The sky is purple as the boat makes its way from tiny Union Island, and we’re met by torchlight and smiles as we make our way onto the dock. 

For the next few days, this will be our island, our beach, our jewel in the heart of the Grenadines. 

Peering around at the cottages and the palm trees, the lapping waves and the majestic expanse of the Grenadines, it almost feels surreal. 

What kind of Caribbean vacations do you dream about? Perhaps they involve remote retreats in the rainforest, or overwater bungalow hotels or private-plunge-pool suites set on a clifftop.

For many, though, it’s this one: the Robinson Crusoe fantasy: an uncrowded island, the feeling of having an entire beach just to yourself; fresh coconuts and rum punch on the sand and complete and utter serenity. 

There’s one Caribbean private island that delivers the essence of that ideal: Palm Island, the legendary all-inclusive resort in the heart of the Grenadines. 

The 43-room, 135-acre Palm Island, which is part of the Elite Island Resorts portfolio, has an enviable resume: five different sugar-white-sand beaches; a spa right on the sand; a waterfall pool; a tennis court and a pair of restaurants and bars. 

The rooms are a mix of lush garden accommodations with their own palapas, toes-in-the-sand beachfront rooms, island lofts and suites that come with the “beach on your doorstep.”

For an extra degree of privacy (or space)m you can stay in one of the two stunning villas on property, one right on the beach, one perched on a hillside with spectacular views. 

Even better? It’s an all-inclusive resort.The inclusions are endless: snorkeling, sailing, chef-driven food; and an impossible-to-match feeling of delicious seclusion. 

The food is particularly good (it’s a resort that regularly places in the lists of the best all-inclusives for food), with a local focus and its own on-site garden. 

It’s a rare thing to find a private island that’s also all-inclusive — delivering the luxury and romance you expect with the all-inclusive convenience that travelers demand. 

It’s easier than ever to get to the Grenadines, whether you fly through Barbados or, more conveniently, the fast-growing Argyle International Airport in St Vincent, which now has regular nonstop service from cities like Miami (on American Airlines), New York (on Caribbean Airlines) and Toronto (on Air Canada). 

It’s a journey that always rewards the travelers that make it — with one of the Caribbean’s ultimate vacation experiences. 

For more, visit Palm Island.