I am planning a Carribbean vacation for Christmas/New Year's. I honeymooned at Ladera on St. Lucia years ago and loved it so am looking for something similar but more affordable.

What we loved about that experience:
--Small resort that had some of the amenities of a larger resort (pool, bar, restaurant) but did not feel huge and impersonal. Sort of the anti-Sandals.
--Relatively isolated resort so it did not have that "4th hotel from the left" vibe that is so frequent on popular beach stretches.
--Access to hiking, mountain biking, snorkeling, other outdoor activities.

I'd like to try a different island but acheive a similar result. All for $250 or less a night. In high season.

I know it's a tall order but I'm hoping that my experienced Carribbean Fodorite friends can provide some guidance. Thank you in advance for your help.

Take a look at Beau Rive on Dominica .....The old Fort on Bequia , and google Tobago .... , Goblin Hill Villas in Port Antonio Jamaica . And this would be any number of places in Costa Rica or Mexico .

Wow, that's a tough one. $250 (or less) a night at high season with a pool, bar, restaurant and access to all those water and land activities.

The only two places I can think of that might meet your requirements are Barry's Country Resort (http://www.barrysresort.com/) in Grenada and the Ocean Beach Hotel (http://www.oceanbeach.tc/) in North Caicos.

Barry's is a very nice and friendly inn located in the north coast of Grenada, away from the more popular resort areas in the south and southwest. The e-mail address is [email protected] and the owner/manager Patrick Peterson is very good about answering inquiries.

The Ocean Beach Hotel in North Caicos is another very quiet and isolated property with a pool and restaurant. The hotel's e-mail address is [email protected] and, again, the manager, Tamara Turner, was great about answering all my questions.

North Caicos has much better snorkeling than Grenada but Grenada is an overall prettier island in my opinion and offers more and varied hiking options.

Ok. $300? $350? Is that helping?

Thank you for trying. I know it's a tough one.

Not the Caribbean per se but on the Mexican Caribbean -- Playa Del Carmen. You might want to check out Shangri-La Caribe. It's not luxury but has a very Mexican/Tropical/Robinson Crusoe feel to it, on a great stretch of beach, not crowded, pool, bar, etc. It's generally around $250 - $300 a night with breakfast and dinner. There are no tv's and phones so if that is a must it's not the place for you. I thought it was a great value.

You may want to try the Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix. I'm not sure what their rates are for Christmas but we paid around $150.00/night the first week of January. It is secluded as it sits at the end of a road and the property backs up to the rain forest. The rooms are spacious with a king size bed, large bath with shower only, and a sitting area with a love seat that opens to a bed if necessary. Our favorite part is the screened-in porch. I recommend a second floor room as they have vaulted mahogany ceilings. The food is good however the menu is small -- I do wish they would expand it a bit. Be sure to go to the Friday Night Pirate's Buffet - great food (large selection) and entertainment. This is not a four-star resort, but it's very nice. They have recently updated the rooms with new paint, etc.
We always rent a car so we can explore the entire island and eat off site.

Chicagoahc: I am strongly considering Ladera and have exactly the same criteria as what you stated you loved about Ladera. Can you elaborate on the activities however? In particular the hiking and biking. How nearby, do you have to take a guide, scenery, etc. Thanks!