It’s mid-afternoon — another glorious day on the West Indies island of St. Kitts. Sandy Bank Bay shimmers in the impossibly dreamy light, and waves lap against a golden crescent of sand that bears no footprints.

The trip here, to the island’s southeast peninsula, is a joy in itself. Under a dome of turquoise sky, the road curls through ridges cloaked in a mosaic of emerald, jade and sage. Splashes of sapphire sea — the breezy Atlantic to the east and calm Caribbean to the west — peek through the mountains until, at the summit, they spread out below into a blanket of blue. As the mountains give way to the peninsula’s sweeping dunes, the bay appears, sparkling and undisturbed.

The peninsula’s sun-splashed beaches — many of which are divinely deserted — ring the scalloped coastline. Rainforests, replete with lush vegetation and shy, nimble monkeys, fill the island’s interior. On its perimeter, fields of sugar cane wave gracefully in the breeze, a reminder of the island’s heritage. And overlooking the rippling slopes sit plantation houses, many of which have been transformed into gracious inns and delectable restaurants that offer stunning views of the sea from their shaded aeries. Above it all, the 3,792-foot Mt. Liamuiga towers over the landscape.

St. Kitts, with its distinctive style, sense of history and incredibly beautiful surroundings is unfettered by crowds, giving it the feel of a land far, far away. Since the island is only a four-hour plane ride from most East Coast airports, it’s close enough for a weekend jaunt. This tiny slice of paradise, situated southeast of Puerto Rico just below St. Maarten, has a colorful and vibrant West Indian culture. It’s an independent nation (along with neighboring Nevis), but St. Kitts’ history as a British colony is evident in its Georgian architecture and tall church steeples. Quaint traffic roundabouts, as well as lovely wrought iron gates and fences surround the neatly appointed parks and churchyards in Basseterre, the island’s largest city.

Although St. Kitts was the site of the first permanent European settlement in the Caribbean, tourism here is still in its infancy. Until recently, the island’s primary industry has been the production of sugar cane; for that reason, development has been very limited to date.

Enter the first luxury resort to arrive in the Sandy Bank Bay area of St. Kitts: St. Kitts Peninsula, which is the result of extensive collaboration between a leader in the hospitality industry — Auberge Resorts — and the St. Kitts government, is set on a 2,000-acre peninsula of the island. The project will include a luxury hotel, sweeping homesites and stunning villas, as well as unparalleled amenities provided by the visionaries at Auberge.

It was the island’s combination of beauty, history and charm that first drew Auberge CEO Mark Harmon to St. Kitts more than seven years ago. Harmon’s quest was a destination befitting his vision for the company’s first foray into the Caribbean. “Auberge Resorts are intimate and exceptional,” he notes.  “We wanted a place that would allow us to bring our small, hand-crafted approach to the Caribbean.”

When Harmon discovered that thousands of acres of untouched beach, hillsides and dunes were available along the southeastern peninsula, he knew he had identified the perfect locale for an enclave — one he describes as “an island within an island.”

“The first thing I noticed was the intimacy of that cove,” he recalls.  “It’s an extraordinary piece of property.  With its dramatic peaks, the topography is enchanting.  And since it’s a peninsula, we’ll be able to see the sun rise and set over the ocean.”

When complete, the resort, known as St. Kitts Peninsula, will include several five-star hotels, a Rees Jones-designed golf course, a marina with deep-water access, and a world-class spa. Private villas with remarkable views of Sandy Bank Bay will dot the hillsides and beaches.  “We’ll offer an unprecedented level of barefoot elegance,” says Harmon.