The 15 Best Hotels for a Private-Island Vacation in the Caribbean
There’s a special kind of magic that happens when you leave the mainland behind. The moment the boat pulls away or the wheels of a seaplane touch down on turquoise water, the world shifts. A private island isn’t just a destination — it’s a different state of being. No crowds. No chaos. Just sand, sea, and space that belongs entirely to you.
Across the Caribbean, some of the region’s most exceptional resorts are tucked away on private islands — places where luxury comes wrapped in silence and sea breeze. Some are ultra-luxe escapes with every imaginable indulgence. Others feel personal, even soulful, offering the rarest of luxuries: true seclusion.
These are 15 of the best private island resorts in the Caribbean right now.
Ambergris Cay — Turks and Caicos
This is the kind of place where the journey itself sets the tone. After landing at Providenciales International Airport, a short private flight brings you to a turquoise-fringed island with no crowds, no stress, and an atmosphere of quiet exclusivity. Ambergris Cay features 17 beachfront bungalows, each with uninterrupted ocean views and sleek, understated interiors that frame the water like art. The villas — range from three-bedroom escapes to the ten-bedroom Dream Estate, which spans multiple pavilions and feels like a private kingdom and is an otherworldly vacation.
Days are blissfully slow. You can paddle through impossibly clear shallows, take a boat out to sandbars where it’s just you and the sea, or enjoy a long, lazy lunch on the deck.
Nights are intimate — dinners under a warm Caribbean sky, the soft hush of the ocean never far away. It’s quiet, but never static. Ambergris Cay is designed for people who want to retreat deeply, but never compromise on service.
And did we mention the floating bar?
What We Like: The island feels huge — with room for endless exploration — but you also still feel intimate. It feels both incredibly private and impeccably run — every detail handled before you even think to ask.
How to Get There: The hotel will actually pick you up at Providenciales International Airport’s private FBO and fly you on their own fleet of planes to Ambergris Cay. For me, that was one of my favorite parts of the trip.
Guy Britton is the managing editor of Caribbean Journal. With more than four decades of experience traveling the Caribbean, he is one of the world's foremost experts covering the region.
