8 Hidden Tropical Island Resorts to Explore

A little outside the more popular destinations, these new or newly improved resorts in the Caribbean and Latin America can provide privacy, beauty and a sense of discovery.

The sheer effort of flying to destinations with few direct flights or enduring bumpy overland routes just a few clicks beyond standard tolerance often rewards the traveling faithful with fewer crowds, unpressured surfing breaks and habitats more frequented by beast than man. Expanding the tropical map in the Caribbean and Latin America, the following group of new or newly improved resorts returns the investment of time — and in some cases considerable money — with privacy, beauty and a sense of discovery…

Grenada
Laluna Resort
This summer, JetBlue began offering twice-weekly flights between Kennedy Airport in New York and Grenada, making the so-called Spice Island slightly more accessible. There, the laid-back boutique resort Laluna has just added seven three-to-five-bedroom villas, each with an infinity pool and access to a private beach. For those whose housing requirements are more minimal, 16 Asian-accented cottages feature outdoor showers, carved teak day beds and plunge pools on the decks. The Italian owner imports olives, wine and cheeses from back home, and the hotel channels a Zen vibe with daily yoga classes in a beachfront pavilion and a three-treatment-room spa with Balinese therapists. Rates from $425.