Luxury Resorts: Imagine a place surrounded by private beaches and scattered with mountainous terrain; a place where the sweet smell of hibiscus lingers in the air; and a place where the number of staff exceeds the number of guests. While such a place seems like a fairytale, we assure you it does, in fact, exist; and it goes by the name of Peter Island.

Located just four miles south of Tortola, Peter Island is by far the largest private island in the BVI and unarguably the most lavish. The island is only accessible via boat and after crossing the Sir Francis Drake Channel, guests will be amazed as they set their sights on the luxurious Peter Island Resort.

The resort features 52 guestrooms and three villas, including 20 BeachFront Junior Suites and 32 OceanView Rooms. The BeachFront Junior Suites are outfitted in rustic décor with stone and rough-cut cedar walls, large Spanish-tiled bathrooms with Jacuzzi tubs and oversized showers, and a private terrace or balcony overlooking Deadman’s Bay Beach.

Housed in two-story poolside A-frame cottages, the OceanView Rooms feature a sitting area with a separate bedroom and full bath, as well as a private terrace or balcony, offering sweeping panoramas of Sir Francis Drake Channel.

The three private villas include the 3,626-square-foot, three-bedroom Hawk’s Nest, which exudes an airy, Caribbean ambiance; the four-bedroom Crow’s Nest, which evokes the coastal stylings of Santa Barbara architecture throughout its 6,500-square-foot interior and 5,200-square-foot exterior; and the overly opulent, 22,000-square-foot, six-bedroom, villa estate, Falcon’s Nest. While each of the private villas offer exceptional amenities, the Falcon’s Nest is beyond compare with its outdoor terrace, covered dining area, swim-up bars, zero-entry, and two-tiered pool with cascading waterfall and large Jacuzzi. The Falcon’s Nest even has its own second floor basement, which provides nanny’s quarters, spa rooms and an exercise facility.

If you can manage to pull yourself away from the comforts of your private villa, you will be taken back by the wide array of additional on-site amenities offered at the resort. Highlights include the spacious 10,000-square-foot Spa at Peter Island, both fine dining and casual dining options, an island bar, and a wine room, which houses a $60,000 inventory of fine wines.

Days spent on the tropical island can be enjoyed soaking up the sun at one of the six surrounding beaches or at one of the 20 secluded coves along the shore. Additional recreational activities include a fitness center, basketball and volleyball courts, four tennis courts, hiking and biking trails, sailing, deep-sea or sports fishing excursions, scuba diving, helicopter tours, and complimentary water sports equipment and instruction.

Peter Island Resort is a AAA Four Diamond property, which has earned more than its fair share of awards and accolades over the years from notable travel authorities, such as Condé Nast and Travel + Leisure Magazine.

For JustLuxe Christina Stewart