Celebrity Owned Private Islands

Ever wonder what it would be like to take a vacation with Johnny Depp on his private Caribbean island? Vanity Fair contributing editor Douglas Brinkley, who, like Depp, was a close friend of the late gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson, did just that. As he reports in the July cover story, “Johnny Depp’s Great Escape,” it’s pretty damn great.

In 2004, Johnny Depp reportedly plunked down $3.6 million for Little Hall’s Pond Cay, a mile-long, palm-littered getaway 60 miles south of Nassau. Blessed with majestic reefs, a lagoon, private harbor and six white-sand beaches, the enchanting atoll caught Depp’s eye while he was in the region filming Pirates of the Caribbean, and seemed like the perfect hideaway for a busy screen idol and his family. “It is so beautiful there,” Depp told the New York Post. “So peaceful, free and relaxed.”

Blackadore, Belize
(Leonardo DiCaprio and real estate developer Jeff Gram, co-owners)
During a visit to the Cayo Espanto resort, Leonardo DiCaprio was so smitten with the exotic digs that he co-purchased the place next door: Blackadore, a narrow, two-mile strip of sand and greenery sprinkled with coconut palms and tropical vegetation. A devoted environmentalist, DiCaprio struck a deal with Four Seasons Resorts to build an eco-friendly hotel on the island (plus private pools and villas), which will still preserve the island’s majestic wildlife and marine life.

Mago Island, Fiji
(Mel Gibson, owner)
In 2004, actor Mel Gibson purchased Mago Island from Japan’s Tokyu Corp. for $15 million. The 5,411-acre hideaway is said to be one of the largest privately owned islands in Fiji. Encircled by protective reefs, and blanketed with lush growths of mango, coconut, grapefruit, guava and papaya, Mago (prounounced Mungo), plays host to two turquoise lagoons, a farm, and several hundred cattle. Oh, yeah—there’s even an eight-lane bowling alley.

Musha Cay, Bahamas
(David Copperfield, owner)
Of his cache of four private islands, magician and illusionist David Copperfield rents out the immaculate, white-sanded Musha Cay, a 150-acre haven that plays host to such celebrated beachcombers as Oprah Winfrey and John Travolta. The tab for a full-island rental is up to $300,000 a week—but you get you money’s worth: You can choose from accommodations such as a five-bedroom villa on the beach or a 10,000-square-foot manor house on the crest of a hill; and the staff includes 30-plus trained pamperers and a world-class chef.Leaf Cay, the Exumas
(Nicolas Cage, owner)
Languidly drifting amid the sprawl of the Exuma archipelago, 85 miles southeast of Nassau, is actor Nicolas Cage’s Leaf Cay, a sand-fringed plot of paradise equipped with a 1,500-foot airstrip, underground wiring and its own desalination facility. Measuring more than 40 acres, the rustic isle floats in pristine, crystal clear waters (often compared to the South Pacific) and reportedly cost Cage $3 million. "It's nice to walk on the beach and not have to worry about having your picture taken,” he told the Associated Press.