Staying at Little Palm Island is all about switching off. There are no televisions or phones, making the island extremely popular with A-list entertainers and political heavyweights. Instead, allow yourself to succumb to the fabulous service, the beautiful setting, the privacy and the unobtrusive barefoot luxury.
The resort is linked by a network of white crushed-shell paths, and consists of thirty duplex thatched-roof bungalow suites, many with ocean views and private decks with hammocks, hidden away among the lush tropical vegetation and fronting onto unspoiled white sand. Inside the suites are spacious and airy, with the feel of a romantic low-key Caribbean plantation, tropical woods mingling with summery colors, and custom-made beds draped under butterfly netting. There are stand-alone bathtubs and an outside shower perfect for cooling off in the middle of the day. Shy deer can often be glimpsed from your verandah in the mornings.
The dining at Little Palm Island is quite superb, and features inventive French, Cuban and Floridian cuisine, and you can choose to eat in the romantic candle-lit restaurant, at an outside terrace table overlooking the ocean or even on the beach under the moon.
Relaxation opportunities are endless, from lounging by the lagoon-style pool, cosying up with a book in the library or meditating in the Zen Garden, and the spa is one of Florida’s finest, with spa treatments such as a coconut sugar body polish or margarita key lime pedicure with which to pamper yourself.
For more adventurous souls, the resort offers complimentary water sports including kayaks, kite boards and lasers, and there is also a 38-foot catamaran to take you out for an afternoon’s sail or sunset cruise with a private dinner aboard. If you're in the mood to venture further afield, there are myriad options. The island is in the heart of a marine sanctuary and the diving and snorkeling is superb, with shimmering coral reefs, colorful fish and a wreck to explore. Alternatively view the incredible bird life at the Great White Heron Wildlife Refuge. If you are an angler, the flats and bone fishing in these parts is legendary, and you can even live out your Hemingway fantasies for the day on a deep sea fishing expedition where you might land a marlin or a tarpon.
