Offshore relax havens… Ten amazing rentals listed in Airbnb’s new ‘islands’ category, from the wilds of Scotland to tranquil North American lakes and the Caribbean’s azure waters
- Unplug yourself from the mayhem of the mainland with a stay at an incredible private island
- Choosing your personal paradise has never been easier, thanks to Airbnb’s recently launched ‘islands’ filter
- Here we present 10 breathtaking options, from Ontario to Michigan and from Colombia to Sweden
Unplugging yourself from the mayhem of the mainland has never been easier – thanks to Airbnb’s handy new ‘islands’ filter.
The rental website’s tool reveals a flurry of highly enticing offshore retreats, including a surprisingly affordable Scottish hideaway where guests can spot seals from a hot tub to rentals off the coast of Colombia surrounded by the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea and log cabins located amid the tranquillity of a remote Canadian lake.
So pack your trunks and get ready to set sail, here are 10 of Airbnb’s most unbelievable private islands….
Paradise Island, Goguac Lake, Michigan, USA
‘Take a trip to Paradise Island and feel the fantasy of renting an island right here in Michigan,’ says the listing of this four-bedroom abode in the centre of Goguac Lake
Described as a ‘getaway for the mind, body and soul’, Paradise Island hopes to live up to its name with a hot tub, retro games room and a boat to get to and from the mainland
‘Take a trip to Paradise Island and feel the fantasy of renting an island right here in Michigan,’ says the listing of this four-bed abode in the centre of Goguac Lake.
Described as a ‘getaway for the mind, body and soul’, Paradise Island hopes to live up to its name with a hot tub, retro games room and a boat to get to and from the mainland.
Paradise Island sleeps 12 and costs from £3,701 per night with a three-night minimum stay.
Kalua, Rosario Islands archipelago, Colombia
Atoll-iday of a lifetime: This four-bedroom Airbnb abode is built in a ‘tropical style that combines with the beautiful landscape’, says the listing
The property comes with a hot tub, swimming pool, kayaks, and a bathroom with see-through walls offering sea views
The ‘oasis’ is surrounded on all sides by the Caribbean Sea. For an extra fee staff will cook, clean and maintain the space
The retreat, in the Rosario Islands, sleeps 15 and costs from £1,196 per night
This four-bedroom home in the Rosario Islands archipelago (also known as Corales Islas del Rosario) in Colombia is built in a ‘tropical style that combines with the beautiful landscape’, says the listing.
The ‘oasis’ is surrounded on all sides by the Caribbean Sea.
It comes with a hot tub, swimming pool, kayaks, and a bathroom with see-through walls offering stunning sea views.
The Rosario Islands archipelago consists of 27 small coral islands and is around an hour by boat from Cartagena, which lies 22 miles (35km) to the north-east. Kalua sleeps 15 and costs from £1,196 per night. For an extra fee staff will cook, clean and maintain the space.
Otter Cabin, Dry Island, Badachro, Scotland
Otter Cabin is located on the historic family-run Dry Island on Scotland’s West Coast, by the village of Badachro. The views are ‘second to none’
The listing explains that ‘members of the Mackenzie family have lived, fished and farmed since the 15th century’ on Dry Island, which sits in the ‘tranquil waters’ of Gair Loch (‘short loch’)
Previous guest Alex wrote of the Scottish hideaway: ‘The most magical place I have ever visited’
Named after the wild critters that are often spotted by its guests, Otter Cabin is located on the historic family-run Dry Island on Scotland’s West Coast, by the village of Badachro.
The listing explains that ‘members of the Mackenzie family have lived, fished and farmed since the 15th century’ on Dry Island, which sits in the ‘tranquil waters’ of Gair Loch (‘short loch’).
The island’s current owner, Ian McWhinney, is a descendent of the Mackenzies and still fishes for shellfish from the island. He is very happy to take visitors out to harvest langoustines, crabs and squat lobsters from his creels, we’re told.
Previous guest ‘Alex’ wrote of the Scottish hideaway: ‘The most magical place I have ever visited. The cabin is cosy and comfortable and the perfect tranquil getaway. Ian was an extremely friendly host and made us feel welcome on his little island. Watching the seals bobbing past the hot tub was a perfect pastime on an otherwise cold day.’ Another reviewer, ‘Michael’, stressed that the views are ‘second to none’.
