Words: Jonathan Wells
Deep in the Caribbean, one hundred miles west of Barbados, lies an island where millionaires and superstars spend their summer months.
With a year-round population of just 500, the private paradise is home to the mansions and villas of the rich and famous – who spend their time eating at exclusive restaurants, lazing around their staffed compounds or walking on the fine sand beaches. Welcome to Mustique.
After being bought in 1958 by Lord Glenconner, the island was transformed into the high-class tropical idyll it is today – and the stars followed soon after.
Sir Paul McCartney, David Bowie and several members of the Royal Family are just several of the high profile names to have owned properties on Mustique, with many more visiting for shorter stints in private villas or one of the island’s two hotels.
“There are not many rules on Mustique,” the island boasts, “no protocol or expectations. Guests can simply do as they wish.”
And, from enjoying the privacy of their own villas to attending one of the legendary house parties at The Cotton House hotel, guests spend their stays attending gastronomic dinners, cocktail parties and bare-foot beach barbecues.
The fully-staffed island also offers many experiences and opportunities to pass the time. Many guests take to the water, and spend their days sailing, snorkelling and scuba diving in the sparkling ocean. Others swim with the turtles at Tobago Cays or ride horses along the white beaches.
Spa treatments or games with fellow guests at the famed Mustique Tennis Club are encouraged, and the levels of tranquility are said to be unrivalled anywhere else in the world.
Tommy Hilfiger, another frequent guest of the island, once summed up the appeal of the island by saying: “The appeal lies in the island’s contradictions. It’s sophisticated yet natural, Caribbean casual yet Upper East Side elegant, endlessly social yet perfectly private.”
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
