You’ve been waiting 10 months for this moment. Ten very long months. While you were cooped up in your tiny apartment, you craved fresh air and warm sunshine. You fantasized about white sand, translucent water, and perfectly placed palm trees. You needed some beach time. It just wasn’t safe, though. So you stayed home and dreamed every single day about your first trip. The time has finally arrived.

Long Island feels like a secret island. The remote island, which is believed to have been the third island visited by Christopher Columbus, lies 165 miles southeast of Nassau in the Southern Bahamas. The Tropic of Cancer runs through the top of the island. Cape Santa Maria lies at the northern tip. Gordons Beach is at the other end. Queen’s Highway runs the length of the island between the two points. Small villages and old farms, empty beaches and untouched reefs, blue holes and caves with prehistoric drawings lie along the meandering road. You’re heading north to Seymour’s.

Seymour’s is the northernmost settlement on Long Island. It’s home to the hilltop Columbus Monument (where the explorer came ashore), Sandy Cay (a nature reserve where iguanas live), and Cape Santa Maria Beach (one of the most beautiful in the world). A small beach resort sits right along its soft sand.

Cape Santa Maria Beach Resort & Villas is exactly what you need right now. The resort is small. Its white bungalows are connected by sandy boardwalks and fragrant jasmine. The beach house, which is the heart of the resort, is laid back. Guests stop to connect to WiFi, plan activities, and buy forgotten necessities. The rooms are bright and airy. They feature Italian-tiled floors, king-size beds, and verandas with ocean views. The Beach House Restaurant is lively. It’s where guests celebrate their catches and dives at the end of the day. The beach bar is an ideal happy hour spot. Sweet piña coladas pair perfectly with the magenta sky. While you have an ear-to-ear grin on your face that hasn’t been seen in almost a year. This was worth the wait.