Five acres of coral-sand peninsula jutting into the Gulf of Mexico off Little Torch Key, accessible only by seaplane or boat, set the terms of everything that followed when Little Palm Island Resort & Spa was established here in 1988. The island had served as a fishing camp for President Harry Truman and his congressional colleagues in the 1950s, and that sense of privileged remove — deliberately cut off from the Overseas Highway's chain of civilization — has shaped the property's identity ever since. Architect Gary Wendt designed the thatched-roof bungalows in a register that draws from British colonial Caribbean vernacular, with pitched palm-frond roofs, deep wraparound verandas, and heavy mahogany louvered shutters folding back to dissolve the boundary between interior and water. The thirty suites are distributed across fifteen duplex bungalows, keeping the density low enough that the property carries the atmosphere of a private compound rather than a resort. Interiors layer Persian kilim rugs over terracotta tile, four-poster beds dressed in sheer linen panels beneath vaulted bamboo ceilings, and rattan furniture alongside crystal chandelier drops — a combination that feels closer to a well-traveled planter's house than to conventional hospitality design. The open-sided bar pavilion, its thatched ceiling hung with a shell-and-glass pendant light, frames the horizon between coconut palms at dusk. A fringed-umbrella pool deck added in a subsequent renovation introduces a crisper, more contemporary note without unsettling the island's essential character.

Accessible via private boat transfer from the shore station on Little Torch Key (or direct seaplane). 45min drive from Key West airport (EYW); 2hr 45min drive from Miami airport (MIA)

Little Palm Island on LITTLE TORCH KEY, FL The only private island resort in the country, located in America's Caribbean, is the quintessential tropical paradise. Arrive by boat or seaplane to thatched-roof bungalow suites, free from televisions and phones in this adults-only oasis. Experience activities including exciting water sports to beachside respites, indulgent dining and spa treatments.