“It’s warm, it’s beautiful, it’s the beach, it’s my family, it’s the food, it’s the music. Everything feels familiar.” That is Rihanna, the Barbadian singer, on Caribbean home. That mix of warmth, family, food and music is the Caribbean these stays are rooted in, not a resort version of it.

Solitude is the point here, room to think, slow mornings and nature without an audience. If you are searching for somewhere truly quiet, that is what these farm stays and private islands are built to give you.

These are the farm stays and private islands we rate most in the Caribbean, spread across Dominican Republic, Barbuda and Turks & Caicos. If you are deciding where on the islands to base yourself, start with a private oceanfront eco lodge in Barbuda. Every one has been independently checked for how it actually runs, its energy, its water, its food and who owns it, so you can book a place that genuinely lives up to what it promises and fits the trip you want.

If these farm stays and private islands are your kind of place, you will probably also like the full Caribbean list, 10 Eco Garden Stays in the Caribbean, 8 Secluded Eco Stays in the Caribbean and 10 Wildlife Eco Stays in the Caribbean, each one chosen the same way.