Palm Island

Palm Island is a tiny private resort island in the southern Grenadines of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, lying just off the south-east coast of Union Island near the Grenada maritime border. Once a mangrove-fringed cay known as Prune Island, it was transformed from the 1960s onward by American yachtsman John Caldwell — nicknamed "Coconut Johnny" for the thousands of palm seedlings he planted — into the lush, palm-shaded retreat that gives the island its name. Today the entire island is occupied by a single property, Palm Island Resort & Spa, an all-inclusive boutique hideaway, so "visiting Palm Island" in practice means being a guest of the resort.

The island is small enough to walk end to end in well under half an hour, ringed by five white-sand beaches — Casuarina Beach on the windward side is the signature stretch — and backed by low scrub, palms and a small nature reserve. The appeal is seclusion: no roads, no cars, no town, no day-tripper crowds, just calm Caribbean water, reef snorkeling offshore, and the quiet of an island where the guest count is capped at a few dozen.

The climate is classic Eastern Caribbean tropical. The dry, breezy season from December to May is the prime window, with steady trade winds, low humidity and reliable sun. The wetter, more humid months run June to November, overlapping the Atlantic hurricane season (peak August–October), when many small Grenadine resorts reduce service or close. Currency throughout is the East Caribbean dollar (EC$ / XCD), pegged at roughly EC$2.70 to US$1; US dollars are widely accepted at the resort.

By Plane

There is no airstrip on Palm Island itself. The nearest airport is Union Island Airport (UNI), about a 10-minute boat ride away across the channel. Union is reached by light aircraft and charter from regional hubs — most commonly connecting through Argyle International Airport (SVD) on Saint Vincent, or via Grenada (GND), Barbados (BGI) and Saint Lucia on inter-island carriers and air charters (e.g. SVG Air, Mustique Airways). On arrival at Union, Palm Island Resort arranges a private boat transfer for guests across to the island; transfers are pre-booked with your stay and timed to flights.

The whole island is pedestrian. Sandy paths link the beaches, the main pavilion, the spa and the guest cottages, and nothing is more than a few minutes' walk. There are no taxis, buses, rickshaws or ride-hailing apps — and none are needed. Resort staff move luggage by golf buggy, and kayaks, paddleboards and Hobie Cat sailing dinghies are available for getting out onto the water. For trips off-island (to Union Island, the Tobago Cays or Mayreau) you arrange a boat through the resort's water-sports desk.

• Casuarina Beach — the island's long windward beach of fine white sand, lined with casuarina pines and palms; the postcard view and the main swimming-and-lounging beach. Open access to guests, no charge.
• The palm groves and nature trail — the thousands of coconut palms planted by John Caldwell that gave the island its name; short walking paths cross the island's low interior and a small protected scrub reserve good for birdlife.
• Offshore reefs — patch reefs just off the beaches with rays, reef fish and turtles, snorkelable straight from shore.
• Views toward Union Island and the southern Grenadines — from the western shore, looking across to Union's distinctive peaks and, on clear days, the outline of Grenada's islands to the south.

Water is the whole point here. Guests snorkel directly off the beaches over the house reef, kayak and paddleboard in the sheltered lee, and take small sailing dinghies out on the trades. The resort's dive and water-sports operation arranges scuba diving and the standout regional excursion — a boat day-trip to the Tobago Cays Marine Park, a short hop north, to snorkel the reef and swim with green turtles at Baradel. Other popular outings are sport-fishing charters and a boat over to Union Island for a livelier village afternoon. On the island itself there is a spa, a small fitness pavilion, beach yoga, and tennis. Evenings are quiet — sundowners, dinner and stargazing rather than nightlife.

Dining on Palm Island is part of the all-inclusive resort experience, centered on the beachfront Royal Palm dining room and the more casual, toes-in-the-sand Sunset Grill / beach bar. The kitchen leans on Caribbean and international cuisine with an emphasis on the day's catch — grilled mahi-mahi, snapper, lobster in season — alongside tropical fruit, salads and grilled meats. As a small island operation, the kitchen can readily accommodate vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary needs when arranged in advance. There are no independent restaurants on the island; for outside dining, the nearest options are the waterfront restaurants and bars of Clifton on Union Island, a short boat ride away.

The bars pour the Eastern Caribbean staples — local Hairoun beer (brewed on Saint Vincent), Caribbean rums and rum punch, and the regional ritual sundowner cocktail. Non-alcoholic options run to fresh tropical-fruit juices, coconut water and the usual soft drinks. As an all-inclusive, most drinks are included in the rate. Tap water on these small Grenadine islands is largely from rainwater catchment and desalination; the resort supplies safe drinking and bottled water, and bottled water is the sensible choice across the smaller islands generally.

• Budget: Palm Island has no budget lodging — the island is a single upscale resort. The nearest inexpensive guesthouses and small hotels are on Union Island (Clifton/Ashton), a short boat ride away, where simple rooms run from roughly EC$130–250 per night.
• Mid-range: Again, no mid-range option exists on the island itself; mid-range guesthouses and small inns are found on Union Island and Bequia.
• Upscale / heritage: Palm Island Resort & Spa is the island's only accommodation — an all-inclusive boutique resort of around 40–43 beachfront and garden rooms, suites and villas. All-inclusive rates typically run from roughly US$700–1,200+ per night for two depending on room category and season (high-season holiday weeks higher); rates cover meals, most drinks and non-motorized water sports.

Palm Island has no town, market or shopping district — just a small resort boutique stocking essentials, swimwear, sun care, beachwear and a few crafts and souvenirs. For genuine local shopping, take the boat to Clifton on Union Island, where Caribbean-style harbour-front shops, the Sunday/market stalls and vendors sell spices, hot sauces, rum, basketwork, conch-shell craft, and printed pareos. Prices in tourist shops are generally fixed; light, good-natured bargaining is acceptable with independent market and beach vendors but is not the norm in resort or fixed-price stores.

• Union Island (~10 min by boat) — the lively southern Grenadines hub of Clifton and Ashton, with shops, bars, kitesurfing and air connections.
• Tobago Cays Marine Park (~30–45 min by boat) — five uninhabited islets around a horseshoe reef, snorkeling and swimming with sea turtles; the region's top day-trip.
• Petit Saint Vincent (PSV) (a few minutes by boat) — the neighbouring private one-resort island, just to the east near the Grenada border.
• Mayreau (~30 min by boat) — the smallest inhabited Grenadine, with Saltwhistle Bay's twin beaches and a tiny hilltop village.
• Bequia (boat/air via Union or Saint Vincent) — the largest and most characterful of the Grenadines, with Port Elizabeth's harbour, beaches and boat-building heritage.
• Mustique (charter flight/boat) — the famously exclusive private island to the north for those continuing up the chain.