Since Christopher Columbus encountered the Virgin Islands on his second voyage to the New World in 1493, waves of visitors have followed his lead and sailed through this precious chain of more than 40 islands, islets and cays in the Caribbean Sea.
The Spanish made several attempts to settle here, but the first permanent inhabitants were 17th-century pirates like Blackbeard and Captain Kidd. Author Robert Louis Stevenson set his famous novel Treasure Island in these parts and Peter Island Resort & Spa – the largest private island in the British Virgin Islands – is rich with swashbuckling history.
Just a boat ride from the archipelago’s largest island, Tortola, it’s here that Blackbeard is said to have marooned 15 men on Dead Chest Cay – a large rock out at sea. Those who couldn’t swim, so the legend goes, were washed up on Peter Island’s Deadman’s Beach, a quintessential Caribbean beach with a sweeping arc of fine white sand and swaying palms.
Although named after a 17th-century Dutch trader, the island’s moniker conjures up further literary imagery – a tropical Neverland of escapism steeped in buccaneering lore, it’s easy to imagine Peter Pan battling it out with Captain Hook along the sea front.
Today, Peter Island Resort & Spa has exclusive use of the island. Our beach-front junior suite offered a panoramic view of its famous turquoise waters, which have become a playground for sailors, adventurers and the jet set.
Peter Island Resort began life as a hangout for wealthy holidaymakers in the late Sixties, when the British Virgin Islands’ government took a greater interest in tourism to help the economy expand. In 1989 it was devastated by Hurricane Hugo, but was rebuilt and reopened in 1991.
Since then, famous names such as Keith Richards and Robert de Niro and footballer Rio Ferdinand have enjoyed the natural beauty of this rugged, unspoilt island, which is populated by butterflies, wildlife and native brown iguanas.
Dotted among the 1,800 acres of steep hills, creeping bougainvillaea, cacti, white cedar trees and the occasional roaming goat (a legacy from the pirates, who introduced them to the island for milk and meat) there are three magnificent cliff-top villas available for hire: Falcon’s Nest, Crow’s Nest and Eagle’s Nest with sweeping views of the Sir Francis Drake Channel.
Island vibe with added glitz
At sea level, the resort has 52 rooms, five beaches, a yacht harbour, marina and dive shop, tennis courts and an award-winning spa. The atmosphere is laid-back and the ambience is low-key. There are no TVs in the rooms, island etiquette decrees that last orders in the restaurant are at 9pm to enable the staff to catch the last boat home to Tortola, and the service is friendly and efficient with that unmistakable Caribbean charm.
Special touches include the plush beach furniture, signature hammocks strung to coconut palms, an iPod with a Caribbean/reggae soundtrack to enhance that relaxed island vibe and daily delivery of freshly made ginger lemonade to guests’ rooms.
The glitz and glamour one might expect to find in five-star resorts in this part of the world are provided by the mega yachts anchored in the harbour. Indeed, the night of the manager’s weekly party, theatre and film producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh made a surprise guest appearance.
Hot on the heels of his success with the film version of Les Miserables, he had chartered a boat and was cruising the Caribbean. Barefoot in the sand, his happy band mingled with other guests and we casually chatted about the film’s nominations while a steel band played against the setting sun.
My husband and I then went through for dinner to feast on freshly caught lobster. There wasn’t a table at Deadman’s Beach Bar and Grill that wasn’t graced with red fruits of the sea. Other menu favourites were sea conch, jerk chicken and wahoo (a local Caribbean fish).
We also enjoyed a romantic dining experience on the beach under a starry sky. With no sign of the moon or any light pollution, our solitary table was lit by flame torches and the twinkling lights from a bobbing catamaran just metres away.
Spectacular beaches
Privacy is something there’s no shortage of on Peter Island, and the hotel happily ferried us to remote beaches where we had the whole place to ourselves – it felt as if it could have been our own private island. We loved our jaunts to White Bay Beach to picnic in the sun and chill out on this large expanse of soft, white sand with six beach huts. Pretending to be castaways with a hoard of hidden treasure, our cache was freshly made baguettes, fruit and home-made cookies.
With good snorkelling, views of Norman Island (aka Treasure Island)and calm waters, there was nothing between us and the pelicans fishing for lunch.
It’s fair to say that Peter Island’s beaches are spectacular and a sprinkling of stardust surrounds the enormous spa. A new addition to the resort, it’s coveted by the sailing crowd who call from ship to shore to pre-book body treatments.
Nestled among lush hillside vegetation with private verandas and patios adjoining some of the treatment rooms, a raised horizon infinity lounge pool, ocean-side Jacuzzi, tranquil gardens and Big Reef Bay Beach, the location is isolated and wild. This is where beachcombers can completely unwind and stroll around after a 75-minute deep-tissue massage.
The island is a walker’s paradise and with low humidity during the sailing season (January to April), the invigorating breeze made our slow climb to the Sunset Loop – the far side of the island where there is a stunning view of the setting sun – less arduous.
Along with a small group of hotel guests, we were served complimentary drinks and cheese as we sunk into a rainbow of brightly coloured wooden deck chairs planted on the best vantage point of the island. With cameras poised, we watched a deep orange-red sun set behind the yachts at sea, their white sails billowing in the wind, and marvelled at the serene beauty far below.
Rich in stories of adventure and buried gold, steeped in a carefree vibe and feeling a million miles from the real world, Peter Island is truly to be treasured.
