Mustique is a tiny private island in the West Indies, known for its understated glamour, untouched beaches, and an almost mythical sense of privacy.

Marina Delio at the Cotton House beach bar overlooking the Caribbean Sea on Mustique Island, West Indies.

At the Cotton House beach bar on Mustique, with the Grenadines stretching out across the Caribbean Sea.

There are some trips I come home from wanting to tell everyone exactly where to go and what to do. Mustique was the opposite. It’s one of those places I’m almost hesitant to write about. Not because there isn’t enough to say, but because so much of what makes it special can’t really be captured in words or photographs. And somehow, it feels a little sacred, like something you don’t want to overshare. But I’ll share a little of my experience here…

My best friend and I were invited to spend a week on the island for a Firestone Sisters women’s retreat, and we jumped at the opportunity. It was the longest either of us had been away from our families in more than 18 years. A rare chance to step away from our roles as caregivers and reconnect with ourselves.

This tiny Caribbean island of Mustique, part of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in the West Indies, feels like one of those increasingly rare places that have managed to hold on to the magic of another time: a little mystery, a little wildness, and an extraordinary sense of peace and safety.

There are no big resorts lining the beaches, no crowded strips of restaurants and shops, and very little reason to be anywhere at a particular time. Instead, there are green hills, horses, sea turtles, expansive villas tucked quietly into the landscape, and impossibly turquoise, 80-something-degree water.

So while I’m sharing the basics, from where Mustique Island is to some of my favorite things to do, there is so much about this island that simply can’t be explained. You have to feel it for yourself.