The best private islands available to buy now

located just four nautical miles off the coast of Angra dos Reis, a lush Brazilian municipality meaning “Creek of the Kings” in Portuguese, sits a picture-perfect tropical island that’s fully established and ready to welcome a new owner. With palm trees, a private beach, a swimming pool and four separate properties, this 2.5-hectare island even comes with an 11-metre speedboat for easy access to Angra dos Reis.

There is accommodation for 12 guests across the island’s four properties. The principal building holds four people and is endowed with indigenous stone, polished wood floors and full-height glass windows throughout. And while the property is fundamentally contemporary, its thatched roof, antique furniture and bare stone walls give the property an authentic Brazilian feel to mirror its lush and unspoilt surroundings.

Leading out of the main property, a series of winding stone pathways link the three guest bungalows and a boat house among the manicured gardens. Each has king-sized beds, en-suite bathrooms and uninterrupted ocean views. And, while the island may be secluded in Costa Verde, it benefits from a helipad that could ferry guests quickly off to Rio de Janeiro, which lies 90 nautical miles down the coast.

Home to more than 300 islands, Angra dos Reis is primed for superyacht discovery, with sheltered coves, dive sites and empty beaches. Where better to set up your Brazilian bolthole?

This Angra dos Reis island is currently for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $15 million

Each year, the Italian island of Capri welcomes more than two million people to its picturesque shores. Its rugged coastline and remarkable anchorages attract visitors from the world over, who are in search of the classic Italian elegance that Capri promises; it’s not surprising, then, that Porto Turistico di Capri is home to some of the world’s most expensive superyacht berths.

But what if you could bottle the charm of Capri and uncork it on your own Italian island – free from bustling crowds and berthing fees? Santa Maria Island may be the answer. Lying 160 nautical miles south of Capri, just off the coast of Sicily, this rugged land mass of 11.5 hectares is already home to swaying palm trees, a small 16th-century chapel and an olive grove – which in 2016 saw the production of 1,500 litres of organic olive oil. The principal property on the island is a 460-square-metre belle époque mansion, but there are also staff lodgings and animal shelters in place for the island’s resident donkeys.

With its own generator and rainwater recovery system for domestic use, Santa Maria has the foundations for self-sufficiency. At the same time, it offers accessibility as the island is within striking distance of the domestic Vincenzo Florio Airport, with links to Rome. If it were to become a hub for international jet-setters Santa Maria would need some nurturing, but, as it is, the island is primed and ready for a new owner craving a secluded Italian island escape.

Santa Maria Island is currently for sale with Vladi Private islands for £14.2 million

When you think of an island paradise, what probably springs to mind is a small patch of exotic land far from anywhere. However, this 24-hectare island on the East Coast of America has all the ingredients of an island retreat – a 24-metre yacht berth, a 12,000 square metre manor house, reminiscent of a classic Italian villa and a 30-metre yacht berth – but with a direct connection to the US mainland by a causeway.

Having been home to the same family for generations, Great Island lies on a secluded isthmus in Darien, Connecticut, just a 50-minute drive from Manhattan, New York. Developed by baking powder tycoon and American industrialist, William Ziegler, the sprawling 10-bedroom manor house, is set back from the island’s rocky western coastline and faces a small group of green islands that lie just off the coast. There is also an additional guest house, a caretaker’s cottage, a 19th century farmhouse, and a quaint seaside cottage all dispersed among the island’s extensive grounds.

The world-class equestrian centre is, however, the beating heart of the island. Designed by Rafael Guastavino – who is famed for his work on Grand Central Station and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York – the equestrian centre has 18 stables, both indoor and outdoor riding manèges, a polo field, and numerous paddocks. There are also riding trails across the island.

With more than a kilometre of coastline, the island presents a rare opportunity for a superyacht owner in search of an island with equestrian facilities. But its connection to the mainland, means that you can relish in the joys of island life without the headaches that often accompany ownership of an isolated property

Great island is currently for sale with Douglas Elliman for $100 million

In the mid-17th century British puritans, known as the Eleutheran Adventurers, settled on the islands of North Eleuthera and Harbour Island. Life was hard, and their main source of income came from helping wrecked ships that hit the surrounding coral reefs. Rumour has it they boosted their business by luring the ships to their peril. Set in between these two points, this five-hectare island was central to the action.

Today, Crown Pigeon Island offers a decidedly less hazardous way of life, with three spacious villas and five additional guest cottages spread across the shores of its three white-sand beaches. The accommodations are connected by walking and cart paths that weave between native foliage, orchids and established kitchen gardens. There is also a beach club and bar on the north beach, which is perfect for watersports and swimming, plus a dedicated barbecue spot.