Otter Cabin, a 90-minute drive from Inverness, sleeps two and costs from £113 per night, with a two-night minimum stay.
‘Charming House’, Ile Saint-Riom, Brittany, France
On St. Riom Island (above) in Brittany is a period stone-house rental with a ‘large terrace with barbecue’, a ‘large living room’ and a ‘fully equipped upscale kitchen’
‘This is a very unique place. You are on your own as it is a private island,’ writes previous guest ‘Hans’ of the Charming House (pictured above)
‘The island is quite raw, un-groomed and full of natural beauty. The host is great and very present and helpful with your needs during the stay. We loved it!’ adds Hans
Found in the bay of Saint-Brieuc just off the bustling coastal town of Paimpol on St. Riom Island (Ile Saint-Riom), this period stone house has a ‘large terrace with barbecue’, a ‘large living room’ and a ‘fully equipped upscale kitchen’, says the listing.
The rental includes full access to the nine-hectare island’s beaches, woods, trails and pastures.
‘This is a very unique place. You are on your own as it is a private island,’ writes previous guest ‘Hans’.
He adds: ‘The island is quite raw, un-groomed and full of natural beauty. The host is great and very present and helpful with your needs during the stay. We loved it!’
Charming House sleeps six and costs from £466 per night with a seven-night minimum stay.
Paradise Islands bungalow, Yen Bai, Vietnam
Visitors to this island bungalow in Vietnam ‘will be immersed in endless nature’
The property is located on an island on the ‘pristine’ Thac Ba hydroelectric lake in Yen Bai province, around 90 miles north-west of Hanoi
The property includes a free breakfast, a balcony with a lake view and a private swimming pool
Visitors to this island bungalow in Vietnam ‘will be immersed in endless nature with… the clear blue of the sky, the pearl blue of the deep water lake and the dark blue of the vast forest’, according to the listing.
The property is located on an island on the ‘pristine’ Thac Ba hydroelectric lake in Yen Bai province, around 90 miles north-west of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi.
The property includes a free breakfast, a balcony with a lake view and a private swimming pool.
Paradise Islands bungalow sleeps three and costs from £43 per night.
‘Paradisiac Island’, Rosario Islands archipelago, Colombia
This stunning cylindrical rental is located in the Rosario Islands archipelago on an islet called Pelican Island
The island, explains the listing, has a ‘prestigious chef to please its customers with delicious and healthy food’
There is an outdoor pool with a deck and barbecue and three bedrooms described as being ‘full of beauty and comfort’
This stunning cylindrical rental is located in the Rosario Islands archipelago on an islet called Pelican Island.
There is an outdoor pool with a deck and barbecue and three bedrooms described as being ‘full of beauty and comfort’. Each comes with a private bathroom, hammocks, cable TV and air conditioning.
The island, explains the listing, has a ‘prestigious chef to please its customers with delicious and healthy food’.
Paradisiac Island sleeps six and costs from £961 per night with a three-night minimum stay.
‘Chimera Private Island’, San Blas, Mexico
‘Marvel at its natural environment and wake up every day facing the sea [the Pacific Ocean],’ the owners write of this ‘incredible’ private island near the town of San Blas on Mexico’s west coast
Kerry stayed at the breathtaking property and wrote: ‘Hidden gem! We loved everything about it from the plunge pools to the ocean sounds all night long, and the incredible hospitality from Diego and his wife. They even have breakfast available on site so you don’t have to leave the island to eat’
The house has a total of four bedrooms, each of which has its own private infinity pool with ocean views, says the listing
‘Marvel at its natural environment and wake up every day facing the sea [the Pacific Ocean],’ the owners write of this ‘incredible’ private island near the town of San Blas on Mexico’s west coast.
The house has a total of four bedrooms – one is included as standard on Airbnb and you’ll have to request to add more to your stay – each of which has its own private infinity pool with ocean views, says the listing.
Previous guest ‘Kerry’ wrote: ‘Hidden gem! We loved everything about it from the plunge pools to the ocean sounds all night long, and the incredible hospitality from Diego and his wife. They even have breakfast available on site so you don’t have to leave the island to eat.’
