Jumby Bay Island

The promise of exclusivity is central to the mystique of the Caribbean resort, and Jumby Bay Island certainly makes good on this promise. It’s situated on a 300-acre private island off the shore of Antigua, home to three white sand beaches, sheltered by coral reefs and home to endangered varieties of turtles, birds and sheep (of all things), and accessible only by boat, a five-minute ride from the main island of Antigua. Jumby Bay’s 40 rooms and suites blend traditional colonial touches with an edge of clean-lined modernity; dark mahogany furnishings and four-poster beds in the bedrooms, and new courtyard garden bathrooms, to allow for outdoor showers. Eleven villas are scattered farther afield throughout the island, some remote indeed from the goings-on in the resort’s center — ideal for the privacy-minded. The beaches are prime leisure attractions, whether for swimmers, sunbathers or amateur Darwins, and hiking and biking trails criss-cross the island. Those in need of more structured recreation will find a pool, fitness center, three tennis courts and a putting green among the all-inclusive offerings, as well as a selection of water sports. Meals are included as well, of course, and you never know who you’ll see living the lifestyles of the rich and famous in the dining room of the estate house or at the Saturday night beach-front barbecue.