Key West Florida Weekly

DELIGHTFULLY STRANDED ON PALM ISLAND


Palm Island Resort

Palm Island Resort

Witnessed on a morning beach stroll on Palm Island during a busy summer weekend: one yoga-stretcher, one snowy egret, and one green heron shyly hiding among the dunes and sea grasses. A quick car-ferry boat ride off the Placida mainland, Palm Island Resort takes “getaway” to a new, more secluded level. (You can also arrive by private boat to the resort’s docks.)

Claiming 2 miles of beach within its confines, the resort attaches to Knight Island, Don Pedro Island, and Little Gasparilla Island to the south for a total of 7 miles, if you’re so inclined to walk that far. (The dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway in 1964 filled in the passes between the various isles to create one long, continuous flow.)

By foot, bicycle, or golf cart is the way to get around the resort, because guests are required to park their cars outside the gate. Kayaks and powerboats are other ways to travel, and the resort rents both.

Its privately owned island villas and cottages are set up for families and long stays with full kitchens, one to three bedrooms and lots of spreading-out space.

 

 

Five swimming pools and whirlpools, two playgrounds, and 11 tennis courts mean uncrowded recreation. For the kids, Red Beard the Pirate leads family shows, story times, and crafts. Tennis competitions, scavenger hunts, and fishing and boating charters fill hours not spent lazing on the wide, soft beach and playing in the gentle waves.

The island’s main dining venue, Rum Bay Restaurant, serves lunch and dinner at remarkably reasonable rates, considering it’s the only game on the island other than the snacky Coconut’s Cafe. Baby back ribs with coconut shrimp, and shrimp tacos are signature dishes at Rum Bay. Its congenial bar and competent staff make this the hub of island social life.

Allotted a free round-trip ferry pass, guests might want to consider a short drive to historic Boca Grande for dining, shopping and sightseeing for a day.

Palm Island Resort’s Summer Special tosses in one free night for three consecutive nights booked Sunday through Thursday, valid Aug. 1 through Sep. 30. ¦

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