There are places in the world where you try to avoid getting lost, and there are others where lost means found, and you…well, intentionally gravitate to them. I found such a place at Little Palm Island Resort & Spa, America's only private island resort, halfway down the pearly, aqua-marine-encrusted necklace of the Florida Keys.
There is something inexorable between your mind and your right foot as you travel on Highway US1 through the Keys. The experience is intoxicating, a sensory masterpiece—like sipping a frozen Piña Colada on a hot summer’s night. Even after driving all the way down to Mile Marker 28 on a long, windy road, you pretend time does not exist.
The mainland, as the locals call it, slowly trails away into the horizon, leaving you in a state of tranquility. And then, a sketch of the island conjures up in your imagination, and suddenly you are there—your own enchanted paradise.
Little Palm Island is widely known as one of the top resorts in the world, and for good reason. Accessible only by sea or sky, the island has mastered the art of getting lost—to be one with nature. The moment you step on their property, you know you’ve just embarked on a hopeful journey of no return. The smell of coconuts and palm trees surrounds you, and the soft island music lulls you into a state of wonder as the friendly staff quickly take over your car keys, luggage, and any unknown care still lurking within.
“Just relax,” one of the staff softly coaxes me as she places a refreshing drink in my hand before we board The Truman—the wooden motorboat that takes us on a 15-minute ride to Little Palm Island.
As they tell it in a book rightfully titled The Art of Getting Lost, “Little Palm Island is no more than a low-lying coral reef that, over time, has risen from the ocean as sand has accumulated and life has grasped a chance to spring into a mix of verdant and wild. In fact, calling this five-acre dot an island is to make it seem a large enough space to escape on.”
The point of escape simply takes you back to the early 1960s, when a list of dignitaries, including President Harry S. Truman, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Governor George Wallace, and other notables, visited the island. It was also the setting for the film PT-109, starring Cliff Robertson, who played Lieutenant Junior Grade John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The story is about Kennedy when he was stationed in the Solomon Islands in 1943 and was reported for duty to command a patrol torpedo boat. Records show that the future president paid a special visit to the island to assist with the storyline.
In 1988, Little Palm Island opened as a resort. At the time, the Sun Sentinel reported, “An overdose of palm trees and a lack of civilization are what have drawn some well-heeled Floridians and politicians to vacation on the island during the past few decades.”
Several years later, Patrick Colee of Noble House Hotels and Resorts purchased the island, renovated it, and set the stage for this world-class resort, which has received numerous awards and accolades from Condé Nast Traveler, one of the “Greatest Hotels in the World.”
The Accommodations
The idea of getting away is most prominent on the island. Upon arrival, seeing 30 bungalows scattered among the terrain’s beautiful tropical and tranquil scenery makes you feel that you are one of Colee’s favorite guests who happens to be invited to a very special party. This is fully noted when you follow the sandy path to your own private bungalow and see your surname in wood lettering posted by the door, making you feel right at home.
If you like breezy, dreamy interiors, you’ll love Little Palm’s West Indies design. This island-inspired bungalow has no concrete walls, for it is made of grasses, teak, marble, and yards of flowing white netting—something out of a romantic film noir starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.
But unlike that defined era, this modern tropical style, so unique to the Caribbean islands, is nothing but light and comfortable, with as many doors and windows as possible to keep interiors cool. As you enter, the living room’s tropical motif is accentuated by intricate designs featuring palm fronds, pineapples, and other flora. My favorite pieces are the two West Indian lolling chairs that sit low to the ground, have steeply raked backs, and have caned insets for ultimate comfort.
This same style carries over into the bedroom, enhancing the sense of romance throughout. So spacious and inviting, the room is wrapped around by windows with louvered shutters and gauzy draperies to filter sunlight and keep it cool. In the middle of this dreamy room, there’s an extra-high poster bed with a soft mattress that’s even higher than the windowsills and white mosquito netting to benefit from tropical breezes if you were to choose to sleep al fresco.
Little Palm Island likes to add personal touches wherever possible. Close to your large bed, there’s a writing desk, supplied with your own personalized stationery that can be used to write notes or a letter, like in the times of Hemingway and Fitzgerald. Just a few hours before nightfall, a member of the staff quietly comes in and gets the bed ready for you, closing the shutters, dimming down the lights, and adding glasses with bottles of water by your bedside.
Outside, you can encounter your private backyard, with an outdoor soaking tub, verandas, deluxe fixtures, and seating areas by the shore, where the lap of luxury and relaxation are taken a notch higher. Nature surrounds you everywhere you look. At any given time, you can expect an unexpected intrusion that makes you smile and realize once again that you are on an island far away from everyday interruptions and mundane cares.
“This is like straight from Peter Pan’s book,” my daughter Alexandra notes with a grin on her face, and I concur. As we venture out, we see tropical birds everywhere and fish swimming just a few feet away. We hear from the friendly staff that on occasion you may spot a jumping fish or a dolphin crossing the waters on the distant horizon.
In the next few days, I will collect favorite memories of jumping fish and adorable key deer swimming over to the shore. I would even find in an extreme close-up that they were as curious about me as I was about them.
If any two words could best describe the ambiance of the island, “exemplary taste” might be perfectly suited. As we know, if salt is too little or too much, it will spoil any dish. Similarly, the ambiance found at Little Palm Island is apt to the occasion anywhere you go.
