Check out Caneel Bay, St. John USVI

Your dream island is Cuba!
Varadero has some of the most beatiful beaches on the planet.
Very low crime rate
Topography - wow, this island is amazing and beatiful
Havana, Matanzas, or any of the other towns surrounding Varadero.
Wasn't too terribly expensive, things were very cheap to buy there, they do have 4 and 5 star rated hotels but in Cuba they are very different from the rest of the Caribbean. You won't be disapointed tho !
The people in Cuba are the nicest we've ever come across in our Caribbean travels and we would go back again in a snap (after we visit the rest of the islands we need to see!)

Take a look at the following:
Nisbet Plantation, Nevis (sorry Four Seasons, Nevis is closed until Dec. 15)
Little Dix Bay, Virgin Gorda
Cap Juluca or Cusinart, Anguilla
Carlisle Bay, Jumby Bay or Galley Bay, Antigua
Caneel Bay or the Westin, St. John
Anse Chastinet, St. Lucia

All, have what you are seeking.

Anguilla has no town to speak of and very little shopping (a number of small galleries spread around the island). I also doubt that the poster would find its topography beautiful: it's flat, scrubby & arid. Having said all that, it's my personal favorite but it is definitely not for everyone. I would think that St Barts or the Virgins would fit the bill.

St. Maarten all the way. Best shopping, best Night life and some of the most renowned beaches not only in the Caribbean, but the world. Its like being in the Caribbean, with some European influences especially on the French Side. you definitely won't be bored, and you can havea quiet time too. Other islands are beautiful as well, but miss something. St. Barths is lovely, but probably the most expensive island in the Caribbean.

You didn´t like Aruba try Curacao instead! The weather is always perfect down there.

Curacao´s town , Willemstad is gorgeous. It is actually an Unesco world heritage site. Shopping is also great!

Great ideas!

My husband is interested in St. Martin but I am a bit concerned about the crime based on comments I've read on websites, and not just Fodor's. Can anyone tell me, is it a bigger concern on this island more than others? Also I have read that most of the island is quite run down. Your thoughts?

COBeachGirl - here's a link to a recent thread about crime on St. Martin:
http://www.fodors.com/community/caribbean-islands/crime-on-st-martin-1.cfm

Also, if you use the search feature (Type in St. Martin) you'll find tons of information.

Finally, the St. Martin forum on TripAdvisor has several recent threads on the topic.

St. Martin is not the place for you. You would be disgusted by the trash and fast driving. Anguilla is a lovely island, but like said in an above post, it doesn't really have a town and is rather flat and scrubby. For those who love the beach that doesn't seem to matter. I think maybe I would recommend Grand Cayman. We have loved it there for years before finding Anguilla. We are beach people so sitting or walking and swimming on the beach does us just fine. GC has a nice town for shopping with plenty of good places to eat. That would be my number one suggestion. I hope it helps.

Look at Turks and Caicos and The Somerset resort , It is beautiful and sits on Grace Bay beach (one of the best) www.thesomerset.com

As the name suggests, I'm a bit partial to St. Barth. It has all of the elements you require...interesting topography...um, a little lower on that scale than many islands, but the pluses certainly oughtweigh the minuses. I would recommend a villa rental over a hotel (keeping in mind St Barth has no chain hotels, only smaller boutiques, all unique and lovely). You and hubby can have some privacy, and many villas rent much less than hotels. You can also do breakfast and lunches at "home" if you like. Grocery shopping is pure joy.

Grenada has it all.

Great beaches for example Grand Anse which is truly stunning
Very friendly locals
Has rainforests mountains, hiking and interesting scenery
Has interesting towns to explore eg St Georges and Grenville (great for spice shopping)
Good hotels and plenty of choice of restaurants

If I didn't have cost be a barrier - I'd stay on Anguilla or Turks and Caicos- and I heard Mustique (spelling???) is high end as well. - Barbuda too? The cool thing with staying in Anguilla - its very easy to get to other islands - like Saba! That is a spectacular place - not to stay the whole time - but for a day trip - for sure!

Agreed - hands down no question...Grenada....please while you check out all the others - don't miss Grenada!! It really does have all of your requests! Safe safe safe too!

I like the idea of Grenada. I hadn't considered it before.

Spice Island Beach Resort looks nice but we are not too exited about all-inclusives; we like to venture out and dine elsewhere, especially for dinner. Any other Grenada hotel ideas that still meet my initial criteria? -LOCATED ON THE BEACH IS KEY!

Thanks everyone. I love the suggestions!

Calabash is lovely, although not on Grand Anse. Coyaba might fit the bill.

Montseratt, St. Lucia, Dominica or Grenada.

Do you have to be AI at Spice Island? I think you are absolutely correct - Grenada is not the kind of island you want to go AI on....unless it is a real family necessity or you are ok combining AI with just dining out anyway. I do gather the food at SI is great though. I digress.

If you are looking for the lovely high end quality of Spice you could also look at La Luna...which is some proximity to Grand Anse and Morne Rouge but is also smack dab on its own stretch of stunning beach.

Calabash is supposed to be a fabulous - really Grenada is such a wonderful, safe, friendly unique island...the research into the right lodging will be great fun...Grenada does have a great deal to offer in terms of lodgings!

We stayed @ Coyaba on Greneda in 2007 and love love loved it! The food was wonderful and the beach fantastic!!! Would stay again.

peace, greenie

I would recommend St-Martin (French side). You are essentially in France (nice roads, best food, no over-building). There are plenty of nice beaches. The island is rather small so make it quite nice.

Definitely St. Maarten. Beautiful. Peaceful and also quite busy! Many things to do. Beaches are great and the food is unbeatable!

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Hotels: Divi Little Bay Resort
Car Rental: Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental
Beaches: Mullet Bay, Friars Bay, Dawn Beach
Restaurants: Lees (ribs!), La Gondola (Italian), and Rare (steak)
Must do: Lottery Farm

You should definitely be aware that the island of Saint Martin / Sint Maarten is 37 square miles in all, but is divided - almost equally - between the Dutch side (Sint Maarten) and the French side - slightly larger - (Saint Martin), and the two sides are as different as chalk and cheese !

The Dutch side is heavilly over-developed, with high rises, time-share, casinos, KFC, Burger King and (if you are interested) licensed brothels ! The accepted currency is the US Dollar.

NONE of the above 'attractions' can be found on the French side of the island, where the 'official' currency is the Euro, however US Dollars are accepted everywhere.

Apart from some good restaurants located in the casino / time share / high rise area of Maho (and a few in Philipsburg and Simpson Bay) on the Dutch side, virtually all the best restaurants on the island are to be found in Grand Case on the French side, which is generally accepted to be the 'Cullinary Capital of the Caribbean'.

I can't argue with the comments of Sarah James regarding restaurants - but they are all on the Dutch side of the island, which is far more crowded and has a totally different atmosphere.

I am also very surprised that she didn't mention Orient Bay, which has without doubt the best beach here, or Pinel island, a short boat trip ($7 return) from French Cul de Sac, which is really beautiful and always has calm water.

In regard to Dollar/Thrifty Car Rental, I suggest a good look at all the posts on the subject of that company would be worthwhile - my son-in-law suffered personally, and there are plenty of alternatives from which to choose.