They say no man is an island unto himself. We beg to differ. With ever-increasing 24/7 availability by mobile phones, wireless Internet, fax and videoconferencing, there is a definite allure to falling off the grid once in a while.
Ever consider owning your own private island? Marlon Brando had one off the coast of Tahiti. Richard Branson, CEO of Virgin Records, hosts world-famous celebrities like Oprah on his Necker Island in the Caribbean. It is rumored that Steven Spielberg escapes to a pad off the coast of Portugal. Nothing says luxury like the ownership of a private island — the ultimate way to vacation, especially if independence, privacy, quiet and coastal views are your primary objectives for getting away.
In the last 10 years, private U.S. islands, predominantly located off the coastal regions of the Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Florida, the Carolinas, and the Great Lakes, have become increasingly popular pieces of real estate, and depending on acreage and locale, most sell for prices between $100,000 and $6 million. With thousands of private islands around the world for sale, if you’ve got the cash, the possibilities are endless.
Like traditional real estate, there are many options to consider when gearing up for an island purchase. First, potential buyers of islands should ask themselves a few things before taking the plunge. Are you prepared to travel by boat to get supplies? Are you comfortable in nature, and more specifically, with the sea? What is the weather like on the island, even in the worst conditions? How will you maintain the island when you’re not there? Are you OK with extreme isolation?
Your answers to these questions will guide you in determining the further choices: Do you want to purchase an established private island resort, a smaller one with already-built residences, or simply an undeveloped island, serving as a blank canvas on which you can build your own design?
Private Island Resorts
Kandui Island Resort in Indonesia is located on Karangmajat Island in Mentawai and is currently functioning as an ecooriented resort. A highly-desirable surfing destination, Kandui Island Resort includes seven homes, two worker houses, a restaurant/bar, office, a worker kitchen and laundry room, a silent generator and a guard shack, and is equipped with high-speed Internet. Surrounded entirely by water, recently landscaped, and with room for additional development, the business opportunity presents interested buyers with half-ownership for $8 million.
Located just 15 minutes from Auckland City off the coast of New Zealand, floats Pakatoa Island – sixty private acres within Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour. Accessed by boat or helicopter, the island boasts twenty-four cabins along the beach and thirty-eight two- to three-bedroom units with views. Additionally, guests of Pakatoa Island enjoy its restaurant and coffee shop, lounge bar, kitchen facilities, reception and conference center, office and gift shop. For sale for $29.8 million.
Smaller, Single Residence Islands
If a private residence is more your speed, check out the Dunbar Rock Villa in Honduras. Imagine being able to fish right from your bedroom window on the same island that the infamous pirate, Blackbeard was once thought to have buried treasure. For just $1.7 million, Dunbar Rock, which currently serves patrons as a 100% private dive resort, can be yours. Just 10 minutes by boat from Guanaja Airport, and just a two-hour direct flight from Houston, this picturesque villa stands high atop a rock for the most majestic views and includes six bedrooms with six full baths and two half-baths. The furnished guest suites have private balconies for patrons to enjoy the coral reef surroundings.
Designed decades ago for the president of Singer Sewing Machine Company, Singer Castle on Dark Island is one of the only castles in the world built on an island. Located near the village of Chippewa Bay on the St. Lawrence Seaway, this castle, resting on seven acres of beauty, stands five stories and is complete with towers, stone spiral staircases, a castle dungeon and secret passageways. With a wine cellar, a library, an ice-house, a clock tower, and a caretaker’s cottage, you’ll feel like you’re living in your own fairy tale.
Just eight years ago, Bonefish Cay, Abaco Islands in The Bahamas, a 13-acre gem, was totally deserted, but has since been turned into a luxurious getaway. Constructed to be completely hurricane proof, the island’s five buildings, totaling 15,000 square feet, include two villas with an owner’s suite and seven additional double suites with private bathrooms that can accommodate up to 16 people. The main lodge provides a long glass table that can seat 18 comfortably beneath the 30-foot-high cathedral ceilings. Entertaining is a cinch with the included DJ sound system, light machine, karaoke machine, Bose home theatre, big screen TV, satellite and 120 DVDs, not to mention a maple pool table and poker table. With a fully equipped gym with views of the Caribbean, jet skis, kayaks, sailboats and scuba tanks, this island is perfect for the active traveler.
A short one-and-a-half hours from Athens, you can find the 12 acres of Trinity Island, located in the southern Gulf of Euboea. Its rich Mediterranean vegetation, including fruit and nut trees, a small olive grove and gorgeous bougainvilleas, make this island fit for the gods. The main house consists of three double bedrooms and one single bedroom. Also on the island you’ll discover a staff house and a beach house, a private church, a watch tower, a boathouse, and a barbecue area that seats up to 30. Winding cement paths lined by blooming shrubs allow visitors to stroll around the island, taking in views of the sea. The surrounding waters are perfect for fishing, waterskiing and sailing.
Undeveloped Islands
While already-established island residences are convenient, fierce individualists may be in search of undeveloped land to create their own version of paradise.
Private and undeveloped, Great Hans Lollik sits just one-and-a-half miles north of St. Thomas. White sandy beaches and calm weather make this area a popular destination for tourists and can be easily accessed, just five miles away from Cyril E. King International Airport. The 510-acre island has a gorgeous terrain complete with palm forests, picturesque cliffs, hills and lush valleys, all overlooking the crystal waters of the several secluded bays around the island, making it the ultimate locale for designing your own private vacation home or resort. The development possibilities are virtually endless. Available for $45 million, offers of outright purchase or joint ventures will both be considered.
Spanning 1.4 acres off the western end of Utila Island in Honduras rests Diamond Cay. Tropical views and a surrounding reef create stunning panoramas that beg to be enjoyed. With water and power available nearby, this is a development opportunity perfect for a resort or an estate.
The options for luxurious living are only limited by your imagination. Now, isn’t it time you got away?
For more information on properties mentioned in this article and for more listings of islands for purchase around the globe, please visit one of the following resources:
