Cuisinart Golf Resort & Spa - Anguilla

Feeling the breeze and the warm Caribbean sun on our faces, we take in the view of what looks like a dream come true, Cuisinart Resort on Anguilla, the northernmost of the British Leeward Islands. During our 20-minute ferry ride from neighboring St. Martin, we learn from a local Anguillan, the story of how this dream became a reality.

We asked him about the origins of this 93-room luxury getaway that fringes the nearly two-mile sweep of Rendezvous Bay along the island's southern coast. He told us how being told no led to the creation of this beautiful resort.

According to this well informed local, back in the late 1990s, Leandro Rizzuto-owner of the CuisinArt culinary company-was searching for the perfect island and the perfect beach on which to build his dream house. He found it here, on this dry limestone island. No cruise ships, a rugged arid beauty, miles of pristine beaches and friendly locals. It was a perfect dream, until the island government said, 'no.'

Rizzuto discovered that Anguillan law only allows hotels and resorts, not private homes, to be built on the beachfront.

So what happened? Rizzuto embraced the letter of the law. He went ahead and built his dream house, but he made it a bit bigger and called it a resort.

Shortly after checking in, Thom and I stood surveying the sparkling white villas, inspired by the architecture of Santorini. It might have been the sun or the sweet cocktail we'd sipped during check in, but I could feel my breathing slowing and my body relaxing. Here we were, among 20-acres of manicured grounds fronting what is arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, and I suddenly felt at home.

And what a great home. The resort itself is a marvel of European-inspired practical luxury. I felt like I was in heaven from the moment we entered our junior suite. It was spacious, comfortable and casually elegant, decorated in the understated blues and yellows that brand the property. We had everything a modern traveler could want-the Internet hookup, satellite TV, oversized bed-and best of all, the beautiful beach only steps from our door.

If the suite wasn't relaxing enough, there was the Venus Spa. My massage therapist, a warm Canadian, introduced me to the wonders of reflexology and became my mentor in the healing arts. Like all the staff at CuisinArt, she was friendly and welcoming, an attitude that I noted was such a gift to the guests. CuisinArt, I was quick to realize, was the kind of resort where there are no social boundaries. You were a part of the family. The smiles and pleasant greetings, the laid-back and easy-going personality of the place was contagious.

Appetites were also contagious and our meals were always a pleasure, though we appreciated them even more one afternoon when we took a tour of the property's very own hydroponic organic farm in an 18,000-foot greenhouse. The farm is the brainchild of the owner who was inspired after seeing one at the the Epcot Center. Hydroponic author and scientist Dr. Howard Resh now runs the farm. He says it provides practically all the fresh produce to the resort's two restaurants-the poolside Cafe Mediterraneo and the more formal Santorini.

We had already enjoyed the gastronomic magic of chefs Daniel and Christopher, so Dr. Resh didn't need to tell us how wonderful the crisp lettuce heads and sweet peppers tasted.

One evening toward the end of our stay at CuisinArt-after exploring the offerings of the spa, enjoying a lobster lunch on nearby Scilly Cay and sunbathing on the fine sand beach-Thom and I went looking for some local color. We left our sandals at the beach bar and wandered down the beach to Banky Banks.

An island icon, Banks is a recording artist beach-boy who has set up an adult hangout made of driftwood, boat hulls and a leaky roof just above the high-tide line. Some locals were jamming, the rum punch was heady and the conversation lively.

The free spirit continued on the walk back. As the music faded, I couldn't help myself from dancing beneath the brilliant star-lit sky. Eventually the stars began to fall and the hush of the sea told us the tide had turned. I felt a hint of sadness setting in. I didn't want to leave. When you stay at a place like CuisinArt, the people there become special. It felt like I was leaving my family after a wonderful holiday.

I thought about Leandro and his desire to create a dream house, as we opened the suite doors and let the night smell of bougainvillea and sea salt flow through the room. Our stay at CuisinArt had shown me that he found something far rarer than the perfect island and the perfect beach. Leandro found family and we did too.