A combination of peaceful neighbourhoods and government advantages such as tax-haven status puts Barbados on the holiday property investment map. The grander properties are on the North-West of the island, where properties for sale include those at Saint Peter's Bay and Port Ferdinand, built by Barbadian developer Unna.

On four acres of prime beachfront with tropical gardens, Saint Peter's Bay offers 57 three- and four-bedroom residences with beach and sea views. They are available for ownership and holiday rental and come with home management and concierge. Amenities include watersports, golf, health and wellbeing facilities and fine dining. Owners have the option to purchase a licence on a 50ft-60ft yacht berth at the nearby Port Ferdinand marina.

Unna's Alistair Brown says: "Over the past few years, we've seen Barbados become a 'villa' destination and with the recently passed special entry and reside permit, allowing residency to investors and their families, it is driving even greater interest."

Homes start at US $1.95 million (about £1.15 million) for a three-bedroom, rising to $7.75 million (£4.65 million) for a four-bedroom apartment with roof deck and pool.

Port Ferdinand is a 16-acre residential marina resort just north of Speightstown. It features 120 berths with 83 luxury homes, each with views of the marina.

Unna's next project, close to St Peters Bay, is Palazzate which will offer four spectacular 13,000 sq ft homes.

From now until the end of the school holidays, skiing singles will head to the Alps (it's cheaper in termtime). More and more of these people will buy property in the Alps instead of renting it.

One of the doyennes of the Alps was Erna Low, who set up the ski travel and ski estate agency of the same name. An Austrian émigré who arrived in the UK in the 1930s and became one of the royal family's favourite ski travel agents, her London-based company is now the sole agent for resales at the resort of Arc 1950, part of the Les Arcs / La Plagne ski area in France.

Apartments are currently on the market here at 180,000 to 200,000 euros (about £150,000 to £165,000) for one bedroom, 280,000 to 350,000 euros (£230,000 to £290,000) for two bedrooms and the development's most expensive property, with four bedrooms, sold in 2013 for a rumoured 850,000 euros (around £700,000).

Prices have held better in Les Arcs than at comparable resorts such as Courchevel 1850, say local agents. François Marchand, who runs the Erno Low office in the resort, says: "The best performing resorts are the ones you have heard of and that are above 1,800m. Don't go below 1,600m."