 |
|
|
|
|
Private Islands: From Dubai to Belize, Paradise for a Price
Who said paradise wasn't for sale?
by Roxanne Blanford
Hear the word “island” and what do you think of? Maybe you think of Gilligan, palm trees, coconuts, and elaborately built grass huts. Maybe you think of “lost” plane crash survivors, or modern day tribes pitted against each other in voyeuristic displays of one-up-manship, all for your viewing pleasure.
But say the word “island” to the affluent class and the fantasy takes on a more realistic vision. The word “island”, in the minds of the few who can afford to possess their own piece of paradise (sand and all), signifies that you have arrived. And, taken one step further, the phrase “island ownership” means having the ultimate in privacy, peace and luxury. It means living a lifestyle about which many others can only dream.
However, that dream, if you needed to be told, does not come cheap.
There are roughly 600,000 islands in the world. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 of these are owned by corporations or individuals and reasonably habitable. Usually, only 200 islands are up for sale at any given time, with the pricier properties (and the more desired ones) likely to be found in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and/or South Pacific. With a commodity so rare, you can bet prices are not bargain basement. For example, the 1,970-acre patch of land that is Ronde Island in Grenada has a list price of $100 million, making it the most expensive private island for sale in the entire world.
Let’s face it: Island ownership is not something that everyone can aspire to. Unless you’re a captain of industry, or a sheik, or a mega-celebrity, private ownership of a sun-drenched tropical island is probably way out of reach. However, with the lure of seclusion, endless summers, skinny-dipping-ready-environs, and gorgeous scenery as the bait, the idea of island ownership is just as compelling as the far off reality.
The rich and famous have long flocked to their own tropical Shangri-La’s and have done so for ages. Marlon Brando, and Aristotle Onassis were well-known for their island purchases with the pursuit of privacy fueling their decision to buy what is seen as an extremely limited product. Today, the likes of Nicholas Cage, Johnny Depp, and Mel Gibson have joined this elite club and find themselves able to run off to their own remote portion of the world when the spirit so moves them. Then, there are those who purchase islands not for purely personal enjoyment and solitude, but for financial and commercial development. Movie-star/environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio is the proud owner of Blackadore Caye in Belize (shown below) and plans to convert his 104-acre island retreat into an eco-friendly, self-sustaining holiday resort.
Near Harbour Island in the Bahamas rests the 55-acre undeveloped island of Charles Island. For only $39 million, you can build a private home or a resort of your very own. It’s already wired for electricity and is a short distance from the restaurant and retail center in Eleuthera, near Nassau.
Or, if your budget is a bit strained, for $25 million there’s an island in Turkey just waiting for you. Stretching out at 88-acres, along the Aeolian Coast, Garip Island, Bademli is the ideal place to get away from it all. With several hot springs dating back to the Roman Empire, olive trees galore and a native pine forest, this retreat is prime and ready for ownership and development.
On the other end of the spectrum, developed private islands have become the purchase of choice for those seeking a definable means to express their status through real estate without starting from scratch.
Agria Trias, near Athens, Greece, is a developed island covered in trees of olives, apricots, peaches, pomegranates and pistachios. Who needs to go shopping when you can pick produce from outside your bedroom window? The existing residential property can easily accommodate 20 to 30 persons for sleeping and dining, and there are three beaches available for outdoor comfort. There is an additional, fully serviceable separate house for your staff, and a church if you want to feel a bit of that Old Time Religion while still in your swim trunks. The asking price? Just $28 million.
Then, of course, there is “The World”.
Dreamt up by the crown prince of Dubai, “The World” is a $14 billion collection of hundreds of manmade islets in the shape of a world map. Situated in the United Arab Emirates in the Persian Gulf, these custom designed island getaways have already fetched prices between $7 million and $35 million each.
Close your eyes and dream…the sunset over the horizon, the surf gently lapping at the shore, the call of seagulls being the only sound you hear. No camera happy tourists. No hustle. No bustle. Just you, your own island, and the deed of sale on paradise.
|
|
|
|
|
