You would be forgiven if you haven’t yet had the chance to unplug from 2020. Amid a devastating coronavirus pandemic, a rise in unemployment, home schooling and remote-work hours that seem to never end, who has time for (or felt comfortable with) a road trip or staycation?
Perhaps election week could finally persuade you to make time for a getaway that is truly away from everyone.
You may not be able to fly all your friends on a private jet to join you, but, even during a pandemic, you don’t need to be a Kardashian to rent your own private island. Forget your “closest inner circle” — and the rest of the world — on one of these private islands you can rent for less than you might think. (Prices are per night.)
An evergreen-sheathed island in Puget Sound: $275
With a three-bedroom home with a kid-friendly guesthouse available for stays longer than four nights, this private island is available for rent outside Seattle from $275 per night. The remote single-home island is accessible via a private ferry, and it has an indoor fireplace for cozy evenings inside.
[9 uniquely remote Airbnbs for a socially distanced getaway]
A quaint island lodge in Upstate New York: $1,500
Watch Island Lodge overlooks the St. Lawrence Seaway in New York. (VRBO)
Watch Island Lodge is a nine-bedroom home perfect for quarantining with family in Upstate New York — which just updated its testing guidance for out-of-state visitors. The 112-year-old Victorian house has three outdoor porches with sprawling views of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and every bathroom has a claw-foot tub for soaking.
A remote lake-house island in Maine: $150
Channel your inner pioneer in a rustic cabin on Maine’s Katahdin Lake, a large, remote lake in the shadow of Mount Katahdin. Hike the mainland and beaches by day, and enjoy the quiet property’s fire pit by night — but you’ll need your own boat (or rental) to get to the island.
A northern Wisconsin lake island: $395
A private-island vacation home on Wisconsin’s Lake Winter. (VRBO)
For fishing enthusiasts, or anyone who just wants to be isolated on a fishing lake for a few days, this five-acre island and cedar chalet on Lake Winter beckons. Cozy up to the fireplace, and take your morning coffee on the porch or the private dock.
Island bungalows in Belize: $552 to $1,450
The Little Peter Oasis is an overwater home located off the coast of Belize. (VRBO)
Belize, which reopened in October to international visitors with negative coronavirus tests in hand, is a haven of private island rentals. Overwater bungalows similar to the Maldives’ are much closer than the South Pacific if you’re willing to splurge on lodging: Little Peter Oasis is an overwater home connected to a three-acre island, and rates start at about $1,450 per night. But there are also more affordable options: The private island of Lark Caye offers a solar-powered rental home surrounded by coral reef and a shallow lagoon perfect for snorkeling and pelican watching. Rates start at $552 per night.
An intimate hideout in the Maldives: $1,750
The luxurious islands of the Maldives are open to Americans with a negative coronavirus test, and they have plenty of private-island rentals and overwater bungalows. A more economical option in the pricey Maldives, Naladhu Private Island is a modern one-bedroom property with a pool and sauna to enjoy when you’re not atoll hopping and snorkeling.
Your very own Florida Key: $1,324
Escape to Longboat Key in Florida in this private home. (VRBO)
Warm up in Florida on a remote private key where no one will bother you. Longboat Key is an island rental complete with palm tree hammocks and 300 feet of private beachfront to enjoy, not to mention four west-facing private decks overlooking the water — one for each bedroom which are ideal for sunsets. Perfect for a family escape, visitors can take advantage of water activities, fly-fishing, and combing the beach for treasures and shells.
Read more:
Where can Americans travel to in the Caribbean?
What to know about getting tested for the coronavirus to travel
Cruising won’t resume in U.S. waters until 2021, with lines renewing a voluntary suspension
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