Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1538963
P H OTO S C O U R T E S Y O F TO U C A N H I L L villas to book Is there a better warm-weather winter escape than the Caribbean? coming winter TOUCAN HILL , MUSTIQUE If you were never really into the quiet luxury trend, then consider a getaway to Toucan Hill, a luxurious, Moroccan-style five-bedroom home perched high above Britannia Bay in Mustique. Inspired by the Alhambra in Spain, the estate is a perfumed daydream of domes, arches, tiled courtyards, and pavilions that gleam at high noon and shimmer in the sunset light. Toucan Hill has 360-degree views from its mountaintop position, with all of Mustique's gilded emerald slopes and islands. It was built by businesswoman and philanthropist Tatiana Copeland as a hideaway aerie for her and her husband, Gerret; they're among the few remaining proprietors who can remember Mustique's early days firsthand. "It is a very special haven for people who seek luxury and security," says Copeland. Inside Toucan Hill's five large main bedrooms, the interiors are tropically inclined but not overbearingly so, with touches of Moroccan lanterns, fauna prints, and jewel tones. Each, too, has its own porch to sit and read or have a glass of wine in the tradewinds. But the common areas are the real standouts; there's a grand central living room with U-shaped sofas, which gives way to a columned veranda and an infinity pool with not million- but perhaps billion-dollar views. Copeland is not precious about it all, though: whether on the couch, waterside, or anywhere in between, she reflects that the entire point is to "put your feet up" and soak it all in. — NICK REMSEN glittering pools unfurling beneath it. The island, of course, is well known to and a closely guarded semi-secret among the jetset (particularly the who's-who of the UK), and has hosted countless celebrities and royalty, including Princess Margaret, whose home, "Les Jolies Eaux," was given to her in 1959 as a wedding gift; current residents include Tommy Hilfiger, Kelly Ripa, and Mick Jagger, among others. Even in a place with just over 100 villas, Toucan Hill is notable on this most rarified of Planning ahead for a winter getaway in the sun? Yes, we are too. To help with that planning, we've pulled together three of the most extraordinary villas to rent in the ultimate winter playland, the Caribbean. From a family home on the region's quirkiest, most exclusive island to a non-stop party pad that's perfect for a jet-set group, here are three perfect Caribbean villas, each of them anchored by someone who transforms them beyond mere brick and mortar. FROM ABOVE Toucan Hill's Moroccan-inspired opulence; the villa's secluded, mountaintop perch BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M