No one buys a private island looking for a faster pace. The key is creating a place that functions as an actual refugeone where you can live for weeks, if not months, without interruption.

But when Eric Blochs grandfather bought a 32-acre island off the coast of Roatan, one of the bay islands of Honduras, it was only equipped to be a weekend getaway. He bought it in 1962, and I think it cost about $2,000, says Bloch, an architect in Zurich. At the time, his grandfather lived on the mainland, where he owned fruit plantations. The island was completely uninhabited, Bloch says. He put in a runway and dug a canal where you could dock boats.

After his grandfathers death, Blochs mother inherited the island. In the mid-1990s, she decided to develop it into a permanent compound where the family could spend weeks at a time. She built it out of what Bloch calls simple tropical-wood structures. The exception, he says, is a reinforced-concrete hurricane shelter.

The main house has eight bedrooms, each of which has an en suite bathroom. There are also facilities where a staff of up to 12 can stay. The island, Bloch says, is designed to sustain a comparatively large group. Its solar panels work about 85 percent of the timeit depends on how many people are on the island, he says. If you have 16 friends and theyre all city people who want to blow-dry their hair, its going to drain the batteries pretty quickly. (Should the system fail, there are generators.) Together, two massive cisterns can store 40,000 gallons of water, enough to get through six months of dry season. The only thing the location lacks, he says, is food, which has to be brought in.

The island is beautiful for 10 days or two weeks, he says. If you wanted to stay for longer, you could, but after a while, it gets pretty lonely. You want to see people. sothebysrealty.com

A bedroom at Fort Morgan Cay.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty

The Motukawaiti house opens out to the water.

Source: Vladi Private Islands

Located in the Cavalli Islands, near the northern tip of New Zealand, Motukawaiti is the only one of the cluster left in private hands. The complex has a large contemporary house with an open-plan kitchen and living room, which is adjacent to two smaller studios with sleeping areas. The entire compound is powered by solar panels and a backup generator, and water is collected on roofs and stored. Much of the island is wild, but there are a few luxury amenities, including a pool and lounge areas. Its accessible by boat from Matauri Bay, which itself is fairly remoteAuckland is more than a three-hour drive away. vladi-private-islands.de

The development occupies only a small corner of Motukawaiti

Source: Vladi Private Islands

At Potato Island, a granite hot tub is embedded in therocks.

Source: Christie's International Real Estate

East of New Haven, this tiny plot of land is a few minutes boat ride off the coast and part of the storied Thimble Islands. The house, set on the tip of the island and overlooking the Long Island Sound, was built in 1912 and renovated in 1998. Inside are stone fireplaces, an eat-in kitchen, large living areas, and a master suite with a jacuzzi and steam shower. The property has manicured gardens and lawns and a swimming pool with a separate outdoor granite hot tub. You can access the house only by boat (unless youre willing to let a helicopter obliterate those flower beds), but the deep-water dock can accommodate a variety of craft. The house has its own solar panels and a water hookup to the town of Branford on the mainland. christiesrealestate.com

A master house porch nudges up to the water on Jewel Caye.

Source: Private Islands, Inc.

Set in the Caribbean 6.5 miles east of Belizes Hopkins Village, the compound has a master house on each end of the island, with attached guest accommodations. Between them are staff quarters that sleep 10. The pice de rsistance is a floating clubhouse accessed by a 120-foot walkway. It has a kitchen, dining room, bar, and glass bottom, so guests can admire the coral reef below. The island has 33,550 gallons of water storage and solar-powered electrical systems, satellite TV, and Wi-Fi. privateislandsonline.com

The interiors at Jewel Caye are breezy and relaxed.

Source: Private Islands, Inc.

At Ilha da Josefa, the tides lap at the front steps.

Source: Christie's International Real Estate

Located in Angra dos Reis, a vacation area between Rio and So Paulo, the island compound comprises 16 buildings with a combined 21,000 square feet of space. Although theres a helipad, the mainland is only a 10-minute boat ride away. With its proximity to the coast, power is supplied by underwater electrical lines, but theres a freshwater source on Ilha da Josefa itself. christiesrealestate.com

Theres room to build a second cottage on Eshpabekong.

Source: Private Islands, Inc.

Eshpabekong, a group of four small islands in Lake Hurons Georgian Bay, is about two hours north of Toronto (the travel time includes the drive and boat ride). Theres a timber-frame cottage on the 10.5-acre main island, as well as a 100-foot-long dock where boats moor once the lake unfreezes in late spring. Solar panels and backup generators provide power. The current owners have secured municipal approval to build a second cottage plus two sleeping cabins should buyers want to create a fully realized compound. privateislandsonline.com

Source: Vladi Private Islands

Lataro is covered in old-growth rainforest and sits among almost 4 square miles of coral reefs; 90 percent of the island is a conservation reserve. (Its one of the only remaining habitats of the highly endangered coconut crab, the largest terrestrial crab on the planet.) The compound has solar power and ample water reserves. The South Pacific property is in fact a 75-year leasehold that expires in 2082. vladi-private-islands.de

The Venetian fort can be reached by boat or helicopter.

Source: Vladi Private Islands

When Napoleon occupied Venice, ending the citys thousand-year run as a republic, he made few changes to the citys infrastructure. But one addition was a small fortridottoon one of the lagoons 118 islands. After his fall, the city passed into Austrian hands, and in 1866 it was annexed by Italy. The fort was eventually sold into private hands. (Even so, because its in the Venetian lagoon, its island is considered part of a Unesco World Heritage Site.)

Today, the fort has been converted into a villa, and the grounds, which feature mature fruit trees, are secluded from the rest of the city. Along with the refurbished 1,800-square-foot villa (which is air-conditioned, making it something of a rarity in the area), theres a separate caretakers apartment. The lawn is large enough for a helicopter to land, and theres also a dock, in a sheltered harbor with mooring facilities. The former fort is only a 20-minute boat ride from the Piazza San Marco and 25 minutes from the airport on the mainland. Alternately, its moments from the colorful Burano Island, known for its lace production, and Torcello, home to a magnificent Byzantine basilica. vladi-private-islands.de

MORE SUMMER AT THE SHORE

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Eight Private Islands for Sale Perfect for Long-Term Getaways