Prestige Magazine - Your own Private Island Paradise

COUNTRY FOCUS

Your Own Private Island Paradise

TEXT: EMMA PROCTER

If you want to make the ultimate property statement in 2018 now could be the time to buy your own island – yes, really. Prestige looks at some scintillating options

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ust recently a Scottish island on sale for the price of a one-bedroom apartment in London made the headlines. Vaila Sound, an isle on the western side of the Shetland Isles – meaning it is technically closer to Norway than Scotland – with just two dilapidated, abandoned cottages, hit the market at £250,000 (about Dh1.3 million). This is roughly half the average house price in London which was recorded as £481,000 (about Dh2,5 million) on the UK House

Price Index.

Estate agents Vladi Private Islands described the verdant spot as: “…a place of spectacular scenery and beauty with an abundance of wildlife.” The island (for sale through Vladi Private Islands, www.vladi-private-islands.de) is pitched as a development opportunity as it has planning consent for the building of a pier and storage shed with reception area, new agricultural buildings, a two-acre loch with traditional watermill, as well as the rebuilding of the two derelict cottages and the erection of a new cottage.

Hollpoint Island | Image from www.vladi-private-islands.de

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“Islands are proven the best combination of lifestyle and investment. They are pharmacies for the soul”

Pumpkin Key | Image from www.vladi-private-islands.de

If you have ever dreamed of buying a private island of your own, the reality may not be as far out of reach as you think – providing you have some cash to splash. Vladi Private Islands CEO Farhad Vladi told Prestige that their typical clients are: “upper middle class – also known as the poor rich – and they come from all over the world, particularly from the US, Europe, and China.”

Interestingly, Vladi also revealed a growing trend with private island buyers – that of focusing on the environment after purchases. “Owners place ninety-nine per cent of the island under personal nature protection, developing just one per cent,” he said.

“Islands are proven the best combination of lifestyle and investment. They are pharmacies for the soul.”

For decades, it was the mega rich and famous who opted for private islands as the ultimate real estate indulgence, notably Virgin boss Richard Branson. He bought Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands in the late 1970’s and turned into his family’s paradise hideaway – along with a few highly discerning guests.

And according to some current news reports, retired soccer star David Beckham is contemplating marking two decades since he met his wife Victoria by purchasing the 250-acre island of Bird Cay in the South Berry Islands of the Bahamas, which would set him back a cool US $9.8 million.

It is not just end users who are purchasing an island getaway though. With chic staterooms, high-end amenities, and overthe-top service, the only thing many luxury cruise ships are missing is a long sandy beach. To remedy that, many cruise lines have purchased or leased private islands.

Norwegian started the trend in 1977, when it bought Great Stirrup Cay from Belcher Oil Company, and it became the first cruise line with an island in Belize when it snapped up Harvest Caye off the coast of Placencia last Autumn.

Other companies with their own isles include Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America, which all have outposts in the Bahamas, and Paul Gauguin, which claims a motu (a reef islet) in French Polynesia. MSC joined the club last year when it debuted its own Bahamian isle, Ocean Cay.

Isla Centinela | Image from www.vladi-private-islands.de

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Where to buy ISLA CENTINELA Location: Spain Price: US $4,928,000 Description: A 1920s Spanish castle that spends six months of the year surrounded by water and is only accessible by boat has gone on the market on Isla Centinela.

Located in the Valle Iruelas Nature Reserve in Burguillo, in the Spanish province of Avila, it is just an hour from the Spanish capital Madrid. This private island has numerous terraces to ensure you can always find a place in the sun as well as a huge banqueting hall. From the battlements it is possible to see the local wildlife such as the black vulture that makes its home in the surrounding forests.

PASKOSAARI Location: Finland Price: US $197,120 Description: Paskosaari can be found in the north-westerly corner of Lake Suvasvesi, a peaceful, pristine body of water and the third deepest lake in Finland. The island is located just 48km away from the urban area of Kuopio, a harbour town with its own regional airport. The northern part of the island has blueberry and lingonberry bushes, lichens, moss and small trees, and is characterised by its rugged coastline and five-metre-high cliffs, whereas the southern half of the island is low-lying and covered with tall pine trees.

