Normal people throw secret bachelorette parties in their downstairs den or the local Holiday Inn. But when Cameron Diaz threw a bachelorette party for her BFF Gucci Westman, she rented a whole resort in Eleuthera, a 110-mile strip of beautiful in the Bahamas.

Thanks to a little “white lie” from Westman’s agent, Diaz even managed to keep the whole thing top secret until the very moment Westman’s blindfold came off.

Why did Diaz pick Eleuthera? It’s surely not the same reason most people go to the Bahamas—namely casinos and ritzy boutiques. She picked it because of what it isn’t. Eluethera isn’t commercial or crowded or jammed with tourists. This laidback island where Lenny Kravitz and Mariah Carey both have homes has one 100-mile pot-holed road, dozens of deserted beaches, quaint clapboard homes and laidback friendly people.

First discovered in 1648 by English pilgrims, Eleuthera (it means freedom in Greek) was known mainly for its pineapple plantations and Henry Sands’ homemade bread (Prince Charles and Princess Diana served it at their royal wedding). For a while in the 60’s Juan Trippe, founder of Pan Am Airlines, used it as a remote playground for his wealthy friends. That is until Hurricane Andrew wreaked havoc.

Although Travel+Leisure recently picked Eleuthera as “most likely to succeed” and developers have been coming up with resort blueprints, it and its spectacular cliffs and pink sand beaches (50 beaches in all) are, for now, still undeveloped and a perfect place to just “chill.”

Which is what Diaz and Westman did at the surprise bachelorette party before Westman’s 2006 wedding to Rag & Bone Designer David Neville. Diaz, who served as maid of honor, met Westman in 1999 when the now-celebrated makeup designer turned the blond beauty into an unrecognizable hausfrau in “Becoming John Malkovich.”