6 Private Islands to Buy That Make the Perfect Social-Distancing Getaway
Create Your Own Secluded Vacation – Buy an Island
Those of us who love to explore the world have been stymied for the better part of a year. The pandemic has totaled our travel plans. Borders are closed, quarantine is in effect and there seems to be no end in sight. Well, perhaps there is. Imagine owning your own private island! Yes, you can buy an island.
When you buy an island, you can set your own rules about who comes and goes. Social distancing becomes how close you can get to your nearest and dearest. It can be done. Right now, the world’s premiere island real estate agency, Private Islands Inc., has a total of 692 islands for sale around the globe. It ranges in price from $65,000 for Nova Scotia’s 6-acre Half Island to $160,000,000 for 110-acre Rangyai Island in Thailand. There are islands for sale all over the world.
Fancy Living in the South Pacific?
In the heart of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef lies Victor Island. You’re hardly roughing it. Meet your newly renovated four-bedroom, two bath houses with a separate caretaker’s cottage and utility building. You’re off the grid with a German solar power system with a back-up generator and water treatment capacity of 200,000 liters. But, you are easily accessed in a 15-minute boat ride from three nearby boat ramps or a 6-minute helicopter flight from the nearest airport. You’re close enough to the mainland to receive both cellular and internet services. Victor Island is one of 74 islands in the Whitsundays, most of them uninhabited. Your private paradise has walking trails, exquisite beaches, bird life and frequent sightings of whales and dolphins. Price is upon request.
The Appeal of the Caribbean Is Undeniable
At press time, there were 110 islands on offer in this region alone. In the easy-to-reach Bahamas, it is hard to beat what’s on offer on Petite Cay. Its 36 acres offers amazing beaches, a great location and good elevation: the perfect spot to build your private Shangri-la.
It’s just a half mile from Great Harbour Cay, with its twice daily flights from Nassau and flights from Fort Lauderdale three times a week. Zip over to the main Great Harbour Cay beach with its famous powdery white sand and its Beach Club for breakfast or lunch. But wait! Included in the sale of Petite Cay is its own Little Petite Cay, a 2.5-acre island located just to its south. Imagine! You’re buying your own beautiful island chain for $3,750,000 USD.
Slightly Further Afield, Belize Beckons
A stable, supportive government has led to a boom in Belize and it is hard to beat what is offered on Funk Caye. There’s nothing funky about this private island just 16 miles east of Placencia, renowned for its thriving coral reefs. On your 2.9 acres, sheltered snorkeling spots run along its western shoreline and abundant scuba cites run along its eastern side. The island is ready for your arrival.
There’s a 100-foot area in its center for use as a helicopter landing space. Palm trees, fruit Trees and colorful gardens have been planted. A calm bay offers a superb boat anchorage with an 80-foot and 30-foot L-shaped dock that can accommodate not one but two 47-foot boats. The idea here is that you can share your island dream if you wish. Three existing buildings are there for staff accommodation and storage. There’s a 15,000-watt generator and a reverse osmosis unit that produces 3,000 gallons of freshwater a day. There’s also fresh-water storage of 2,600 gallons, plus a rainwater collection system. Price is upon request.
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Gibraleon Island in Panama
Panama has become a tourist and retirement destination for premium real estate buyers and its Pearl Islands are a large part of its draw. Your private island here, Gibraleon Island, has the distinction of having been a global TV star. It served as the set for America’s “Survivor” series and for Britain’s “The Island with Bear Grylls”.
Gibraleon’s 227 acres are ripe for an epic private kingdom, but its future may lie in creating a luxury private getaway for the very few. It features eight white-sand beaches, amounting to 2 kilometers.
Its natural bay is a perfect harbor just minutes away from Contadora, whose airport is just a 15-minute flight from Panama City. From Contadora, it is 10 minutes more to reach Gibraleon. Perhaps you will break a deep-sea fishing record right off the island or venture further afield to Piñas Bay where more deep-sea fishing records have been set than anywhere else on earth.
Private Islands in North America
Sticking closer to home, the best buys in private islands are to be found in North America. Private Islands Inc. has listings in six Canadian provinces and 24 states in the U.S.
Take Connington Island. It is just 20 minutes from historic Halifax Nova Scotia, this island sits off the town of Prospect, a town noted for its picture-perfect looks and its rare mix of sophistication and natural beauty. Included in your purchase of 6-acre Connington is a 3.5-acre mainland lot with its own 900 feet of oceanfront. This is a great location for a boat house, garage and dock that is just 300 feet offshore. It’s on offer for $485,000 USD.
If you want something move-in ready, Ontario’s 5-acre Duval Island is for you. Located in one of the most stunningly beautiful parts of the province, just above the Michigan Peninsula, the house on offer has four bedrooms and it is being sold with practically everything on the island including outboard motor, two rowboats, motorboats, paddle boats and ocean kayaks for two. It is priced at $499,000 USD.
Is a Private Island Right for You?
There’s an easy way to find out before you take the plunge. Private Islands Inc. has 248 islands for rent. At places like Gladden Caye in the heart of Belize’s Barrier reef, you will not be roughing it. Meant for two people, there is a private chef on the premises and unseen staff housed on a smaller island behind yours. Or, bring the whole family to Kanu, a rare coral island
For something completely different, Japoa is a 6-acre private playground that is 105 miles west of Rio de Janeiro, off of Brazil’s “Green Coast”.
Take your pick. You can get to know if splendid isolation is right for you at any one of the paradisical places.