night package includes a water-view studio, rental vehicle and five half-day excursions, such as snorkeling, mangrove kayaking, mountain biking or cave exploration tours.
Package: Island Explorer
Rate: From $962 per person, based on double occupancy
Nights: Seven
Available: From Dec. 19, 2009, to April 9, 2010
Contact: 800-288-4773; sanddollarbonaire.com
This one's for the divers: Book a seven-night, six boat-dive package at stalwart dive resort Captain Don's Habitat and get three more boat dives for free. You'll bunk down in an ocean-view room and also get a daily buffet breakfast and six days of unlimited shore diving.
Package: Book Seven Nights, Pay for Six
Rate: From $1,035 per person, based on double occupancy
Nights: Seven
Available: From Dec. 19, 2009, to March 31, 2010
Contact: 800-327-6709; habitatbonaire.com
After reading all about Dominica (October 2009's "Nature Meets Nurture"), you'll surely want to pounce on this package from the intimate 12-room Tamarind Tree Hotel that allows you to experience the emerald isle's charms firsthand. The all-inclusive deal covers airport transfers, all meals and six full days of eye-opening tours: Hike Morne Trois Piton National Park; see the Boiling Lake; snorkel or dive the reef; watch for whales; and take a driving tour of the scenic southeast coast.
Package: Explorer
Rate: From $1,637 per person, based on double occupancy
Nights: Seven
Available: Through April 14, 2010
Contact: 767-449-7395; tamarindtreedominica.com
The Reef Resort, on Grand Cayman's quiet East End, is giving families great ways to get away with two packages, one for kids 5 to 12 and one to please picky teens. Both offers include a five-night stay in a beachfront one-bedroom suite, five-day car rental, daily breakfast, five-day snorkel-gear rental for the whole family, and a behind-the-scenes Blue Iguana Habitat tour at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. The kids package also features a half-day paddleboat rental, a one-hour glass-bottom kayak rental and on-site daytime activities. The teen package offers paddleboard lessons for the whole family and a one-hour snorkel adventure with a diver propulsion vehicle.
CT+L Exclusive: With either package, readers also score a complimentary Stingray City excursion for four.
Package: Junior Simply Adventure or Teen Simply Adventure
Rate: Junior package is $2,695 for two adults and two kids under 12; Teen package is $2,950 for two adults and two teens.
Nights: Five
Available: From Jan. 2 to April 9, 2010
Contact: 888-232-0541; thereef.com
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