As winter months set in bringing with them heavy skies, drizzle and bracing cold, thoughts turn to an escape to your very own island sanctuary – an exclusive island villa with private pool.
So where exactly should you invest in an island home? Factors such as budgets, frequency of travel and work/family commitments will shape which island villa will suit your needs. Young, nomadic workers without family may opt for an off-the-beaten-track island home in off-grid, exotic locations.
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In a shift away from traditional holiday hotspots, for those with cash to spare, a keen sense of adventure, the harder and more expensive to access and the less infrastructure the better – an ultimate status symbol for those with deep pockets and an appetite for one-upmanship.
Hard-to-reach island homes are scattered across the lesser-known Caribbean; popular among the world’s top 1% include Necker Island – home to Richard Branson’s private retreat – St Barth’s, St Vincent and The Grenadines, Carriacou and Musha Bay in the Bahamas. Even harder to access are properties on tiny, private islands and atolls peppered across French Polynesia and the Maldives.
To access these tiny tropical paradise islands, you need to charter a boat or private plane. The extra mileage is well worth the effort – here you’ll find some of the world’s most exclusive villas with stellar amenities that go as far as your imagination and a healthy bank balance – private chefs, yoga studios, mediation rooms, tennis courts, spas and infinity pools.
When not in use, island villas can be rented through high-end holiday destination specialists at high yields, offering owners investment security and healthy annual returns.
We roundup some of the very best island villas for sale with private pools in some of the world’s most exotic or investment-friendly locations.
St James – Barbados
- 4-bedroom Villa with private swimming pool
- Location: St James – Barbados
- Agent: Knight Frank
- Asking price: $3,500,000
A time-tested holiday destination, all 28 of the Caribbean islands have a distinct flavour and vibe as well as offering excellent real estate investments; here you’ll find everything from branded residences to luxury new developments and secluded villas with infinity pools hugged by tropical gardens and framed by spectacular views of crystal-clear, turquoise waters.
Small wonder that the Caribbean is a firm favourite among the world’s monied elite. Celebrity Caribbean property owners include Richard Branson, Simon Cowell, Gwenyth Paltrow, Juston Bieber, Johnny Depp, and Mick Jagger.
With daily direct flights from major global hubs such as London, Miami and New York, some islands are easier to access than others – adding to their allure. But all share common denominators – pastel-blue seas and powder white beaches set to a verdant backdrop of gentle hills and blue skies.
As an incentive, some islands offer citizenship by investment, starting at US $200,000. Currently five Caribbean islands offer a residency by investment programme – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, and St Lucia.
Mark Damsgaard, Founder of Global Residence Index, believes Carribean programs offer some distinct advantages: “Compared to other global options, Caribbean programs are usually more cost-effective and offer quicker processing times. Additionally, they provide broad visa-free travel benefits and often demand lower investment thresholds than European alternatives.”
You can’t go wrong with a Caribbean island property investment. Depending on the level of accessibility, infrastructure, tourism volumes and sporting/entertainment/lifestyle offering, Conde Nast Traveller Magazine lists these island escapes as some of the best in the world.
Tahiti – French Polynesia
- 11-bedroom villa with private swimming pool
- Location: Tahiti, French Polynesia
- Agent: Sothebys Real Estate
- Asking price: $4,579,964
Peppered across the South Pacific in between Australia and South America, 118 paradise islands and atolls make up one of the most photographed regions of the globe, roughly the breadth of Europe.
Translucent, turquoise-blue lagoons lapping powdery white beaches, coral reefs and rugged mountains are the hallmarks of France-governed French Polynesia, the largest and most famous of which are laid-back, Instagram-ready Bora Bora, Tahiti and Moorea known as the Society Islands.
Permanent residents number approximately 280,000 with ambitious visitor numbers swelling the number each year with dream destination Tahiti drawing in the largest crowds.
Unsurprisingly, private villas and luxury accommodation on popular islands are a stable investment for high-net-worth investors. Being an overseas collective, the islands benefit from stable governance, infrastructure and excellent healthcare adding to the pull factor for those that seek a safe haven investment in a less-trodden location.
