The best private islands available to buy now

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.

With a deep natural harbour, miles of white sandy beaches and more than 174 hectares covered in lush tropical foliage it’s no surprise that in the noughties Royal Island was earmarked to become one of the Bahamas’ leading resorts. In 2007 it was given approval for a large marina and an 18-hole golf course, but the financial crash meant they never came to fruition.

Some initial development did get underway, however, and the island is already equipped with five beachfront villas. The shoreside accommodation blends in with the vibrant foliage and each retreat has a wraparound balcony and direct access to one of the island’s untouched white-sand beaches. A Welcome Centre has also been completed, with spa rooms, a gym, and a restaurant. Adjacent to the community buildings there is also an oval pool, which overlooks a protected, curved bay.

Located 65 kilometres northeast of Nassau, it is just a 15-minute boat ride from North Eleuthera, which has its own small airport. With so much untapped potential here, it might be tough for a new owner to decide whether to keep Royal Island as a private kingdom or create a tourist empire.

Royal Island is listed for sale with Christie's International Real Estate Private Islands for $45 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 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.

Sitting 300 metres from the shoreline, Isola delle Femmine is just a quick tender (or an ambitious swim) from the toe of Italy – but it feels like it belongs to another time and place. The 15-hectare island, which is being sold by one of Italy’s aristocratic families, boasts a landscape covered in mandrake, mallow and erba stella, and dominated by an old watchtower.There are many rumours as to how the oval- shaped islet got its name. The most popular tale is that 13 Turkish maidens were banished by their families for misdemeanours and ended up shipwrecked there for seven years. Although there is little evidence for this, there are plenty of relics from the island’s genuine history, including Ancient Greek and Roman stone basins and a well that dates back to the Middle Ages.

The old watchtower was damaged during the Allied landing in Sicily in the Second World War but could be used as the starting point for a new development. The island’s shores are predominantly white pebble but there is also a sandy beach in a cove, which provides the best landing spot for small boats. Depending on the plans, it might be possible for the new owner to apply for tax incentives and funding to help secure the future of Isola delle Femmine.

Isola delle Femmine is listed with Christie’s International Real Estate for €1.6 million.

Made up of nearly 10 hectares of pure white sand and lush vegetation, Lumber Cay is a Bahamian blank canvas. Despite its wild appearance, the island’s optimal location makes it an enticing bolthole for any superyacht owner. Surrounded by deep aquamarine waters and with a protected bay to the west, the cay’s watery perimeters are ideal for anchoring and provide an easy hop from ship to shore. For those who prefer to travel by air, Lumber Cay is also primed for a helicopter or seaplane landing.

The Exumas may be known for their Robinson Crusoe aesthetic but this estate is just 200 metres from Staniel Cay, the region’s biggest yachting hotspot. With a marina that accommodates yachts of up to 65 metres, sunglass-shielded VIPs are regularly found propping up the bar at its yacht club. The Bahamas’ most famed Instagram stars, the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, are also neighbours, while the bustling Bahamian capital of Nassau is only 70 nautical miles away. An ambitious owner has the opportunity here to create from scratch a personalised island paradise. With picturesque landscapes and a tropical climate, it’s no surprise that Nicolas Cage, Shakira and country-music power couple Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have created similar idylls nearby.

Lumber Cay is listed with Knight Frank for $9.3 million.

Less than 50 minutes by boat from Miami and just 10 minutes by chopper from the city’s South Beach, Pumpkin Key is perfect for those seeking privacy without the castaway vibe. Lying in Florida Keys’ Card Sound Bay, the island also comes with dockage at the ultra-exclusive Ocean Reef club (just 10 minutes by tender), which has a private jet airstrip, two championship golf courses and 13 restaurants. The gated community is home to billionaires and celebrities.

The lush 10 hectare island has a main house, built in 1985, with three bedrooms and bathrooms and two caretakers’ cottages. Perfect for yacht owners, it has a 20-slip marina, which can berth a superyacht, and its own dockmaster office. It also has a tennis court that doubles as a helipad for easy arrival and departure.

Ripe for development, the new owner could create a family compound with several large bay-front homes or turn the island into a rival club, with 12 homes sitting on 6,000 square metre lots.

Pumpkin Key is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $95 million.

Few private islands offer quite so much scope for combining the privacy of an island retreat with the luxury of having your superyacht nearby quite like Little Pipe Cay. This jewel of the Exumas island chain in the Bahamas spans 38 acres and offers access to no fewer than four pristine beaches surrounded by the crystal clear waters for which the Bahamas is known. Shallow draft superyachts can moor at the island's many private docks but, with five houses and cottages on the island offering nine bedrooms, the new owner should never be short of space for guests.

Carefully designed by its current owners, who bought the island over 15 years ago, key features at Little Pipe Cay's numerous homes include large terraces overlooking the ocean, a variety of hosting and entertaining areas, opulently decorated living spaces including formal dining rooms and bars, a spa, chapel and a staff village. A sea barn also offers plentiful storage for smaller boats, Jet Skis and other water toys while a large infinity pool offers an alternative sunbathing spot.

Little Pipe Cay is listed for sale with Knight Frank for $100 million.