Little  Palm  Island

So it came to pass that my Caribbean quartet was engaged to appear at a tiny, private island resort known locally as ‘Little Palm Island’. The island is located a mere three miles east of the mainland and only 30 miles north of Key West ( ‘Little Torch Key’ ). The weather could not have been more perfect. It was really quite tropical. Surprisingly those three miles are sufficient to escape the city lights and to once again embrace the starry night sky. It was great to revisit the wonder that appears when viewing a sky flooded with stars.

Little Palm Island features a total of 30 delightfully clean, cozy and comfortably appointed bungalows. All the usual warm water activities are available at this serene location which happens to be devoid of radio / television. That’s right! Your bungalow features no broadcast media and it's quiet. The only thing to hear is the ringing in your ears! In fact, not even cell phones are permitted on the beach. If you get a sudden longing for media there is one TV in the separated library building! There is wi-fi available if needed. Clearly this is a destination inclined towards retreat and contemplation. In fact, you will encounter a variety of lounge chairs with towels at the ready in many an isolated corner around the island.

The resort is only accessible by tender ( small transport ). The ferry boats maintain an hourly schedule starting at 9:30 am and concluding at 9:30 pm.

Accommodations are indeed lovely and spacious. My own bungalow featured a poster bed and a bath tub Jacuzzi. There are robes, slippers, toiletries, a beach bag stuffed of towels and even a selection of insect repellant! Everything on the island is within walking distance. There are no cars on the island. It’s a bit challenging to navigate the maze of gravel pathways, especially at night. The hotel helpfully provides a penlight on the chain of every room key. I might also add that the venue makes other provisions. Each room features battery operated clip-on ‘book lights’, umbrellas and binoculars. Each bungalow also features a private and separate entrance for those returning from the sandy beach where they can rinse off before stepping inside to the bathroom.

This island is located adjacent to the ‘Key Deer’ wildlife sanctuary. For the uninformed, the Florida Key Deer is a diminutive ( and endangered ) member of the ungulate family similar to a white tailed deer. They thrive in the everglades environment hoping to escape our speedy vehicles. Their small brown forms ( read: adorable ) swim from the mainland to wander around the island at leisure creating numerous photo-ops and cascades of endearing remarks. Additionally, you will notice a population of iguanas as they skitter along the pathways. Since this is also close to the shore you’ll find herons, cranes and a variety of bird life ( hence the binoculars ).

It’s a pretty costly stay at around an estimated $3K nightly for each bungalow. Our quartet was performing for the ION Television Network who had ‘bought out’ the island to host their event. Each Musician enjoyed a private bungalow. Browse the video link to view accommodations and event imagery.

The staff was kind and helpful. We musicians were delighted that the staff was so motivated when it came to assist in moving the bulky and weighty gear associated with a live musical performance.

For myself, the venue was 288 miles round trip and roughly 6 hours of driving over two days. Would I do it again? You bet! My van delivered an impressive 26.4 miles per gallon!