Caribbean Daydream

Few of us have not dreamt of retreating to a remote island somewhere in the Caribbean. Even fewer of us realize that such places are actually available. One such Eden is Petit St. Vincent, part of a 30-island chain known as the Grenadines. A man named Haze Richardson had the good fortune and vision to acquire it in the 1960s (he still lives on the island with his wife, Lynn), and now it offers exclusive guest accommodations accessible only by boat. If you’re like most guests here, you will fly first to Barbados and then onto neighboring Union Island, where a resort staff member will escort you across the water on the final leg of your journey.

Here you will have your own stone cottage with a sitting room (furnished with two day beds), bedroom, dressing room, bathroom and wooden sundeck. Each cottage enjoys immense privacy, which is only disturbed (and discreetly, at that) if you raise the yellow flag outside your front door, summoning a staff member for room service, messages or whatever you might need. Set either on a bluff with sweeping views or just steps from the beach, the cottages are beautifully crafted, with terra cotta floors and peaked Purpleheart hardwood ceilings, elements chosen to blend in with the natural setting.

The resort’s culinary endeavors give you the opportunity to enjoy fresh fish, lobster, fruits and vegetables from the island’s own farms and prime meats from a Boston butcher. You may dine in your cottage or in the main pavilion, which overlooks the harbor. This, and the resort's bar, also provide the setting for informal evening gatherings among guests. Dinner is served on the beach once a week at the water's edge, with a local steel band for entertainment.

Eighty staff members attend to 44 guests who enjoy a variety of activities—watching television is not counted among them. The cottages have neither TVs nor telephones. But complimentary water sports, a tennis court, fitness trail and hiking paths around the 113-acre island provide entertainment enough. Boats are available for scuba diving expeditions and deep sea fishing excursions, and the schooner, Jambalaya, makes for a unique day trip. As for total relaxation, massages are available.

When was the last time you experienced such indulgence? If you're through with imagining paradise and are ready for the real thing, Petit St. Vincent could be the island of your dreams.

(Updated: 06/26/08 HC)