Longing to escape reality is an all-too-common sentiment of 2021. We want to simplify, relax and breathe deeply—to do both more and less. We crave room to roam but also stillness. Few places have the power to scratch such an antithetical itch quite like Montage Palmetto Bluff, an elegant retreat nestled in the South Carolina Lowcountry.

Palmetto Bluff is one of those surreal places where enchantment seems to drip even from the trees. Dreamy and romantic, the property’s 20,000 acres, canopied by live oaks draped in Spanish moss, form a cloister against the outside world. Those lucky enough to experience it find the decadence of Charleston and the Southern hospitality of Savannah without the crowds and fuss.

Coastal Comfort

At Montage Palmetto Bluff, your pace slows, your mind and body are free to wander and any tension tagging along like extra baggage quickly gets unpacked. Southern ease replaces all the worldly worries that seemed so pressing prior to arriving in this coastal enclave. There’s good reason for this: the bucolic vibe is permanent, since more than half of the resort sits on a preserve, protecting the land from further development.

Life works differently at Montage Palmetto Bluff. Traverse the landscape by foot, on golf carts and bicycles (the main mode of transportation). Navigate the tidal estuary, surrounded on three sides by the May River, and offering 32 miles of saltwater and marsh to explore by boat, kayak, and canoe. The property’s waterways teem with activity above and below the surface around sunrise (the best time to see wildlife, like the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that reside there year-round) and in the glow of moonlight. Yes, even in winter: December through March sees temperatures hover in the 50s and 60s, with chillier evenings worthy of bundling up but seldom dropping below the 40s.

Palmetto Bluff is both a residential community with homes and a resort destination for visitors, whether long term or merely for vacation. Montage Palmetto Bluff resort’s 200 luxurious rooms offer a wide range of accommodations and levels of privacy. The property comprises the main inn as well as guest houses, suites and cottages. Even Hollywood A-listers Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin found a happy place here, selecting Montage Palmetto Bluff as the site for their star-studded 2019 nuptials.

Wonder and Wellness

As much as there is to love about the slower pace of life found at Montage Palmetto Bluff, perhaps the biggest draw in times like these is the multi-generational appeal and plenty of outdoor pursuits, whether you’re 7 or 70. Montage Palmetto Bluff helps bring people together in a safe way. Everyone can book accommodations they’re comfortable with, and there are ample opportunities to participate in activities centered around the outdoors.

In addition to water sports, the indigenous-inspired Spa Montage, and the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, recreation options include the Longfield Stables equestrian center; a lawn and racket area with tennis, pickleball, and bocce; a marina; nature trails for hiking or horseback riding; paddleboarding, fishing, and scenic yacht cruises along the serene waterways; and even a shooting range with sporting clays, archery, and air rifles, all with instruction available to any age.

For a bit of friendly competition, there’s also a bowling alley and game room with pool tables, a foosball and shuffleboard table, board games and card tables. Not to worry when you work up an appetite: there are seven different dining venues on the property, along with in-room and private dining.

A popular option for couples is the Veuve Clicquot Picnic + Pedal excursion, which involves venturing out on two wheels (four between the two of you) with a bottle of bubbly and a picnic basket of snacks. Your happy yellow Signature Veuve Clicquot Bicycles will take you to picture-perfect settings along trails mapped out by the resort.

Families, too, enjoy a lot of interaction here thanks to all the different ways to connect and engage. Seeing people zoned into their phones is a rarity, rather than a rule, at Montage Palmetto Bluff (even for the most plugged-in of teenagers). After all, it’s hard to text while paddling a kayak.

Above all, a trip to Montage Palmetto Bluff is about reconnecting with yourself and those you love by disconnecting from the frenetic pace of the “real world”—because the longer you spend here, the clearer it becomes that this is the real world.

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Photography courtesy of Montage Palmetto Bluff