Retreating Into Nature At Montage Palmetto Bluff

This is an except of ‘Where the Marsh Meets the Forest’ from Journal No.12.

Palmetto Bluff is an idyllic place where maritime forests, convene with glassy lagoons, marshes and a plethora of wildlife roam its pristine 20,000 acres. Located twenty miles from the Savannah airport and roughly eleven miles from Bluffton S.C., the property is a haven for those who are looking to reconnect with nature in an intimate way. Nestled into the landscape is Montage Palmetto Bluff, an impeccable five-star resort that offers an inn, cottages and residences, enveloped by the May, Cooper and New Rivers. Visitors staying at the Montage can choose a more active stay, like kayaking, horseback riding or setting out on a hike to explore the conservancy or discover a more indulgent and relax- ing approach by leisurely taking a bike ride, booking a treatment at the spa or idling at one of the three pools.

The May River where dolphin sightings are a possibility.

The Inn at the Montage Palmetto Bluff will make a romantic impression at first glance with its picturesque white facade anchored with a large porch out-fitted with wooden rocking chairs flanked with flickering street lamps. Built in 2016, the building was designed to resemble the retreat of R.T. Wilson Jr. Mansion originally erected on the site in the early1900s. Today, the interiors, including a grand entryway, stately library and sunny common areas that are adorned with antiques and paintings. Guests can choose among 200 different accommodation types including staying at the Inn, or choosing a cottage or a guest house scattered about, all grant access to the hotel’s five-star amenities. The Spa Montage is an expansive 13,000 square feet offering guests theopportunity to relish in a variety of treatments like a facial from Tata Harper, Valmont or a relaxing warm river stone massage.

A wood stork gazes at his reflection in the lagoon.

The Montage property has eight different restaurants dotted on the premises, all of which are over- seen by Executive Chef Nathan Beriau, giving visitors a reason to never have to leave to experience a memorable meal. Of the eight, only two are reserved for visitors and members—Cole’s boasts southern comfort food like addictive fried pickles, flaky, but- tery biscuits and mains like fried chicken; Canoe Club, bedecked with handsome interiors and designed to mimic a boat, includes a menu of river to table fare like crab beignets and local snapper. Elsewhere, and open to the public, Fore & Aft serves Mexican cuisine by the lagoon with a variety of mouthwatering tacos and quesadillas. Buffalo’s recently revamped its menu to be more Italian-centric and on the weekends, they play host to a Biscuit Bar, which is as decadent as it sounds. Another option is Octagon, which is tucked inside the Inn, and offers local plates from the Low Country for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Porching, a common past time in the Low Country.

A myriad of migratory birds passing through the Conservancy.

The Inn’s romantic exterior.

The Palmetto Bluff Conservancy’s mission is to maximize and utilize the land to benefit all of the inhabitants, as well as to be the voice of reason when it comes to any devel- opment in the surrounding area—for scale, it’s one and a half times the size of Man- hattan. The team, led by head conserva-tionist Jay Walea, works to ensure that the landscape dominates and all else, including buildings, residences and the golf course, recedes. They proactively provide all of the wildlife, who either live there year-round or are simply passing through, with a suffi- cient food supply by carefully manipulating the landscape so that all can benefit from American alligators, bobcats, and bald eagles to more than 600 species of birds that migrate through annually. While the conservancy is open to the public, staying at the Montage allows visitors to take full advantage at any time of day, which could include kayaking on the 32-miles of water- front on the May River at sunrise, setting out on a bike to explore trails canopied with live oaks or horseback riding at Longfield Stables’ 173-acre farm.

An alligator basking on a dock.

This feature was produced in collaboration with Montage Palmetto Bluff. All opinions are our own.