Villa Chez Paulette

Villa Chez Paulette is a three-bedroom house set on the green hillside between Friar's Bay and Happy Bay, with the Caribbean spread out below and Anguilla on the horizon. It suits a family, a couple of couples, or a small group of six who want somewhere quiet with two of the island's best beaches within a walk.

The house is built over two levels, which shapes how a group uses it. The upper floor holds the main living area and one bedroom, opening onto a wide terrace that is the spot for morning coffee and sunset drinks. The lower floor keeps the other two bedrooms, each with an en-suite bath and its own step out to the pool terrace, so the couples downstairs get their own quiet corner.

The pool sits framed by tropical greenery, with room around it to lounge and dine, and the whole property feels tucked away in its own pocket of the hill. It is an easy, unhurried base rather than a grand one.

The walk down to Happy Bay, the secluded and nearly untouched beach next door, takes only a few minutes, and livelier Friar's Bay sits just around the point with chairs, umbrellas, and food on the sand.

For a meal on the beach, Kali's Beach Bar at Friar's Bay has been an island institution since 1980, reggae on the speakers and grilled fish and lobster off the barbecue, and our concierge can point you down and book anything else you need.

Low-season weeks start at $4,200 for the three bedrooms. The pleasure of it is the layout: the downstairs rooms opening onto the pool, the terrace over the sea, and Happy Bay a short walk below through the trees.