We realized the other night that of our six winters in Maine, this one is almost certainly the coldest – not the snowiest, just the bone-chilling coldest. Brutally cold weather is no match for a less than well-insulated 18th century house like ours, so on days like today (with negative wind chill temperatures) we stay bundled up inside as well. With the help of hot tea (I swear I drink gallons this time of year), my favorite wool throw, and a stack of travel magazines, I’m able to keep warm while daydreaming about escaping on a sunny, tropical, winter getaway of my own. The last time Michael and I went on a vacation such as this was our trip to the island of Nevis (pictured above). What I wouldn’t give to be back in a lounge chair by that pool at Montpelier Plantation, fruity drink in hand!

Here are a few other sunny spots I’ve had my eye on recently that fit the bill for a warm week far away from frozen snow & polar vortexes.

The stunning clifftop villas & bungalows of Secret Bay on the island of Dominica first caught my eye in an issue of Travel + Leisure, and I’ve seen them pop up a few times on Jetsetter since. The Secret Bay experience seems like something out of a dream to me!

Undergoing extensive renovation and reopening as a member of the esteemed Auberge Resorts, the luxury Malliouhana hotel on Anguilla is sure to be amazing when it opens its doors later this year.

The fourteen cabanas that make up the vineyard escape of Cuatrocuatros look like the perfect place from which to explore beautiful Baja California.

Set on a nature preserve in coastal Western Uruguay overlooking the Rio de la Plata, Hotel Casa Chic in Carmelo looks as though it’d be the perfect place to spend a relaxing week with my camera.

What other warm weather destinations should be on our radar? We’d love to hear about your favorite spots!

Photo taken by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.