The island is easily accessible by boat and at its centre sits a two-hectare marina, which is reached from the leeward side of the cay. The marina may not be able to accommodate superyachts but it does have room to berth four centre-console vessels, and there are also two boat lifts, a hauling ramp, a floating dock and a boat house. The island is connected to Eleuthera by cable and there are several transformers in place for additional homes and facilities. It also has a large water-maker system, organic composter, back-up generators, water pressure systems and high-speed internet, all ensuring it is a long way from its puritan past.

Crown Pigeon Island & Cays is listed for sale with Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty for $44.4 million.

Something about the Bahamas makes celebrities want to stay. Johnny Depp bought Little Hall Pond Cay in 2004 after falling in love with the area while filming Pirates of the Caribbean. Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and singer and Shakira invested together on Bonds Cay, in the Berry Islands District. Lenny Kravitz and Eddie Murphy also purchased property there. They are not alone – after all, what superyacht owner has cruised the Bahamas without dreaming of owning their own slice of paradise?

Right in the heart of the Exumas, a group of 365 islands surrounded by sapphire waters (and home to the famous swimming pigs), Cave Cay sits just north of Musha Cay, the 280-hectare private island owned by David Copperfield. Reaching Cave Cay by yacht is not a problem thanks to its deep-water harbour (3.6 metres at low tide) and floating concrete dock system with 35 dock slips. For those flying in, there is also an 854-metre private airstrip which makes frequent visits a breeze. With lush vegetation, unspoilt beaches, and elevations of up to 12 metres, it’s a place of remarkable beauty. The main house, which is ready to move into, is located on the highest point of the island, affording 360-degree views on your very own tropical paradise.

Cave Cay is totally self-sufficient, with water and power supplied by a diesel generator, and the possibility to add solar power. You might be tempted to keep it all to yourself, but the island is fit to run as a commercial operation: approvals include a marina and a hotel with unlimited rooms. A clubhouse is also currently under construction, alongside a restaurant with shower and bathroom facilities, plus three guest houses with hotel rooms and suites. When it comes to further developments, plans have been drawn for 38 buildings totalling 70,000 square metres, including a three-storey houseboat with a marina shop on the ground floor and a two-storey residence overhead, alongside staff and maintenance buildings. It could be fully operational in six months, and all building materials and equipment are included. Also bundled into the sale price are a 36-metre landing craft and a dredger, and there’s a large excess of compact sand which could be sold to neighbouring islands. A team of six employees, familiar with the island, will make the handover process to the new owners smoother. Tempted? No one could blame you.

Cave Cay is listed for sale with Christie’s International Real Estate for $60 million.

In the market for something a little more substantial than a single slice of paradise? Look no further: not one but four islands are part of this lot in Fiji’s pristine Northern Lau group.

Valued at $65 million (£46.9m), the most developed of the four is the 324-hectare Kaibu, home to the Vatuvara Private Islands Resort, which is certified organic and runs on solar power harvested from its own Tesla Solar Farm. It also comes with a water desalination plant, a four-hole golf course and its own marina. With just three secluded seaside villas that blend into the landscape, the discreet island is where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to escape to while touring the Pacific. Each villa has private beach access, an infinity pool and a massage bure (thatched bungalow). Kaibu is just over an hour by private plane from the capital Suva, or from Nadi on the western coast of Fiji. There’s an all-weather concrete airstrip, and included in the overall sale price is the resort’s Twin Otter aircraft.

The remaining three islands are less developed, but no less striking in beauty. The 1,249-hectare Kanacea ($25 million) is made up of seven volcanic summits rising to 259 metres and is surrounded by fringing reefs and white-sand beaches. It’s known as “the farm”, providing much of the fruits, vegetables and herbs cooked in Kaibu’s kitchens as well as having a commercial coconut plantation. Also nestled in the archipelago is 41-hectare Adavaci ($7 million). The smallest of the four islands, it is virtually untouched by tourism despite boasting a picturesque tropical landscape and several beaches.

Finally Vatuvara ($55 million), considered by some to be the most beautiful island in Fiji, is an unspoiled 486-hectare island covered in forest and surrounded by coral reef. The islands’ buyer will also acquire the Vatuvara Foundation, a charity that aims to protect Northern Lau’s precious marine ecosystems. It works on implementing conservation programmes, promoting scientific research and empowering local communities. This is not just a place to escape to, but a real opportunity to contribute to the sustainable future of this stunning corner of the world.

Vatuvara Private Islands are listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $155 million.

