Native name: Prune Island | |
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Geography | |
Location | Caribbean |
Coordinates | 12°35′09″N 61°23′48″W / 12.585853°N 61.396537°W |
Archipelago | Grenadines |
Area | 135 acres (55 ha) |
Administration | |
Additional information | |
private island |
Palm Island in the Grenadines is a small island one mile from Union Island, only accessible by boat. It has an area of 135 acres (0.55 km2) and has five beaches.
Originally known as Prune Island, Palm Island got its current name when the former owners, the late John Caldwell ("Johnny Coconut") and his wife Mary, planted hundreds of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera), transforming the deserted, swampy, and mosquito infested island into a palm covered one. Its grass airstrip was sacrificed to the planting of more palms following the construction of a 752-metre (2,467 ft) concrete airstrip on Union Island. The circular air traffic control building remains although it is now used as a nursery for young palms.