Whether it’s a private island owned by a celebrity trying to escape the paparazzi or the retreat of a superyacht owner prized for its deserted anchorages, owning a private island represents the ultimate home-from-home vacation. Click through our edit of the best private islands available to buy now to find your own piece of paradise.

Mandalay Island, Florida

Yacht owners searching for a tropical idyll need look no further than Mandalay Island in the city of Stuart, 170 kilometres north of Miami Beach on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Connected to the Sewall’s Point peninsula by a private bridge, this 1.4-hectare hideaway is home to white-sand beaches and vibrant flora. Already set up as a holiday escape, the islet has a three-bedroom island-style house designed by renowned South Florida architect Peter Jefferson, as well as a seafront guest cottage. The south-eastern-facing main property has vaulted redwood ceilings and hand-crafted staircases. Additional standout features include a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace and a light-filled summer room that looks out on to the sizeable pool, which is surrounded by white decking, and Sailfish Point beyond. Aside from the pool, the island’s beaches offer direct access to the surrounding waters.

Tucked away in lush vegetation, the island may feel secluded, but the thriving community of Sewall’s Point is just a flip-flopped stroll over the connecting bridge. It’s also just a short drive from the peninsula to Stuart’s pastel-hued downtown district – home to seafood restaurants and boutique shops – while private aircraft can land at nearby Stuart Jet Center, located at Witham Field. But once you are on the island you might be tempted just to remain poolside, taking in the views of the surrounding Intracoastal Waterway and St Lucie River.

Mandalay Island is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $3.995 million

Sailors have been seduced by the natural beauty of Tahiti’s Society Islands for centuries and this eight-hectare motu (island) is likely to engender love at first sight. Perched on the vibrant reef encircling the island of Taha’a, famed for its vanilla, Motu Moie is a private getaway. The island’s palm-tree- studded interior is home to an owner’s bungalow and three beach bungalows for guests. There is also a caretaker’s house and utility buildings. Freshwater is supplied by a natural coral-filtered well and there is solar-powered electricity. Ideal for making the most of the surrounding turquoise waters, a sports bungalow houses equipment for snorkelling, windsurfing, kayaking, fishing, spearfishing, water skiing and sailing.

Despite meaning “far-away isle” in Tahitian, Motu Moie is surprisingly accessible. The local village of Pa?tio on Taha’a, with its food shops and a doctor, is within kayaking distance. A 25-minute tender across the lagoon will get you to Raiatea Airport, with daily flights to Tahiti and Bora Bora. Alternatively, the latter’s iconic volcanic peaks are only 10 nautical miles away by boat. The Society Islands may be famed for honeymooning hotels – Four Seasons, St Regis and Conrad all have outposts on Bora Bora’s shores – but Taha’a has remained remarkably untouched by the international tourist influx. As a result, Motu Moie presents an exciting opportunity to develop an exclusive luxury resort – or you might want to keep this love affair all to yourself.

Motu Moie is listed for sale with Christie’s International Real Estate for $6.5 million

Just off Fiji’s main island of Viti Levu, Nananu-i-Cake offers nearly 243 hectares of tropical privacy, five soft sand beaches and its own private islet, called Bua. The island has plenty of development potential, but is already perfectly set up as a private getaway.

Sitting at the top of the island to make the most of the 360-degree views over neighbouring Nananu-i-Ra and Viti Levu is a four-bedroom residence. Designed by New Zealand architect Murray Cockburn, it has stone walls, dark wood shutters and a large open-plan living space. Further accommodation is found through a covered walkway in two Fijian guest “bure” bedroom suites. A pool is located outside within mature gardens, and is complemented by an outdoor dining and barbecue area to make the most of the tropical climate. A string of mangrove-lined tracks criss-cross the island to give access to its beaches and new 110-metre jetty. All of the island’s boats and all-terrain vehicles are included in the sale.

A helipad near the main house means the island can be accessed by chopper from Nadi International Airport in just 35 minutes. Those arriving by boat can make use of the sheltered jetty, which can house vessels with a draught of up to five metres at low tide. With all the benefits of owning your own island, coupled with easy access and a ready-made home, the new owner of this particular isle can have their Cake and eat it.

Nananu-i-Cake is listed for sale with Knight Frank for $12 million.

Sitting in the Bahamas’ Exuma Cays, Blue Island is one of the most expensive real estate offerings in the world – and with good reason. It’s the largest private island available in the Bahamas and the only one with its own private jet landing strip. Its location (approximately 550 kilometres from Miami) means it would be feasible to pop in just for lunch or sunset cocktails. Customs and immigration are available on the island for a seamless arrival and departure, and if you don’t fancy travelling by jet there is also a helipad, boat ramp and docks.

Blue Island (formerly known as Hog Cay) has a seven-bedroom main house, a guest house, staff house and pool. The island has been set up with power, water and communication systems and there are more than six kilometres of roads and a jogging and bike path. With palm-tree-lined white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, the island exudes the charms that this chain of the Bahamas – which was not directly hit by Hurricane Dorian – is famous for. It is also only 20 minutes by boat to Exuma Island, where a further 20-minute drive gets you to the restaurants, shops and airport at George Town. Blue Island’s new owner could keep it as a private hideaway or turn it into a luxury resort relatively easily, as the Bahamian government encourages foreign direct investment. The biggest challenge for its buyer will be dealing with the celebrity locals wanting to use the runway.

