The idea of having an entire island to yourself ranks among the most powerful fantasies in luxury travel. The complete privacy, the sense of splendid isolation, the knowledge that every beach, every cove, every sunset vista belongs exclusively to you and your chosen companions. For most of history, this was a privilege reserved for monarchs and magnates. In 2026, it is something you can book online, sometimes for less than you might expect.
Europe is home to thousands of islands, and a surprising number of them are available for exclusive hire as private retreats. These range from fully staffed luxury estates on Greek islets to wild, windswept hideaways off the coasts of Ireland and Scandinavia. What unites them is the promise of an experience that no conventional hotel, however exclusive, can replicate: the profound peace and freedom of having an entire island as your domain.
This guide focuses exclusively on private island retreats that are genuinely available for booking. These are not theoretical possibilities or billionaire playgrounds visible only from passing yachts. Every property featured here can be reserved by anyone willing to invest in an extraordinary experience.
Understanding Private Island Retreats
Before exploring specific islands, it helps to understand the different types of private island experiences available in Europe. The market essentially breaks down into three categories, each with distinct characteristics and price points.
Fully Staffed Luxury Islands
These are islands with purpose-built or restored accommodations, dedicated staff including chefs, housekeepers, and concierge services, and a full range of amenities. They offer a resort-like experience in a completely private setting. Prices typically start from 3,000 EUR per night and can exceed 50,000 EUR per night for the most prestigious properties.
Self-Catering Private Islands
These islands provide comfortable accommodation, usually a renovated cottage or villa, but without permanent staff. Guests manage their own cooking and cleaning, though many offer optional services that can be arranged in advance. Prices range from 500 to 5,000 EUR per night, making private island experiences more accessible than most people imagine.
Island Hotels with Exclusive Buyout Options
Some small island hotels offer the option to book every room on the property, effectively giving you a private island experience with full hotel services. This can represent excellent value, particularly for group celebrations or weddings. Prices vary based on the hotel's size and season.
Greek Islands: Where Azure Meets Exclusivity
Agios Thomas Private Island, Near Lefkada
Just off the coast of Lefkada in the Ionian Sea, Agios Thomas is a 10-acre island that has been developed into a world-class private retreat while preserving its wild Mediterranean character. The island accommodates up to 12 guests in a beautifully restored stone villa and several smaller guest cottages, all furnished with a refined rustic elegance that complements the natural surroundings.
A dedicated team of eight staff members, including a chef who sources ingredients daily from Lefkada's markets, ensures that guests want for nothing. The island features multiple beaches, a hilltop swimming pool with panoramic Ionian views, and a boathouse with kayaks, paddleboards, and a small motorboat for exploring the surrounding coastline. Evenings are spent dining al fresco under ancient olive trees, with the only sounds being the lapping of waves and the occasional call of a seabird.
The surrounding waters are among the clearest in Europe, and the island's position provides easy access to the legendary beaches of Lefkada, Ithaca, and Kefalonia. The concierge can arrange sailing excursions, diving trips, and visits to local vineyards and villages on the neighboring islands.
Capacity: Up to 12 guests.
Price: From approximately 5,500 EUR per night, fully staffed with meals.
Season: May through October.
How to book: Available through luxury villa rental agencies and directly via the property's management company.
Dulichium Private Island, Echinades Archipelago
Located in the remote Echinades archipelago off the western coast of Greece, Dulichium is a 20-acre island that has been developed with extraordinary sensitivity to its natural environment. The accommodation consists of several eco-luxury pavilions constructed from local stone and sustainably sourced timber, designed to sit lightly on the landscape while providing every modern comfort.
What makes Dulichium special is its genuine wilderness. Unlike many private islands that have been landscaped into tropical perfection, Dulichium retains its wild Mediterranean character, with ancient mastic trees, fragrant herb gardens, and rocky coves that feel entirely untouched. The island's commitment to sustainability includes solar power, organic gardens that supply the kitchen, and a marine conservation program that guests can participate in.
Capacity: Up to 8 guests.
Price: From approximately 4,000 EUR per night, fully inclusive.
Season: June through September.
How to book: Directly through the island's website, with a minimum stay of five nights.
Croatian Private Islands: Adriatic Jewels
Isola di San Clemente, Near Split
Within the Pakleni Islands archipelago just off the coast of Hvar, Isola di San Clemente offers a fully staffed private island experience in one of the most beautiful stretches of the Adriatic. The island features a restored 19th-century villa that accommodates up to 10 guests in five suites, each with views across the crystal-clear waters to the Croatian mainland.
The staff includes a private chef specializing in Dalmatian cuisine, who prepares meals using fish caught that morning and produce sourced from Hvar's famous lavender fields and organic farms. The island's position makes it ideal for exploring the Croatian coast: Hvar town, with its vibrant nightlife and excellent restaurants, is a 15-minute boat ride away, while the more tranquil islands of Vis and Brac are easily accessible for day trips.
A fleet of water toys, including a speedboat, sea kayaks, paddleboards, and snorkeling equipment, is available for guests, and the island's private dock can accommodate yachts for those arriving by sea. For a truly memorable experience, the staff can arrange a private al fresco cinema screening on the beach, complete with gourmet popcorn and champagne, under a canopy of Mediterranean stars.
Capacity: Up to 10 guests.
Price: From approximately 4,500 EUR per night, fully staffed.
Season: May through October.
How to book: Through select luxury travel agencies with a minimum seven-night stay during peak season.
Obonjan Island, Near Sibenik
Obonjan is a 150-acre forested island near the city of Sibenik that has been reimagined as an exclusive island retreat. Unlike the intimate villa-style islands described above, Obonjan offers a broader experience with various accommodation types ranging from luxury glamping tents to renovated stone cottages. The entire island can be booked for private events, or individual units can be reserved during the regular season.
