Little Palm Island
In the lower reaches of the Florida Keys, there is a private island engulfed in a bubble of tranquility, immune to Overseas Highway traffic and the tourists clamoring for seats at waterfront cafes. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa delivers the balmy best of South Florida, yet feels like its own country – a place where nature coexists happily alongside island visitors and cell phones are discouraged in public view.
Guests are t ...
In the lower reaches of the Florida Keys, there is a private island engulfed in a bubble of tranquility, immune to Overseas Highway traffic and the tourists clamoring for seats at waterfront cafes. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa delivers the balmy best of South Florida, yet feels like its own country – a place where nature coexists happily alongside island visitors and cell phones are discouraged in public view.
Guests are transported to the six-acre island from Little Torch Key, approximately 27 miles north of Key West. The ride, in a charming wooden motor launch, takes about 20 minutes, but somehow passes through a portal to the South Seas. One minute, you’re in the Gulf of Mexico heading toward mangrove-covered islets; and the next, Little Palm Island appears on the horizon, with its 30 thatched-roof bungalows and fringe of palms.
The launch returns to the mainland throughout the day but there’s no reason to leave, given the sunset-facing restaurant that elevates local seafood to an art and the lounger-lined beach within waving distance of the central pool bar. Options for activities are plentiful, from kayaking and paddleboarding to fishing excursions and dive trips. Yet, it’s just as easy to lose hours on the chaises, watching a great blue heron strut past your feet.
Honeymooners are as prevalent as the resident Key deer roaming the grounds, but are seen less often, because romance and privacy are the island’s star pairing. Follow white-sand pathways through lush vegetation to your bungalow and sink into a custom-made king bed draped in butterfly netting, or sip champagne in your personal Jacuzzi while gazing at the sea. Then, heighten the decadence with a visit to the island’s tucked-away Spa Terre for a Balinese massage and turmeric body scrub followed by a rose-petal soak in an open-air bath.
Little Palm Island: 2.5 hours’ drive from Miami International Airport, a million miles away from any Florida you’ve ever known.
In the lower reaches of the Florida Keys, there is a private island engulfed in a bubble of tranquility, immune to Overseas Highway traffic and the tourists clamoring for seats at waterfront cafes. Little Palm Island Resort & Spa delivers the balmy best of South Florida, yet feels like its own country – a place where nature coexists happily alongside island visitors and cell phones are discouraged in public view.
Guests are transported to the six-acre island from Little Torch Key, approximately 27 miles north of Key West. The ride, in a charming wooden motor launch, takes about 20 minutes, but somehow passes through a portal to the South Seas. One minute, you’re in the Gulf of Mexico heading toward mangrove-covered islets; and the next, Little Palm Island appears on the horizon, with its 30 thatched-roof bungalows and fringe of palms.
The launch returns to the mainland throughout the day but there’s no reason to leave, given the sunset-facing restaurant that elevates local seafood to an art and the lounger-lined beach within waving distance of the central pool bar. Options for activities are plentiful, from kayaking and paddleboarding to fishing excursions and dive trips. Yet, it’s just as easy to lose hours on the chaises, watching a great blue heron strut past your feet.
Honeymooners are as prevalent as the resident Key deer roaming the grounds, but are seen less often, because romance and privacy are the island’s star pairing. Follow white-sand pathways through lush vegetation to your bungalow and sink into a custom-made king bed draped in butterfly netting, or sip champagne in your personal Jacuzzi while gazing at the sea. Then, heighten the decadence with a visit to the island’s tucked-away Spa Terre for a Balinese massage and turmeric body scrub followed by a rose-petal soak in an open-air bath.
Little Palm Island: 2.5 hours’ drive from Miami International Airport, a million miles away from any Florida you’ve ever known.
