Top 10 Secret Superyacht-Only Islands

The super-rich don’t rent sun loungers. And they’d don’t hire pedalos either. The security and secrecy demanded by today’s top dogs means that the superyacht industry is constantly searching for tomorrow’s destination du jour. Some of these idyllic islands are reachable by public transport. Others can only be seen on a luxury yacht. A handful are so hush-hush that in 2013 they’ll welcome only a trickle of travellers.

1. Kornati Islands, Croatia

The Kornati Islands are Croatia’s crown jewels. From the air, this sun-soaked scatter of 140 islands looks like green paint spilt over a carpet of blue. The archipelago has been a National Park since 1980. This means no cars, no people, and no trappings of modern life.

Well-healed holidaymakers are not put off by the islands naughty nomenclature. When the Austro-Hungarian governors mapped their Croatian territory 200 years ago, local guides christened each anchorage with a cheeky title. Babina Guzica Island roughly reads as “my mother’s buttocks” and Kurba Vela diplomatically translates as “large prostitute”.

2. Bora Bora & Moorea, French Polynesia

The Society Islands are a chain of coral atolls that stretch into the South Pacific like a necklace of sand. Bora Bora is a den of fine dining and deep water diving, all surrounded by a barrier reef.

Moorea’s mix of limpid lagoons and rainforest peaks were declared by travel writer Arthur Frommer as “the most beautiful island in the world”. And while filming Mutiny on the Bounty, Marlon Brando fell so in love with the island of Tetiaroa that he purchased it lock, stock and barrel.

3. Fernando de Noronha, Brazil

For squillionaire eco-freaks only there’s only one archipelago that secures privacy and purity in one blissful locale. The islands of Fernando de Noronha are a 350km sail out into the Atlantic Ocean.

This cluster of 21 volcanic islands is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its protected eco-status — combined with strictly limited visitor numbers — means that only a fortunate few travelling by luxury yacht charter are able to while away their winters here. Mere mortals can book a flight from Recife on the Brazilian mainland.

4. Nidri, Greece

Midway down the west coast of Greece, the town of Nidri stands on a mirror-calm lagoon dotted with tiny islets. A statue of Aristotle Onassis looks out over the bay. The shipping tycoon is buried nearby on the dynasty’s private island of Skorpios, one of a scattering of uninhabited isles that lie around coastal Greece.

While some local islands can be reached by local ferry, others are far more exclusive. For a mere $10m, punters can purchase the nearby private island of Navsika and have paradise all to themselves.

5. Palawan, Philippines

The crescendo of any cruise through the Philippines is Palawan. Here, luxury superyacht crews lead their guests on sea-kayak expeditions along the underground river that flows through the world’s longest cave complex.

Nearby, private safaris are offered on the Calauit Island “nature reserve”. It was formerly the private playground of the Ferdinand Marcos, the dodgy old dictator of the Philippines. The island now provides a refuge not only for native species, but also for African imports including giraffe, zebra and antelope.

6. Sveti Marko Island, Montenegro

Montenegro is the new Croatia. And Tivat is its coolest yachting resort. Private boat pick-up from Tivat Airport propels guests from airplane to superyacht in five minutes flat. Indeed, jets swoop low enough over town for passengers to check the restaurant scene from the comfort of their Gulfstream.

Tivat’s ultimate escape is a tender ride away. Sveti Marko Island basks in a sunny microclimate in the bay. Paparazzi are pooped, as it can only be reached by private boat. A brand new six-star holiday resort is set to open on the island in 2014.

7. Prince’s Islands, Istanbul

The playground for Istanbul’s elite is fit for a pauper too. The Princes Islands are a AU$2 45-minute sail from the city shoreline. What attracts both rich and poor is that this nine-island archipelago is tranquil, timeless and completely car-free. Each boat-only idyll is ringed with clapboard houses, Greek churches and seafood restaurants.

A yachtie’s favourite is Prinkipo Restaurant on the main island of Buyukada. There’s no menu. Instead, each guest rolls back to their boat after a salvo of stuffed squid, grilled fish and anise-flavoured raki.

8. Ilhas Selvagem, Portugal

The Ilhas Selvagem — or Savage Island’s — have superyacht written all over them. They lie in clear Atlantic Ocean midway between Madeira and Gibraltar. The only way a mere mortal is likely to visit is in an emergency life raft.

The Ilhas Selvagem are so isolated that they once made a perfect pirates’ lair — although four major treasure digs have failed to find the alleged cache of gold. Selvagem’s allure now lies in what Jacques Cousteau called “the cleanest waters in the world”. These subtropical cetacean-rich seas are now on UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage List.

9. Langkawi, Malaysia

Malaysia’s Royal Langkawi Yacht Club has been welcoming luxury yacht charters for a decade. Fine wining and dining options blend with a St Tropez-style array of quayside bars and boutiques.

Away from the main island, the Langkawi archipelago offers tranquillity, exclusivity and utter privacy. There are 99 islands to choose among, only four of which are inhabited. Most are merely specks on a yacht captain’s chart, where sea eagles soar above deserted white beaches and nodding palms. These private slices of paradise can only be visited under one’s own steam.

10. Giglio Island, Italy

The tiny island of Giglio hit the headlines in January 2012 as the cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground. But with the vessel refloated and reef cleaned in 2013, this private speck of paradise is back on the radar.

Giglio will soon revert to its status as a pristine Arcadia. The island is scored by hiking trails, ringed by sandy beaches and frequented more by dolphins than human beings. Giglio bans on all non-resident vehicles during summer. No wander it’s popular for those arriving by sea.