Attracting wealthy investors, new businesses are tax exempt for the first 12 months of operation and there is no personal income tax, no wealth tax or inheritance tax – a big incentive for those with accumulated or inherited wealth.
Although there is no direct residency by investment programme at time of writing, European citizens can purchase properties in French Polynesia in exactly the same way as Polynesians and French nationals. However, non-Europeans need to seek local government approval in the form of a Certificat d’Investissement.
Investment wise, Tahiti and Bora Bora are the most popular with sound infrastructure and accessibility via an international airport.
Tahiti’s property investment market is small but driven by ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW)vproperty investors with an appetite for high-specification, ultra-prime beachfront villas.
Returns on investment are buoyed by a compact but competitive property rental market sustained by intrepid travellers intent on a unique Polynesian island experience such as overwater bungalows and secluded villas with private pools with direct access to a private beach or coral reef.
Tahiti’s real estate market is unique, with a blend of luxury and traditional properties. The demand for high-end beachfront villas is on the rise, driven by wealthy international buyers.
The market remains relatively small compared with Hawaii and Fiji. The focus here is on exclusive, high-end, amenity-rich properties that offer the ultimate in privacy and luxury.
Phuket – Thailand
- 5-bedroom villa Paradiso
- Location: Phuket, Thailand
- Agent: Sothebys Real Estate
- Asking price: $5,500,000
A magnet for digital nomads, the Thai party islands of Phuket, Koh Phangan and Koh Samui in the azure-blue, clear waters of the Andaman Sea have traditionally offered a slice of hedonism to the backdrop of powder-white beaches dotted with hippie-chic beach bars, luxury yoga retreats, crystalline waters and a lush canopy of jungle-carpeted hills.
Although the full-moon-party-people and backpackers haven’t moved out just yet in the search for the latest Insta-worthy hit, a new generation of monied remote workers have made a beeline for Thailand’s islands – one of the most popular ‘workation’ destinations in the world. And with them comes a surge in demand for the very best island homes with specification lists as long as imaginations and healthy bank balances.
With post-pandemic demand for luxury, private villas with pools soaring, so too have prices with developers cashing in on the post-Covid work trend and appetite among the top-tier remote workers with cash to spare and an appetite for hedonism and ultimate luxury.
And bang-for-buck goes a long way in this popular Asian country with average prices for a luxury villa starting at an affordable US$300,000 with price for the very best luxury homes topping out at US$600,000.
The majority of investors in private villas in Thailand come from other Asian countries with many mainland Chinese ultra-high-net-worth-individual (UHNWI) snapping up luxury second homes and party pads on the Thailand holiday islands.
Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Phuket are now established property investment markets offering the highest specification of private villas with luxury add-ons such as infinity pools, meditation rooms, outdoor offices and yoga studios.
Roca Llisa – Ibiza
- 5-bedroom villa
- Location: Roca Llisa, Ibiza
- Agent: Knight Frank
- Asking price: €3,200,000
Ibiza has it all. Revelers have been attracted to the magnetic hedonism of the vibrant White Isle for centuries. An island of two halves, the sleepy, laid-back northern part of the island offers an inimitable bohemian experience lulled by a varied landscape of secret golden-sand beaches, dreamy coastal views, sleepy villages, pine forests and olive groves.
Venture south towards the cosmopolitan 24/7 party capital San Antonio offering high-octane, dusk-till-dawn parties. And you’ll find a polished marina dotted with superyachts and luxury new developments moments from the world’s best bars, clubs and internationally acclaimed restaurants patronised by supermodels, A-list celebrities and royalty.
Head inland and dotting the diverse landscape are sprawling private villas tucked away behind manicured grounds, ultra-prime new developments, five-star boutique hotels and traditional, low-rise, rustic fincas hugged by golden, cicada-serenaded fields, pine forests and olive groves.
Ibiza property owners come in all shapes and sizes – aged hippies, 24-hour party animals, remote working ex-pats, big-screen celebrities and UHNW yacht-owners.
Two factors unite them – their love for this captivating, diverse Mediterranean island and healthy bank balances; properties here don’t come cheap with property prices in the laid-back northern countryside or the buzzy, high-octane southern coastline setting you back at least US $2m.
