LITTLE DIX BAY
Virgin Gorda
Take a plane. Take another plane. Take a car,
then a boat. No one ever said seclusion is easy
to find, but once you reach Little Dix Bay in
the British Virgin Islands, there is no reason
to leave. For decades, the oasis that Laurance
Rockfeller opened to the public in 1964 has
drawn honeymooners, families and many Alist
celebrities (John Travolta, among others)
for vacation getaways.
Rockefeller dubbed his hideaway
“wilderness beach,” a half-mile of white sands
with ocean cottages hidden by palm and sea
grape trees sprinkled throughout the property.
Seasoned travelers consider this to be the
“low-key luxury” mecca, a resort with all the
lavish amenities (fine linens, Wi-fi, over-sized
bathrooms) but without the stuffiness. At this
five-star “shabby-chic” resort, no jacket or tie
is required for dinner, and women don’t parade
about in Chanel sunglasses and stilettos as they
do in the South of France.
Now that the property is under Rosewood
Hotel & Resorts’ management and has recently
completed a $25 million refurbishment, Little
Dix Bay is once again becoming the hotspot it
was in the ’80s and ’90s.
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Guests come for quiet, and the resort
makes this a priority. Want a private beach?
They’ll shuttle you by boat with a freshly
made picnic lunch and a bottle of wine to a
secluded spot of sand. Don’t feel like eating in
the main pavilion restaurant? The staff is more
than happy to set up a candlelit dinner on the
beach or on the patio. It’s this type of service
and attention to detail that has guests returning
year after year. During my stay, I met a woman
who has visited every year for 25 years and
wears a gold pendant of the resort’s palm tree
and fish logo. This year she returned with all
three generations of her family.
The many hiking trails around the resort
are quiet sanctuaries. There are two main
paths: the first leads to the top of Cow Hill,
and rewards climbers with a dramatic vista of
the British Virgin Islands; the second trail leads
down to a private beach. Guests may enjoy sea
kayaking, a champagne sunset cruise on a 47-
foot catamaran, the “Sandy Cay,” or snorkeling
right on the coral reef located just off the
beach. Most take advantage the picturesque spa
that boasts private treatment rooms and views
of the Caribbean.
BEST ROOM: Any of the 16 Junior Suites. |
