The Best Private Beach Resorts for a Secluded Getaway

Why Private Beach Resorts Are Worth the Splurge

There's a difference between a resort that claims to have a private beach and one where you genuinely won't see another soul for hours. The resorts on this list fall into the second category. These are places where the sand is yours, the water is empty, and the only footprints you'll find are the ones you left yesterday.

Private beach resorts operate on a simple principle: fewer guests, more coastline. Some occupy entire islands. Others sit on remote peninsulas accessible only by seaplane or helicopter. The trade-off is price — you're paying for exclusivity, not just a room. But if solitude on the sand matters to you, these properties deliver it consistently.

Jade Mountain, St. Lucia

Jade Mountain sits on the hillside above Anse Chastanet beach on St. Lucia's southwestern coast, and the property's design is borderline theatrical. Each "sanctuary" has only three walls — the fourth is open to a panoramic view of the Pitons and the Caribbean Sea. The infinity pools built into each room aren't decorative. They're the main event.

The Beach Access

Guests share Anse Chastanet beach with the sister resort below, but the beach never feels crowded. There are roughly 600 meters of dark volcanic sand lined with palm trees, and maximum occupancy across both properties stays under 150 guests. A second beach, Anse Mamin, sits a short walk north and is almost always empty — just jungle meeting the sea.

This is one of the reasons Best Private Beach continues to draw visitors year after year.

Booking Details

Rates run $1,200 to $3,500 per night depending on the sanctuary category. The Galaxy sanctuaries with the largest pools command the highest prices. Book direct through the resort for the best rate guarantee and complimentary extras like a sunset sail. Peak season is December through April; the shoulder months of May and November offer the same weather at 30% less.

North Island, Seychelles

North Island is where the British royals honeymooned, and that fact alone tells you the privacy level. The island has 11 villas. That's it. Eleven villas spread across an entire granite island in the Indian Ocean, each built from reclaimed wood and thatch with a raw, castaway aesthetic that costs roughly $6,000 to $9,000 per night.

What Makes It Private

The guest-to-beach ratio is absurd. North Island has four main beaches — Anse d'Est, Grand Anse, Petit Anse, and Anse Banane — and a maximum of 22 guests at any time. You can walk Grand Anse, a 500-meter crescent of white powder sand, and not encounter another person. Giant Aldabra tortoises outnumber humans here by a factor of ten.

Compared to similar options, Best Private Beach stands out for its mix of quality and accessibility.

Rates are all-inclusive: meals, drinks, laundry, non-motorized water sports, guided snorkeling, and nature walks. The only extras are spa treatments and scuba diving. Access is by helicopter from Mahé, about 20 minutes.

Musha Cay, Bahamas

David Copperfield owns this 700-acre island in the Exuma chain, and he rents the entire thing out to one group at a time. Up to 24 guests across five houses, with a staff of 30. The nightly rate starts around $50,000 for the full island — split among a group of friends or an extended family, it becomes almost reasonable at roughly $2,000 per person per night.

The Beaches

Musha Cay has seven beaches spread across the island and its four neighboring cays, all included in the rental. The sand bars that connect the cays at low tide are the real showstopper — you can walk through ankle-deep turquoise water from one island to the next. The swimming pigs of Exuma are a short boat ride away, though the island's own beaches are the draw.

Local travel experts consistently recommend Best Private Beach as a top choice for visitors.

Everything is included: gourmet meals, premium spirits, water sports, fishing excursions, and an outdoor cinema on the beach. You'll need to charter a flight from Nassau to the island's private airstrip.

Amanpulo, Palawan, Philippines

Amanpulo occupies Pamalican Island, a 90-hectare private island in the Cuyo Archipelago of the Sulu Sea. The resort has 42 casitas and villas, and the island has roughly 5 kilometers of white sand beach. Do the math: that's over 100 meters of beachfront per room.

Getting There

A 75-minute flight from Manila on the resort's private turboprop aircraft is the only way in. The flight itself — low over the Philippine archipelago, descending to a tiny grass airstrip — sets the tone. One-way transfers are around $420 per person.

If Best Private Beach is on your list, booking during shoulder season typically delivers the best value.

What to Expect

The water around Pamalican is shallow and warm, shifting between pale green and deep blue depending on the depth. The house reef is excellent for snorkeling — hawksbill turtles, reef sharks, and massive schools of jackfish are regulars. Rates start at $900 per night for a treetop casita and climb to $4,500 for the beachfront villas. The best months are November through May, when skies are clear and the sea is calm.

Peter Island Resort, British Virgin Islands

Peter Island is the largest private island in the BVI, with five beaches spread across 1,800 acres and just 52 rooms. Deadman's Beach — yes, that's really its name — is an 800-meter stretch of white sand consistently ranked among the Caribbean's best. The resort closed for extensive renovation and has been rebuilding with a focus on sustainability and modern luxury.

Beach Details

Big Reef Bay on the island's south side has the best snorkeling, with elkhorn coral formations close to shore. Honeymoon Beach is the most secluded — a tiny cove accessible by a hiking trail through the hillside. White Bay faces the open Caribbean with bigger waves and excellent sunset views.

