There may be no better way to find escape from the pandemic than the glorious seclusion of a Caribbean private island resort.
Social distancing is a given when you’re sharing an exclusive dot of land in the middle of the ocean with a relative handful of other guests and resort staff.
At some, like the legendary Petit St. Vincent (opening Nov. 1), you can literally limit your human contact to a few minutes at check-in and check-out, simply raising a flag at your private villa when you need food, drink, or other essentials discreetly dropped at your door.
At others, it’s possible to rent out the entire island — especially useful if you want to limit your vacation interactions to a group of responsible, mask-wearing friends and family.
Not every Caribbean private island resort has reopened in the wake of COVID-19; the British Virgin Islands, home to several of the top resorts in the Caribbean, remains closed to international visitors, for example. But here are some great private islands where you can relax in luxury and safety this summer: (Note: due to recent changes, you can fly to The Bahamas only through private airlines or charter flights and airlines like Tropic Ocean Airways.)
Just a short hop by air from Providenciales, Ambergris Cay has a collection of beautiful whitewashed villas lined up before a shimmering swath of white sand, customized dining, attentive staff, and a wide range of activities from exploring the island on electric golf carts to romantic dining on a middle-of-nowhere sandbar. Daily spa treatments are included in room costs. It reopens with the Turks and Caicos Islands’ relaunch July 22.
The Meridian Club, Pine Cay, Turks & Caicos
The private, 800-acre Pine Cay is the setting for the Meridian Club, which has just 13 guest rooms and cottages scattered along two miles of beachfront and a maximum occupancy of 26 guests. Room rates include three meals daily, use of water sports equipment and tennis courts, snorkeling trips and airport transfers, with spa services and other extras available too.
COMO Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos
Reopening on July 22, the recently redesigned COMO Parrot Cay resort has a wide selection of rooms, suites, villas, and private beach houses, restaurants with Caribbean-inspired and wellness-focused menus, a Shambhala spa with Japanese baths and a Jacuzzi garden, and ample opportunity to paddle and pedal around the 1,000-acre private island.
Mustique, St. Vincent and the Grenadines
At 1,400 acres, Mustique is large for a private island, but that plays into your advantage for pandemic travel as it allows plenty of space between the island’s collection of 88 luxury villas as well as elbow room at the 16-room Cotton House Hotel, one of just two non-villa accommodations on Mustique (along with the Firefly). The island also has several restaurants, a spa, a private security force and — notably in the COVID-19 world — an on-site medical team.
Twenty varied accommodations share this 97-acre private retreat off the Bahamian island of Andros. Amenities include an overwater spa, tennis, biking, water toys and — this being the Bahamas — outstanding fishing. And it’s all just a quick trip by seaplane, helicopter, or private ferry from the regional travel hub in nearby Nassau. (Here’s how to visit The Bahamas right now).
Hide out in a fully stocked private villa on Fowl Cay in the Exumas, where each guest accommodation includes a golf cart for personal use on land and your own sailboat for seaborne explorations. The 50-acre island has but six villas, making buyouts a viable option, plus two private beaches, the Hill House restaurant, and tennis courts and private pools.
Young Island Resort, St Vincent and the Grenadines
Arguably the most affordable private-island option in the Caribbean, this low-key, laid-back resort sits just off the coast of the “mainland” in St Vincent. The bungalow-style resort (home to a lovely floating bar) is as lovable as small resorts get. It’s open now, following St Vincent and the Grenadines’ recent reopening for tourism.