Guana Island

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Guana Island

Private island, eco friendly, blissfully low-key

212-482-6247 www.guana.com

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At a Glance

This privately owned 850-acre nature preserve has just 20 rooms, making it an utterly secluded destination. 

Indagare Loves

  • The seven pristine beaches for the choosing; be sure to request a “Castaway Picnic” on Bigelow Beach
  • Quirky traditions that give the island its own distinct personality
  • North Beach Villa, a one-bedroom cottage with its own beach, entrance and location on the northern end of the island, for the ultimate in privacy and remoteness

Review

Oddly enough, one of the Caribbean’s most private hideaways is just a ten-minute boat ride from Beef Island, home of the Tortola airport and the general hub of the BVI. But once you step onto Guana Island’s unassuming dock, thereis no mistaking that you have arrived at a truly special place—an 850-acre nature preserve and wildlife sanctuary dotted with only 20 whitewashed cottages. At most, only 35 guests at a time can enjoy the island’s unspoiled paradise, with seven virgin beaches, miles of tropical forests, hills and valleys, a salt pond and its resident flamingoes, and ruins of a sugar mill dating back to the 18th century. Guana is said to have the most diversity of flora and fauna known for an island of its size, and it serves as an annual summer field science station for visiting marine biologists from Harvard and Yale. There are 27 marked hiking trails so that guests can take in the wildlife themselves.

Aficionados of hippie-chic destinations such as Tulum and Mykonos will appreciate the resort’s casual ambiance and trappings. The rooms’ style was inspired by the island’s history as a sugarcane plantation owned by American Quakers, and this translates to dusty floral textiles and plenty of white wicker for a charming—if slightly dowdy—Nantucket effect. While some design choices are surprisingly off-target (a treadmill placed next to the bed in the bedroom of the otherwise stunning owner’s house, the three-bedroom Jost House Villa, comes to mind), for the most part the décor fits in the unpretentious, unfussy vibe. Conspicuously absent phones and televisions contribute to the rustic appeal, but WiFi across the island keeps guests from being completely disconnected. While there is no air-conditioning (except in the villas), the ocean breeze does the trick. In addition to 16 rooms in free-standing cottages—one of which comes with its own swimming pool—there are four villas, ranging from one to three bedrooms. The most unique accommodation is North Beach Villa, a one-bedroom oceanfront cottage on the island’s northern expanse with its own kitchenette, swimming pool carved out of coral, wrap-around porch and secluded stretch of beach. It feels like you’re on the very edge of the world, and I can’t imagine a more appealing haven for intimacy-seeking honeymooners or celebrities.

The service is genuine, ultra-accommodating and just as laissez-faire as you would expect. Guests help themselves to drinks during the day from an honor bar, and breakfast and lunch are served buffet-style. For dinner, there is a fixed menu (with a choice of two entrées) that changes nightly and, per Guana Island tradition, starts with soup such as conch chowder or West Indian pepper pot soup. Private dinners on the beach, in the lush Garden of Eden or on guests’ private porches can also be arranged. Though the region is notoriously food-challenged due to a lack of agriculture and commercial fishing, the excellent chef makes the most of local seafood and produce, including fruit from the resort’s on-site orchard. When I was driven down to this shaded oasis, its two gardeners whipped out their machetes and offered me slices of starfruit, papaya and wax apples from right off the plant.

Activities for the energetic include hiking to panoramic hilltops, playing tennis and partaking in the usual host of non-motorized water sports. However, most guests are in no hurry to move along, leaving the days to beachside lounging instead. One experience that shouldn’t be missed is Guana’s “Castaway Picnic,” in which guests are brought via boat to the deserted Bigelow Beach (accessed only by water) and dropped off with beach chairs, a picnic and a cell phone with which to eventually, reluctantly summon your boat ride back to civilization.

Who Should Stay

As the vibe here is completely understated and laid-back, high-maintenance travelers need not apply. Kids may find Guana’s wonderfully slow pace to be stagnant, so its charms—napping on a porch swing overlooking the Caribbean Sea, savoring the sound of the waves crashing, and taking in colorful sunsets every night—are best left to couples in search of the simple life.

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