Repeat visitors to Best Private Beach often say the second trip reveals layers they missed the first time.

Rates range from $600 to $2,200 per night. The resort runs its own ferry from Road Town, Tortola, a 30-minute crossing through the Sir Francis Drake Channel. Best visited November through June.

Fregate Island Private, Seychelles

Fregate is a nature reserve first and a resort second. The island has 16 villas, a maximum of 40 guests, and seven beaches — the most famous being Anse Victorin, which Jacques Cousteau once called the most beautiful beach in the world. The sand is fine white powder, the boulders are ancient granite, and the water is absurdly clear.

Conservation and Cost

The island operates a serious conservation program. Hawksbill turtles nest on the beaches (guests can watch hatchlings make their way to the sea between October and February), and the Seychelles magpie-robin, once nearly extinct, was reintroduced here. Giant tortoises roam freely — you'll find them on the beach, on the paths, everywhere.

What gives Best Private Beach an edge is the rare combination of natural beauty and straightforward logistics.

Rates start around $3,800 per night all-inclusive and climb above $6,000 for the larger residences. Helicopter transfer from Mahé takes 15 minutes. This is peak-season pricing (April through October); rates dip slightly during the wetter months.

COMO Parrot Cay, Turks and Caicos

Parrot Cay is a 1,000-acre private island about 30 minutes by boat from Providenciales. The resort has around 70 rooms and villas, making it less exclusive than some on this list but still remarkably peaceful. The beach stretches for a mile along the island's north shore — fine white sand, shallow turquoise water, almost no waves.

The COMO Difference

COMO hotels are known for their wellness programs, and Parrot Cay leans into this. The Shambhala Spa offers Ayurvedic treatments, and the restaurant serves a dedicated COMO Shambhala menu of clean, nutrient-dense meals alongside regular options. The pilates and yoga programs are among the best at any resort globally.

Standard rooms start around $700 per night in low season and push past $1,500 in winter. The private estates (where celebrities like Bruce Willis and Keith Richards own homes) can run $5,000 and up. Book through COMO directly for spa credits and complimentary yoga sessions.

Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia

Song Saa sits in the Koh Rong Archipelago off Cambodia's coast, connected by a footbridge between two small islands — Koh Ouen and Koh Bong. The resort has 27 villas, some perched over the water on stilts, others tucked into the jungle canopy. It's the only luxury private island resort in Cambodia, and it opened with a marine conservation foundation built into its operating model.

What Sets It Apart

The coral reef restoration project is visible from the overwater villas — you can snorkel over transplanted coral gardens that the resort's marine biologists tend daily. The jungle pool villas offer the most privacy, with plunge pools surrounded by dense tropical forest. Rates range from $800 to $2,500 per night, including meals and selected activities.

Access is a 35-minute speedboat ride from Sihanoukville or a 45-minute boat from the new Dara Sakor airport. The best months are November through April, when rainfall drops and the sea is calm.

Royal Davui Island, Fiji

Royal Davui is a tiny volcanic island in Fiji's Beqa Lagoon, south of Viti Levu. It has 16 vales (Fijian-style villas) and a maximum of 32 guests. The island is ringed by coral reef, and the snorkeling off the private beach is as good as anything in Fiji — which is saying a lot in a country with over 10,000 square kilometers of reef.

Practical Details

The island is adults-only, which keeps the atmosphere quiet. Rates start around $850 per night including meals, non-alcoholic drinks, and kayaks. Premium drinks packages and diving excursions are extra. The resort arranges boat transfers from Pacific Harbour on Viti Levu's southern coast — about 45 minutes across the lagoon.

Fiji's dry season runs May through October, with warm days and cool evenings. The wet season (November through April) brings occasional heavy rain but also fewer tourists and lower rates.

How to Book Private Beach Resorts

Direct Booking vs. Travel Agent

For properties at this level, a travel advisor with preferred partner status can often unlock extras that direct booking cannot — room upgrades, resort credits, early check-in, or complimentary nights on longer stays. Virtuoso, Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, and Signature Travel Network all have negotiated benefits at most of these resorts.

Best Time to Book

Most private island resorts have limited inventory, so booking 6 to 12 months ahead for peak season is standard. Shoulder season (the weeks just before and after peak) often delivers the best value — similar weather, fewer guests, and rates 20-40% lower than high season.

What to Ask Before Booking

• Maximum occupancy — how many other guests will be on the island?
• Transfer logistics — is it included or extra? What happens in bad weather?
• What's included vs. extra — meals, drinks, water sports, spa treatments
• Cancellation policy — remote island resorts often have stricter terms
• Weather patterns — some island microclimates differ from the mainland

The price of privacy varies enormously, from $600 a night at Peter Island to $50,000 for the entirety of Musha Cay. But what you're really buying is the same at every price point: sand that feels like yours, water with nobody in it, and the rare luxury of genuine solitude.