Tropical Living: 6 Warm Destinations to Escape the Winter

The long, dark night of winter solstice is behind us, but the short, dark days of early 2024 may try even the sunniest soul. Surely springtime and summer are just over the horizon—but it still feels like an eternity before they come.  

So, rather than await brighter days here in the Northern Hemisphere, why not go meet them in sunny lands nearer the equator? 

Herewith, in this Luxury Defined edition, we head south to six bucket-list destinations to find the perfect home in the sun. Choose a dream beachfront villa in the Turks and Caicos or in sun-soaked Dubai, a seaside bungalow at the tip of Africa, or a far-flung escape to the jungles of Costa Rica. 

So let the patient planet tilt its northern face slowly back to warmer days and ways. For the moment, though, let’s fill the bucket list with wishes and follow the sun. 

1. Coconut Palm Bay, Man-O-War Cay, Abaco, Bahamas 

Man-O-War Cay is a tiny island, just two-and-a-half miles long by a half-mile wide, in the Bahamas’ Abaco archipelago.

The island’s colorful, sun-bleached villages were built by Loyalists who fled New England after the American Revolution. Today, it’s the boat-building capital of the Bahamas; its calm, cerulean seas make it a top destination for bone-fishing and scuba diving.  

On one of the finest sites on the island, and indeed the entire archipelago, Coconut Palm Bay is a 14-acre refuge bridging the Atlantic Ocean to the Sea of Abaco, with beaches on both shores. 

The 6,500-square-foot main residence offers uninterrupted vistas of the sea. A four-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom guest house provides an additional 2,200 square feet of air-conditioned living space and 360 square feet of covered porches and balconies.  

Both residences lie within landscaped gardens enveloped by a coconut grove. The protected private marina is another unique feature of Coconut Palm Bay, offering 390 feet of docks (nine feet wide with an MLW depth of 8 feet), a covered boat lift with 13,000 lb. capacity, and a boathouse. The estate also includes a 5,000 gallon a day reverse-osmosis water-filtration system. 

2. Beachfront Villa, Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Dubai, the first Middle Eastern city designated a UNESCO “creative city of design,” is a bustling microcosm of commerce and cultures from across the world; and it’s a hub for entertainment and adventure-seekers, offering everything from golf and indoor skiing to horse racing (or camel racing!) and Formula One motorsport.  

Just off the coast is one of Dubai’s most desirable addresses, the Palm Jumeirah. This ultra-luxurious residence sits on a coveted stretch of beachfront with views of the Burj Khalifa, Atlantis, the Burj Al Arab, and the Ain Dubai observation wheel.   

The sleek contemporary design takes inspiration from the island of Ibiza. Whitewashed walls punctuated with vast glass walls enclose 9,500 interior square feet with four bedrooms and five full bathrooms, as well as staff quarters. 

The lavish, fully furnished living spaces are grandly scaled for entertaining. The double-height dining room is supported by a “show” kitchen and a back-of-house service kitchen. Adding to the grandeur are Fendi Casa decor, marble floors, Grigor Orobico finishes, an aquarium, and a 33-foot vertical green wall.  

There’s a full complement of amenities: an office, elevator, cinema, gym, Jacuzzi, sauna, a cold plunge pool, a beachside pool, and a dazzling rooftop terrace with sea and skyline views.  

3. Villa Aquazure, Leeward, Turks and Caicos Islands 

The Leeward Settlement, one of Providenciales most prestigious beachfront communities, is the setting for Villa Aquazure, a seaside hideaway designed for the utmost privacy and comfort of residents and their guests. 

The estate comprises two dwellings, the beautifully restored main house and a separate one-bedroom, one-bathroom guest house, each sharing 68 feet of white sand on Leeward Beach.  

The main villa’s primary suite overlooks the pool and patio and out to the ocean, an outdoor shower, and custom closets. The second and third bedrooms each have an en suite bathroom and an outdoor shower. The bright, airy bunkroom—also en suite, with an outside shower—has a private patio onto the central gardens.  

The guest house has its own pool and patio kitchen/dining area, laundry, and one bedroom with en suite bathroom and outdoor shower—and a second outdoor shower by the pool. A carport, two outside storage closets, and a gated entry to the main house complete the estate.  

Related: Discover 7 Luxury Caribbean Properties 

4. Exclusive Beach Bungalow, Clifton, Cape Town, South Africa 

One of the most beautiful, biodiverse regions on Earth, South Africa’s Cape Peninsula spans 32 miles southward from Mouille Point to Cape Point, the extreme southwestern tip of the African continent. 

Much of the peninsula is a protected reserve, including Table Mountain and Cape Point national parks. Its fynbos biome—shrubland typical of Mediterranean climates and rocky soils—offers a treasury of unique fauna and flora, including 9,000 plant species (two thirds of them found nowhere else on Earth).   

Clifton Third Beach, which lies along the peninsula, just south of Cape Town, is the backdrop to this charming beach bungalow. 

The three-bedroom, three-bathroom home has an elevated location, a stone’s throw from the beach and its world-class surf breaks.

All rooms are air-conditioned and elegantly appointed with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Picture windows and stacked doors throughout capture the panoramic views of the palm-clad hills, the beach, and the Atlantic Ocean beyond. 

The outdoor spaces are a resort-inspired retreat with a sauna and an ocean-view pool. Wooden decking surrounded by tropical greenery provides the perfect spot for watching the sunset. 

5. Celeste, Avalon, New South Wales, Australia 

Those seeking summer all year long can head “down under” during the northern hemisphere’s winter months.

New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, features everything from a cool oceanic climate along its southern coast to the subtropical conditions of its northern beaches. 

Celeste is a trophy estate in Avalon, an exclusive northern beachside suburb and top surfing spot about 23 miles north of the CBD. 

The property occupies a prime 17,600-square-foot waterfront lot with a jetty, boatshed, and a deepwater mooring on Pittwater, the low-tide estuary separating metropolitan Sydney from the Central Coast.  

The expansive, sea-view living room has a dining space and an ultra-contemporary show kitchen by Corian. Tall windows, walls and doors of glass erase the boundaries of indoor-outdoor living.

Interior spaces flow out to shaded verandas and a 65-foot-long, tiled infinity pool. Adding to the resort ambience is a covered entertainer’s terrace and an outdoor kitchen with scenic vistas across Pittwater and Careel Bay. 

The owner’s suite, which occupies its own full floor, is one of six bedrooms. A media room, billiards lounge with club-style bar, gym, sauna, elevator, and a garage and workshop complete the amenities. 

6. Casa Chameleon at Mal País, Puntarenas, Costa Rica 

The Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica is one of seven Blue Zones (areas of the world in which people live exceptionally long lives). It’s also an international wellness destination. 

Among the area’s holistic resorts is Casa Chameleon at Mal Pais, a luxury wellness retreat envisioned to create a balance with nature. This lush tropical oasis, situated between the surfing mecca of Santa Teresa and the Cabo Blanco Nature Preserve, could also be reimagined as a private family compound or corporate retreat. 

The property comprises 10 elegant villas, each with a private swimming pool, open-plan living areas with glass walls and verandas to capture the sea and jungle views, and gardens alive with native flora and fauna. 

​​Accessible only by 4×4 vehicle, the property is secluded under a rainforest canopy with the sandy shores just beyond. Nearby is the coastal town of Mal País, as well as two international airports, medical centers, and English-speaking private schools. 

Seeking refuge from winter’s chill? Explore our portfolio of luxury beachfront villas.