Investing in a villa in Ibiza comes with hurdles in the form of a number of taxes that must be paid on completion – it’s worth appointed a trusted agent that is well versed in the nuances of the Ibiza property market and tax compliance.
Pollensa– Mallorca
- 4-bedroom new villa
- Location: Pollensa, Mallorca
- Agent: Savills
- Asking price: €3,200,000
The largest Balearic island and one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, crowd-pleasing Mallorca really does have something for everyone.
Historically a muse and source of artistic inspiration for writers, actors and musicians, this vibrant and culturally rich island draws in holidaymakers, investors, ex-pats and UHNWIs seeking a European base with guaranteed sunshine, excellent infrastructure, and solid investment returns.
The landscape is incredibly diverse with soaring mountains dotted with sleepy villages giving way to dramatic coastlines, powder white beaches, pine forests and olive groves. Architecturally it’s a property buyer’s dream with something to satiate the fussiest of appetites and the loosest and tightest of budgets.
Secluded, five-star resorts, luxury new developments, ultra-prime villas with wraparound pools, modern apartment blocks and traditional fincas – the only problem is narrowing down a location. Mallorca is geographically diverse with the west of the island being easier to access via an international airport and speedy links to popular coastal resorts.
Celebrity spotting and upscale luxury homes in Mallorca are clustered around the glitzy A-list haunt Puerto Portals Soller and arty Deia giving the island an injection of ultra-prime real estate.
Most of the island’s superyachts are moored in the pretty, gently dynamic capital city and seaport of Palma de Mallorca – a cosmopolitan city with upscale shops, restaurants and bars catering for a well-heeled, international crowd.
Property investment in Mallorca is booming according to island realtor Vogue estates with Brits, German and Scandinavian expats and investors investing in second homes or a permanent base on the island.
Brac island - Croatia
- 5-bedroom villa
- Location: Brac island, Croatia
- Agent: Rightmove/Knez Croatia Real Estate
- Asking price: €1,900,000
Experiencing a boom in tourism and foreign investment since Croatia’s independence, the jewel of the Adriatic has been flirting with UHNW capital for over three decades with Croatia villa property investments soaring in popular coastal areas rich in natural beauty and cultural significance such as Dubrovnik, Istria and Dalmatia.
Serving up a healthy dose of sun-drenched months, this sliver of long, narrow land has miles of Adriatic coastline lapped by azure, crystal-clear waters and miles of white pebbled beaches dotted with sleepy fishing villages and vibrant Medieval towns such as Dubrovnik, Pula, Rovinj and Split.
Here you’ll find big-name celebrities rubbing shoulders with the world’s elite, impossibly luxe, crewed superyachts, fine Mediterranean dining and secluded private villas with pools hugged by olive groves, fragrant lavender fields, vineyards and pine forests serenaded by cicadas.
One of the main draws to this popular southern European country are the many islands – over 1000 – that offer everything from total privacy to high-octane adventures and a dynamic nightlife and entertainment scene.
Some of the most popular islands easily accessed by ferry from the mainland include glamorous and trendy Hvar – Croatia’s answer to St Tropez – Brač, home to natural wonder Zlatni Rat beach and pretty Krk island dotted with Romanesque churches, ruined forts, time-worn monasteries and sleepy fishing villages.
Island-hopping in Croatia has become one of the most alluring European summer sports with many UNHWIs putting down roots or anchors on one of the country’s diverse islands.
With a stable economy, excellent infrastructure and international connectivity via major airports, property investments in Croatia offer investors stability and rental income as the summer holiday destination continues to pull in visitors and luxury home buyers from across the globe keen on a slice of Croatian five-star real estate.
New villas and purpose-built developments are particularly sought-after among international buyers as they offer luxury mod cons and trimmings that are synonymous with high-quality holiday homes.
When buying a villa in Croatia or investing in an island holiday home, it’s important to appoint a reputable lawyer and be aware of restrictions on renting out a holiday home when not in use – you may require a permit.
*All information, listings, and prices correct as of 28/11/2024.