Secret Comforts: SpaTerre
Part of the resort experience is sampling the “secret comforts,” which is how I like to describe SpaTerre, Noble House’s signature spa services. The experience is soothing like the sea. You can relax at any of the three spa oasis locations, starting with the Madrugada Water Massage, where treatment beds are positioned directly in the water, allowing you to be one with nature during the transformative treatment.
There is also the Rainforest Room, where the walls slide wide open to the tropical oasis that is suddenly before you—the resort’s signature Javanese Royal Treatment. This two-hour indulgence combines an exfoliating body scrub, a tub soak, and a massage. Finally, there’s the main spa, where massages, facials, and soaking baths transport you into complete comfort.
I’m a Florida woman, and a sea lover at that. And like most women I know, I like to indulge in transformative journeys that employ Floridian ingredients like coconuts, mangos, and sugar, as well as Javanese-style elements like jasmine, rice, and turmeric, which have many healing properties for both the body and soul. As my technician works her fingers over my achy limbs and muscles using those elements, I feel the stress leaving for good.
The Dining Room: The Source of Caribbean Flavors at Little Palm Island
If dining could be construed as an art, then Little Palm Island’s pristine flavor is a masterpiece with jewel colors directly borrowed from the sun and the sea. Each meal creation, whether designed for lunch, dinner, or breakfast, such as the brioche French Toast I am savoring, served with fresh guava marmalade and almond mascarpone, is influenced by Cuba’s Caribbean cuisine. I taste a small piece and slowly reach for another; I cannot stop. Every morsel is exquisite, and I guess we are getting a feel for what we want our special day to be like.
I hear that Little Palm Island Dining Room is a fixture on the New York City Zagat Survey. Its latest review named it the third “Best Hotel Dining Experience” in the U.S. and the best in Florida. The restaurant is guided by Executive Chef Rodrigo Albornoz, who has brought a wealth of knowledge, passion, and creativity to the island’s dining scene.
Sampling the food and connecting with the staff are part of savoring an unparalleled five-star experience in a lazy yet luxurious environment.
I also hear that fish and other sea creatures, best seen on a glass plate rather than in the water, are caught daily and served daily. As we explore The Dining Room’s menu, we notice some cool choices: Florida lobster hash, salmon, seared tuna, and lobster. As we sample them and others over the next three days, we feel like we are stepping on a red carpet, as the simple preparation of each one is remarkable. Sheer indulgence is the best way to describe it, yet simplicity can be found as the chef’s hidden agenda.
For us, the food sets the stage for unforgettable conversation, mainly about the island and the wonderful moments we share. The sounds around us enhance our experience for the next few days.
“It’s down to the soft Caribbean music you hear playing overhead,” my daughter notes as we choose to sit outside to eat breakfast. The most endearing thing about Little Palm Island is that you can choose what you want, where you want it. The Dining Room’s veranda provides the perfect mood and views we are after: the Atlantic Ocean.
“But it’s not so much what you hear; it’s what you don’t hear,” she presses. “You have to strain to hear sounds. Like, you don’t hear a helicopter flying nearby, and you don’t even hear waves crashing that much. It is very peaceful. And you smell the sea, but you don’t necessarily hear it. Everything is calm at Little Palm Island.”
Exploring the Waters
We are not after any activity that requires excess energy, as we’ve clicked with this island time and mood. Everything here moves at a lovely pace. Walking, eating, drinking, swimming, lounging.
In between moments of sheer indulgence, we decline the offer to go scuba diving by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, which includes the world’s third-largest barrier reef. Lobe Key Reef, which is consistently rated as one of the best places to snorkel or scuba dive in the U.S., is located just a short boat ride from Little Palm Island.
Because of its relatively shallow depth, the reef is great for snorkelers and divers alike. I know, too good to pass up all these marvelous island experiences, like going on board the island’s dive and snorkel boat, Island Girl, but instead, we opt for two kayaks as we pursue another lazy day of exploring the waters.
In these aquamarine waters, known as some of the best bone fishing grounds in the world, you can see little fish, big fish, and every kind of fish. So, it’s not surprising that you want to try your luck at catching some of these lovely sea creatures. With a light rod, tackle, and bait, we head over to the bridge, where there are other people throwing, pulling, or fighting their own water adventure. “You need lots of patience,” a man tells his wife as she dutifully looks down at the water and whatever is pulling at her line.
Later on, for my daughter, who caught a very small fish, this fishing activity seems to be a bit much. And so, with some help from another guest, we let the little one go back into the sea. A couple standing nearby feverishly wrap up their things, then take a photograph of their three-foot fish—a good catch that the kitchen will prepare for them and serve tonight for dinner.
The next day, we take a day trip to Key West and sample island living. Unlike Little Palm Island, this is no place to practice the art of getting lost. We visit art galleries, Ernest Hemingway’s house, shop around, indulge in an ice cream cone at the corner of Duval and Angela Street, take a ride on the trolley around town, then share a plate of fish and chips at Caroline’s before we stop to take a photograph at the Southernmost point of the U.S.—90 miles from Cuba.
Back on the island, we stop all things to chase the sunset, and the moment is bittersweet. This isn’t an everyday entertainment for us, as this is our last night on the island. There’s something to be said about island life and the exclusive nature of Little Palm Island. But for tonight, this bungalow bears my name and is exclusively mine—an unforgettable oasis and the perfect place to get lost.