The island features a wellness center with yoga and meditation spaces, an open-air restaurant serving organic Mediterranean cuisine, and a beachside bar that transforms into a relaxed music venue in the evenings. The surrounding Kornati archipelago offers exceptional sailing and diving, and the island's concierge team can arrange excursions to the nearby Krka National Park with its stunning waterfalls.
Capacity: Up to 200 guests for exclusive buyout, individual bookings available.
Price: From approximately 250 EUR per night for individual bookings; exclusive buyout from approximately 15,000 EUR per night.
Season: June through September.
Ireland and the British Isles: Wild Atlantic Luxury
Inish Turk Beg, County Mayo, Ireland
Off the wild Atlantic coast of County Mayo, Inish Turk Beg is a 90-acre island that has been developed into an extraordinary private retreat by an owner with a deep commitment to both luxury and ecological stewardship. The island accommodates up to 12 guests in a beautifully designed main lodge and several guest cottages, all built to blend with the rugged landscape.
This is a private island experience of a very different character from the Mediterranean options. Here, the drama comes from the Atlantic seascapes, the ever-changing skies, the wild moorland, and the rich marine life that includes dolphins, seals, and migratory seabirds. The island features a heated outdoor pool overlooking the ocean, a private beach, and a network of walking trails that traverse the entire property.
The resident chef creates menus centered on the extraordinary seafood of the Atlantic coast, supplemented by produce from the island's kitchen garden and foraged ingredients. Evenings are spent by the lodge's log fire, often with live traditional Irish music arranged from the mainland. For nature enthusiasts, the island offers some of the finest sea kayaking, fishing, and birdwatching in Europe.
Capacity: Up to 12 guests.
Price: From approximately 3,500 EUR per night, fully staffed with meals.
Season: Year-round, though May through September offers the most settled weather.
How to book: Directly through the island's management, with a minimum three-night stay.
Scandinavian Private Islands: Nordic Serenity
Bergholmen Island, Swedish Archipelago
In the vast Stockholm archipelago, where over 30,000 islands and skerries scatter across the Baltic Sea, Bergholmen is a private island that offers a distinctly Nordic take on island luxury. The property features a beautifully restored traditional Swedish summer house alongside a modern glass-walled sauna that sits at the water's edge, providing a theatrical setting for the quintessential Scandinavian ritual of sauna followed by a plunge into the Baltic.
The island is intimate in scale, covering just a few acres of pine forest, smooth granite rock, and shoreline meadows. Accommodation is deliberately understated in the Scandinavian tradition, with light-filled rooms, natural materials, and a design philosophy that prioritizes connection with the surrounding landscape. The experience here is centered on the simple pleasures of island life: swimming from the private dock, foraging for wild berries, grilling freshly caught fish over an open fire, and watching the northern light play across the water.
Capacity: Up to 6 guests.
Price: From approximately 800 EUR per night, self-catering with optional chef service.
Season: May through September for the warmest weather; winter stays available for those seeking a more dramatic experience.
How to book: Through Swedish luxury property rental platforms.
Italian Private Islands
Isola Santa Cristina, Venetian Lagoon
Just 20 minutes by private water taxi from Venice's St. Mark's Square, Isola Santa Cristina is a 30-acre private island in the Venetian lagoon that has been owned by the same family for over a century. The island is available for exclusive rental and accommodates up to 14 guests in a series of elegantly restored buildings that include a main villa, guest cottages, and a former chapel that now serves as an atmospheric dining room.
The contrast between the hustle of Venice and the profound tranquility of Santa Cristina is remarkable. The island features organic vegetable gardens, an orchard, a swimming pool, and several private beaches along the lagoon. The chef prepares meals using produce grown on the island and seafood harvested from the lagoon, creating a farm-to-table experience of exceptional quality. Guests can explore the lagoon by traditional wooden boat, visit neighboring islands, or simply enjoy the rare privilege of having a private piece of the Venetian landscape entirely to themselves.
Capacity: Up to 14 guests.
Price: From approximately 6,000 EUR per night, fully staffed.
Season: April through October.
How to book: Through the island's own management or select luxury travel advisors.
Practical Considerations for Booking a Private Island
What Is Typically Included
- Exclusive use of the entire island and all facilities
- Staff including housekeeping, chef services, and concierge on fully staffed islands
- Boat transfers from the nearest mainland port or airport
- Water sports equipment and recreational facilities
- Meals prepared by a private chef (on staffed islands)
What Usually Costs Extra
- Premium wines and spirits beyond the house selection
- Off-island excursions and activities requiring external providers
- Spa treatments, which are often arranged with visiting therapists
- Helicopter or seaplane transfers where available
- Special event arrangements such as fireworks or live entertainment
Booking Timeline
For peak season stays during July and August, booking nine to twelve months in advance is recommended. Shoulder season availability is generally more flexible, with bookings three to six months ahead typically sufficient. Many islands require minimum stays of three to seven nights, and some offer discounted weekly rates.
Combining with Other Luxury Experiences
A private island stay pairs beautifully with other premium travel experiences. Consider arriving at your island via a luxury Greek islands cruise, or bookend your island retreat with stays at Europe's most romantic luxury hotels. For those seeking to balance indulgence with restoration, our guide to luxury wellness retreats in Europe offers the perfect complement to an island escape.
A private island retreat is not merely a holiday. It is a statement about what you value: privacy, natural beauty, and the freedom to live on your own terms, even if only for a week. Europe's private islands, from the sun-drenched Aegean to the wild Atlantic, offer this freedom in settings of extraordinary beauty. The only question is which island speaks to your soul.