EAGLE ISLAND Location: USA Price: US $1,995,000 Description: One of a few privately held, single-owner islands on Lake Vermilion, Eagle island is five minutes from a full-service marina with condo membership included in the sale price. It boasts a unique blend of Montana spruce log, local Ely greenstone ledge rock, and steel beam construction that fits gracefully within the raw nature of the five-acre isle. Custom designed and with a vintage look elevator, the third level observation deck affords amazing viewing of nesting eagles and spectacular panoramic vistas.

Motu Karatae | Image from www.vladi-private-islands.de

PUMPKIN KEY Location: USA Price: US $95,000,000 Description: Pumpkin Key is an extraordinary private island in the tropics of Card Sound Bay. It is just ten minutes by helicopter to Miami’s South Beach and ten minutes by boat to its shore home with dockage at Ocean Reef, a private club in Key Largo, with an airstrip for private jets. The lush and vibrant landscape offers endless possibilities for development. Currently, the island features one main home with three bedrooms and three full bathrooms, two caretaker’s cottages, and a dock master’s apartment. Additional features include a dock master office and 20-slip marina able to accommodate a mega-yacht. In the centre of the island are tennis courts that also serve as a helipad and golf cart paths circle the island.

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MOTU KARATAE Location: French Polynesia Price: US $514,297 Description: Situated in the Tuamotu archipelago in the island of Manihi, this private motu of 97,710 square metres is bordered in the north by a turquoise lagoon, and in the south by a fringing reef. There are beautiful coconut trees and mikimiki (endemic shrubs), and this sunny and protected island is the perfect place to retire to for peace of mind and serenity.

CARBERY ISLAND Location: Ireland Price: US $646,800 Description: The clear waters of the Carbery Island bay gently wash against the shore.

Seals, otters, fishermen and divers all enjoy this piece of paradise and the gentle westerly winds make it the ideal place for sailing. Lovely old villages like Bantry and Schull with their international sailing harbours, pubs, renowned restaurants and shops are all within easy reach.

PRINCE CAY Location: Bahamas Price: US $1,075,000 Description: Situated roughly 160 miles due east of Palm Beach, Florida and home to beautiful white sandy beaches to the east, Prince Cay is a Caribbean dream.

Surrounded by boundless horizons of aquamarine waters and pristine coral reefs, the island forms part of one of the world’s best sailing regions. Nautically inclined buyers will be pleased to hear that the island’s western coast offers the necessary depths to create a convenient anchorage point, whereas keen anglers will be pleased to know that the waters are good for both conch and crawfishing.

HOLLPOINT ISLAND Location: Canada Price: US $51,277 Description: Tucked away in Isaac’s Harbour along Nova Scotia’s picturesque Atlantic Coast, Hollpoint is bedecked with an array of coves and natural beaches which give way to dense woodland. The island offers a perfect retreat for nature lovers and fans of the quiet life. At low tide, it is connected to a nearby mainland peninsula; from here the well-paved Marine Drive road connects guests to the nearby fishing villages of Goldboro and Isaac’s Harbour before eventually leading on to Halifax.

Eagle Island | Image from www.vladi-private-islands.de

KAULBACH ISLAND Location: Canada Price: US $5,522,187 Description: A picturesque private island located close to Chester, Nova Scotia’s famous seaside town, Kaulbach Island lies perfectly positioned in the heart of Mahone Bay, protected from the elements by an array of tiny islets, surrounded by crystal clear water and close by to both a sailing club and a golf range. Just a short boat ride from the mainland, it offers world-class sailing conditions and is close to a hub of activity. The island is more than just a great location – Osprey Nest, the massive and exceptionally developed main house, has a commanding presence overlooking the ocean and groomed lawns.

ROYAL ISLAND Location: USA Price: US $1,457 million Description: A rare opportunity to own the historic Royal Island in Honey Harbour.

The Royal Hotel once stood here overlooking the channel from 1903 to the mid 1970`s. In its glory years, it was the top destination of Georgian Bay and now awaits the development of a dream retreat or a private family compound. With seven severed lots, the east side of the island is on the Small Craft Route (Honeymoon Channel) and adjacent is The Delawana Resort. The west side of the island is a protected bay, while the south end has an unobstructed view of Picnic Island and the north end has a sandy beach and deep waters.

Closer to home

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