Things to Do in Palm Island

Palm Island sits in the southern Grenadines like a secret kept by sailors—135 acres of coconut palms, white sand, and water so clear you can count the sea fans from the surface. One resort. Five beaches. No cars. No day-trippers—unless the resort invites them. The quiet stops feeling strange after forty-eight hours. The dock is the closest thing to a town—water taxis from Union Island drop off guests who've made the journey from Barbados or St. Vincent. John Caldwell, an American sailor, arrived in the 1960s and willed this place into existence. He planted thousands of palms on what was then Prune Island—a scrubby, mosquito-heavy patch. The name change was his idea too. That pioneer spirit still feels embedded here, even now that the resort runs at a level of polish Caldwell probably never imagined. You're signing up for deliberate deceleration. No nightclubs. No beach vendors. No traffic noise. Casuarina Beach on the windward side has enough breeze to make reading under a palm tree the obvious choice. The leeward beaches are calmer—better for snorkeling. The sailing crowd discovers this place and comes back every year. That tells you something about the quality of the anchorage and the friendliness of the bar.

One restaurant. That is Palm Island’s entire dining scene. The Palm Island Resort restaurant and bar monopolizes every meal—and somehow pulls it off. Lunch lands under a palm-frond roof beside the sand: grilled snapper or mahi-mahi, crisp salad, cold drink. USD 25-35 for the plate. Total bargain, given the setting. Dinner moves indoors and buttons up. Callaloo, breadfruit, the day’s lobster—whatever the supply boat brought—turn into dishes that taste like a chef who refuses to coast. Expect USD 50-80 per head before wine. Still cheaper than you’d bleed in Mustique. When the same view gets old, flag the water taxi to Clifton on Union Island. Roti shops by the harbour sling doubles for EC$8-12. The Anchorage Yacht Club’s patio serves lambi stew at a fraction of resort prices. Not fine dining—no one claims that. But the conch, slow-simmered with chili and thyme, is the bite you’ll replay at 30,000 ft.

Palm Island hits its stride December through May. Trade winds tame the heat. Seas stay calm for sailing. Underwater visibility peaks. January and February are ideal. Settled weather. Good anchorages. The sailing crowd keeps things low-key. High season has trade-offs. The resort charges higher rates. You'll need to book months out. November and June offer alternatives. Prices fall. The resort empties out. Weather often holds. Hurricane season runs June through November. September and October carry the most risk. The southern Grenadines sit below the main hurricane belt—less direct strike risk than the northern Caribbean, though not a guarantee. Travel insurance becomes non-negotiable. July and August turn humid. Squalls roll through. But the Bequia Regatta crowd arrives. Sailing activity picks up across the region.