I'd love suggestions for a romantic Caribbean trip in late January or February with excellent snorkeling from the beach and diving available generally--something like Anse Chastanet.

My husband and I went to Anse Chastanet in St. Lucia last year on our anniversary and absolutely loved it and we are looking for something similar on another island (but hopefully not quite as pricey). At Anse Chastanet, there was a wonderful reef right off the beach with excellent snorkeling and the resort also had a very good dive operation. It was a relatively small low-key resort with great food and service. The rooms were private, nestled on beach or hillside in small groups.

We would rather not be at a large glitzy hotel like Sandals, etc. We are not looking for night-life, casinos, or shopping. We are really looking for a romantic get-away nice atmosphere/good food without too much glitz.

Traveling in January/February will mean paying high season rates. That said, you might look into the Allamanda Beach Club (http://allamanda.ai/) in Anguilla located on Shoal Bay East, one of Anguilla's (and the Caribbean's) best beaches. There is snorkeling off the beach and a dive company (I can't recall the name but the hotel will have information) that operates just a short distance from Allamanda. In Jan/Feb, rates per night will range from $110 to $175 depending on the room you choose. Allamanda is not ritzy but it is very clean and the rooms are air-conditioned. Most (perhaps all) rooms also come with full kitchens which can help to save you a bit on meals. Anguilla is famous for the high quality of its restaurants and, while many are very expensive, there are also many excellent moderately priced ones too. Allamanda has an excellent, relatively moderate priced (by Anguillan standards) restaurant called Zara's (http://www.ai/zaras/) and is located next to one of Anguilla's most popular beachside lunchtime restaurants, Gwen's Reggae Grill (http://www.news.ai/ref/reggaegrill.html). But to truly appreciate Anguilla, you should rent a car to experience Anguilla's other outstanding beaches and restaurants.

Why don't you think about Vieques? owa just put up a great trip report about snorkeling there. There are some good, boutiquey type hotels and some remarkably good restaurants. The best part, though, are the fantastic beaches, wild horses, and the other-worldly bioluminescent bay.

The Reef Resort in Grand Cayman sounds like what you are looking for. Excellent snorkeling from the beach out to the reef, and an awesome dive shop at the resort, Ocean Frontiers. All suites/condo's are ocean front with balconies.

Check out Curtain Bluff in Antigua. It is a small, totally charming resort with excellent service, great food and accomodations, beautiful grounds, and good snorkeling from the beach. They have live music almost every night, a nice plus. If you go, get a beachfront junior suite. It's a bit expensive, but if you have been to Anse Chastanet, the rates shouldn't scare you. Very romantic place. We were there over Valentine's Day, and they had a lunchtime party at the beach restaurant with lobster,caviar (flown in from NYC) and champagne. They also have the best wine cellar in the Caribbean. We have been all over the Caribbean, and it is one of our favorite places.