The very last island left to develop on Curaçao has now come to the market – and it’s up to you to decide whether to turn it into your own private getaway or maybe an exclusive resort. In Southern Curaçao – away from the hurricane belt – Spanish Water Private Island is an untouched 2.9-hectare plot located within Spanish Water Bay, with its several residential communities and marinas. Largely undisturbed by humans since pre-Columbian times, it is home to flora found nowhere else except Curaçao’s Christoffel National Park.

Previously classified as a conservation habitat, it is now a Restricted Development Area, with requirements including a permanent green zone between existing development lots and the unobstruction of natural channels to ensure rainwater reaches the mangroves. For now, the island is only accessible by boat, but in their development project the current owners have included plans for a birdwatching tower which would double as a helipad – and the 16-kilometre trip from the airport would require just five minutes of flight time. “The current development plan would convert the green island into a residential community consisting of 10 luxury villas and one or two marinas, complete with a lighthouse,” says Ray Seijs of Sotheby’s International Realty. “All the research made by the different island institutions, and by the owner group itself, for the island infrastructure and residences, is available to the buyer,” he adds. “These extend to sun and wind measurements, utility costs per villa, construction time frames and methods including megayacht marina installation options.” Included with the island is a 482-square-metre landing situated within the gated community of Jan Sofat nearby, which can be used to facilitate transportation, with permits to build a jetty and car park.

For mooring, the buyer will be spoilt for choice. To the east of Spanish Water Private Island lies Santa Barbara Plantation, a gated community with an 18-hole Old Quarry Golf Course, a Peter Burwash tennis complex and the soon-to-be 1,200-hectare Sandals Resort and its two marinas. And directly opposite is Seru Boca Marina, with 135 slips for 30-metre yachts, and the Barbara Beach Marina, with 12 slips accommodating boats up to 68 metres, which has already been visited by 69-metre Spectre, 45-metre Blue Ice and 66-metre Hampshire.

Spanish Water Private Island is listed for sale with Sotheby’s International Realty for $8.8 million.

Located in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state, Isla Maná is surrounded by the emerald waters that give the Costa Verde coast its name. Only three kilometres from the port of Bracuí, and a three-hour drive or 20-minute helicopter ride west from the city of Rio itself, Maná is part of an archipelago of 365 islands in the fashionable bay of Angra dos Reis, known for its white beaches and amazing diving.

Hidden within the tropical greenery covering its 6.2 hectares is a series of properties: a 120-square-metre main house, four bungalows, a caretaker’s house and a boathouse, all offering scope for development, either into a grand private residence or a boutique tourism venture. The main house comprises a living room, two bedrooms, a dining room, an impressive kitchen and a dramatic wooden decking area for al fresco dining. The four bungalows each serve as a private suite with a bedroom, bathroom and breathtaking ocean views. The bungalows share an additional decking zone, with covered dining area, leading on to a bar at one end and the glittering waters of the Atlantic at the other. Pathways connect the main house to this area, snaking through lush flora and linking the island’s buildings to a helipad and dock. Maná also has its own solar-powered electricity network, stone-carved freshwater pool and palm-fringed landscaped lawn for sunbathing or enjoying a barbecue while sipping a caipirinha.

Isla Maná is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $3.5 million.

Located in Fiji’s unspoiled Lau Islands, Katafanga has all the credentials to become a world-class luxury resort. One of the last freehold islands in the South Pacific, it has had a considerable amount of groundwork put in place. There is already a ring road, runway, reservoir and staff housing on the 90-hectare site. Twenty high-spec villas are also under construction, leaving a new owner free to come in and complete the development with their vision.

At 1.6 kilometres long and only 500 metres wide, Katafanga is covered in palm trees and tropical vegetation and is surrounded by sugar- white beaches. But it’s the 2,000-hectare turquoise lagoon surrounding the island that’s likely to be the biggest draw for future visitors. Encircled by a vast, healthy reef, it’s home to schools of tropical fish and bioluminescent organisms which light up at night.

Katafanga is an hour’s flight from Nadi International Airport, and by boat, the island is just over 200 nautical miles from Port Denarau Marina. Fortunately, there is a natural 60-metre break in the coral reef, which will allow superyachts to pass through and enjoy a sheltered anchorage within the lagoon.

Katafanga Island is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $17 million.

Romantic long weekends in the Bahamas have long been a popular pastime among superyacht owners and if you fell in love with the yachting hotspot on your most recent trip why not put down roots at Darby Island? The 554 acre private island is located in the Exuma Cays, around 95 miles from Nassau, and boasts over 6.5km of white sandy beaches. The only development on the island consists of a 7,000 square foot castle built in 1938 by former owner Sir Baxter, which has the potential to be transformed into a stunning residence, while the island could also support an airstrip up to 5,000 feet in length.

Darby Island is listed for sale with Coldwell Banker for $39 million.