Blue Island is listed for sale with Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty for $75 million.

Yacht owners seeking a remote residence in the maritime haven of Maine should check out Sheephead Island in East Penobscot Bay. The 26-hectare private island boasts not one but two properties with enviable Atlantic views. The colonial-style main house, which has five bedrooms, is framed by a meadow of wild lupines and juts into the bay at the island’s north-western point. An additional four-bedroom residence sits amid a forest of pines and offers direct access to a private beach. Connecting trails criss-cross its wild terrain and in the middle of the island there is a hidden swimming pond.

For those wanting to arrive by boat, the north-east of the island has a deep-water dock and protected mooring. However, a boat won’t always be necessary as at low tide the island is linked to Deer Isle – actually a collection of islands joined by causeways and connected to the mainland by a suspension bridge near Sargentville. The nearest village to Sheephead is Sunset on Deer Isle, a picturesque summer colony where fishing and lobstering are still the main economy. Sporty types can also make use of the Island Country Club golf course and the hiking trails of the Barred Island Preserve. Sheephead Island is within easy reach of Bangor International Airport, which is just over 100 kilometres to the north on the mainland. It’s also an ideal starting point for ambitious sailors looking to navigate the Northwest Passage.

Sheephead Island is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for $7.975 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.

A 23-hectare idyll of rolling meadows surrounded by tall pines, the postcard-pretty Kaulbach Island is perfectly set up for yacht owners. Situated in the protected waters of Nova Scotia’s Mahone Bay, Kaulbach is equipped with a wharf and deep anchorage – and if you are looking to expand your fleet further, a pair of small boats (one motor, one sailing) is included in the price.

The centrepiece of the island is the grand main house, Osprey Nest, with 11 bedrooms, nine bathrooms, cosy fireplaces and sweeping views over the Atlantic Ocean. Sitting amid manicured lawns, the Nest’s stone walls, bleached timber porches and rustic pine interiors fully embrace a Canadian cabin aesthetic (only with considerably more living space). Plus, if you’re worried about maintenance costs during those chilly winters in the Great White North, fear not: efficient, environmentally friendly aqua-thermal technology is used to heat the property. Further guest accommodation is offered in a pretty beach cottage and a three- bedroom converted farmhouse.

The island’s 1.6 kilometres of private coastline may feel remote but it’s just a short boat ride from the famous 18th-century seaside village of Chester, home to a yacht club and golf course. Once you’re back on the mainland, Halifax Stanfield International Airport is a mere 90-minute drive away.

Kaulbach Island is listed for sale with Vladi Private Islands for CAD$ 5.5 million.

Despite being less than an hour’s drive (and a short boat hop) from Fiji’s capital, Suva, Toberua offers a castaway setting for a boutique resort – and, fortunately for its next owners, most of the work to make it a luxury destination has already been done. The lush, palm-laden island is dotted with 16 traditional bure (wood and straw) huts, decorated with driftwood and tropical prints, and fitted with luxurious outdoor showers. For the ambitious, there is scope for more bures to be built, possibly over the water.

Along with its immaculate accommodation the island has a low-tide golf course, spa, gym, restaurant and bar, and the crystal-clear waters lapping at its beaches are ideal for sailing, watersports or tropical fishing. A small dive shop has been set up on the island to serve snorkelling and diving enthusiasts.

The island’s entire infrastructure was recently renovated and four jetties make it easy to get ashore by tender. For those guests arriving by boat there are multiple superyacht anchorages in the waters around the island. A jewel in the Lomaiviti Islands chain, Toberua offers an exciting project in a picture-perfect but accessible location.

Toberua Island is listed for sale for ￡4 million with Vladi Private Islands.

Situated off the coast of Espiritu Santo, among Vanuatu’s northern islands, this 324-hectare private idyll lay undisturbed by humans for millennia. The pancake-shaped emerald speck is home to old growth rainforest and surrounded by six kilometres of pristine coral reef. It is thought that only a handful of people have explored the reef, which is teeming with fish and live corals.

Some 90 per cent of Lataro is a conservation reserve and it is one of the last refuges for the endangered coconut crab, the world’s largest land-living arthropod. Owls, eagles and parrots also call the island home. As a result of its eco credentials it has been sensitively developed – virtually all electricity is produced by solar power and rainwater is the main water source.

Accommodation has been constructed over the past three years and includes an owner’s residence, split into four buildings: the Balinese-style housing has a large entertainment and dining area, set around a swimming pool, with a media centre and office. There is also accommodation for up to 18 members of staff.

As well as the diving opportunities, the surrounding waters are excellent for fishing. There are several sheltered moorings for boats up to 18 metres and there is a superyacht anchorage in the opposite bay. A piece of land on adjacent Espiritu Santo is also available as an access point or so visitors can land directly on a grass airstrip.

Lataro is currently under a 75-year lease that lasts until 2082. It is available on a walk-in, walk-out basis during this lease period, including boats, water toys and all furniture and equipment.

Lataro Island is listed for sale for $9,995,000 with Vladi Private Islands.

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 for $95 million with Vladi Private Islands.

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 $85 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.