Magnificent Mustique

For the busy director in need of a well-earned holiday, this tiny private island is the ultimate getaway

Situated 18 miles south of St Vincent and a 45-minute flight from Barbados, Mustique is a 1,400-acre Caribbean retreat with nine white-sand beaches and an average daily temperature around 30C. But what makes this place really special is the fact that it is privately owned.

The Mustique Company looks after almost all aspects of island life, from transport to villa rentals. It has limited the number of villas that can be built to 100 (of which 72 can be rented), but there's a 17-room boutique hotel (the Cotton House) and a five-bedroom guesthouse (the Firefly).

Mustique was made famous by Princess Margaret in the 1960s and 1970s after she was given a 10-acre plot of land as a wedding present by the then owner, aristocrat Colin Tennant (later Lord Glenconner). She built a villa there and the island quickly became synonymous with the ultra-rich and famous.

The latest royals to savour the island's privacy are William and Kate, who went on holiday there in 2006, staying at Hibiscus, a luxury villa owned by Jigsaw clothing chain founders John and Belle Robinson. Other villa owners include Mick Jagger and publishing tycoon Felix Dennis.

Take it easy

Life on Mustique is slow. The toughest decisions you'll have to make are whether to relax by the pool and lose yourself in a good book, or go for an 8am scuba dive, a gallop on the beach, a game of tennis or a round of golf. The PADI-certified dive centre offers courses for beginners through to assistant instructors, plus day and night dives on the coral gardens and wrecks that surround the island.

Horseback riders can enjoy several scenic island trails while tennis fans can improve their backhand on one of six floodlit courts. Golfers can take a private plane or boat to nearby island Canouan, play a round at the Trump International Golf Club, and be back on the island for evening cocktails.

Caribbean cream

As you might expect there are only a handful of restaurants and nightspots. The Cotton House has an informal beach café serving pizza, grilled meats and seafood as well as a smarter restaurant offering local cuisine.

The Firefly restaurant blends French and Caribbean flavours, while the famous Basil's Bar, perched on stilts over the sea, is an institution. Here you can sip delicious lime daiquiris and feast on lobster. Its dancefloor, the scene of legendary parties, often sees wealthy holidaymakers joining the likes of Mick Jagger as well as local fishermen.

FACT FILE

Getting there Fly to Barbados or St Lucia – major carriers include BA and Virgin Atlantic (if you are registered with the IoD's travel partner, Wexas, you can get exclusive IoD flight offers with Virgin). Then take a connecting flight to Mustique aboard an 18-seat Turin Otter aircraft operated by Grenadine Airways (this can be arranged through the villa rentals department, see contact details below).
Best time to go November to May when the island is dry, pleasantly warm and out of the hurricane season.

For more information
www.mustique-island.com
www.cottonhouse.net
villarentals@mustique.vc