Chimera Private Island sleeps up to eight and costs from £140 per night for one bedroom.
Stenskar island, Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden
This incredible Airbnb is on one of Sweden’s 267,570 islands, on an islet called Stenskar, within a cluster of 30,000 islands that form the 650-square-mile (1,683-sq-km) Stockholm Archipelago
The listing describes it as ‘completely secluded’ and ‘perfect if you like the sea and love the feeling of a small sandy beach of your own’
Want to check in? Get ready to disconnect. This rental has no connection to the electricity grid
‘It is just a unique place, so beautiful and pure. Thanks a lot Tomas, it was an honour to be there,’ wrote ‘Julie’ of her stay
This incredible Airbnb is on one of Sweden’s 267,570 islands, on an islet called Stenskar, within a cluster of 30,000 islands that form the 650-square-mile (1,683-sq-km) Stockholm Archipelago.
The listing describes it as ‘completely secluded’ and ‘perfect if you like the sea and love the feeling of a small sandy beach of your own’.
‘It is just a unique place, so beautiful and pure. Thanks a lot Tomas, it was an honour to be there,’ wrote ‘Julie’ of her stay.
Want to check in? Get ready to disconnect. This rental has no connection to the electricity grid, though there is a solar panel on the roof that powers lighting. The water tap in the kitchen and in the toilet run ‘brackish sea water’, but the landlord ensures there is a week’s supply of bottled water on site.
Guests have use of a windsurfing board, an SUP board, fishing equipment, a sauna and a wood-fired hot tub for six, plus there is a motorboat for reaching the mainland.
Stenskar island – around one hour by car from Stockholm, to the north-east – sleeps eight in four bedrooms and costs from £339 per night, with a two-night minimum stay.
‘King Island’ in Bigstone Bay, Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada
This stunning rental comprises two log cabins on an island just south of the small city of Kenora – on the vast Lake of the Woods – with guests offered ‘beautiful sunrises and sunsets’, as well as ‘picturesque views of Bigstone Bay’
‘If you love the water, and want a fun, relaxing, quiet getaway, this is perfect,’ wrote previous guest ‘Donna’ of her stay here
The ‘rustic’ set-up comprises a two-bedroom main cabin, a guest cabin with wood-burning stove, a lakeside fire pit and a private dock for sunbathing and fishing
This stunning rental comprises two log cabins on an island just south of the small city of Kenora – on the vast Lake of the Woods – with guests offered ‘beautiful sunrises and sunsets’, as well as ‘picturesque views of Bigstone Bay’.
The ‘rustic’ set-up comprises a two-bedroom main cabin, a guest cabin with wood-burning stove, a lakeside fire pit and a private dock for sunbathing and fishing, says the website. In addition, there are two kayaks guests can use for exploration of the idyllic surroundings.
‘If you love the water, and want a fun, relaxing, quiet getaway, this is perfect,’ wrote previous guest ‘Donna’ of her stay here.
King Island sleeps eight and costs from £249 per night with a seven-night minimum stay.
Red Pine Island, Whitefish Bay, Lake of the Woods, Ontario, Canada
‘No matter where you are, you are steps away from the crystal-clear waters of Whitefish Bay,’ write the owners of this cosy-looking cabin with wrap-around decks on the Lake of the Woods
‘Kaela-Mae’ stayed at the three-bed waterfront cottage and wrote: ‘This place is amazing!’
Red Pine Island sleeps six, has a ‘well-equipped kitchen’ and costs from £401 per night
‘No matter where you are, you are steps away from the crystal-clear waters of Whitefish Bay,’ write the owners of this cosy-looking cabin with wrap-around decks on the Lake of the Woods, near the small township of Sioux Narrows.
‘Kaela-Mae’ stayed at the three-bed waterfront cottage and wrote: ‘This place is amazing! It is [a] cute private little island, with fun rocks to jump off [and there’s a] beautiful sloped swimming area next to a fire pit where we watched the stars every night.’
Red Pine Island sleeps six, has a ‘well-equipped kitchen’ and costs from £401 per night, with a three-night minimum stay.
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