If you could live anywhere, wouldn’t you move to an exclusive island where it’s always summer, where sarongs are considered formal wear, and where the cocktails look like fruit salads? Probably, if you were famous—at least judging by the high-profile names who have real estate south of the States. Brush up on where celebrities buy homes in the Caribbean before you go shopping for your next vacation spot.
Antigua
This small island has white beaches, incomparable seafood, high-end shopping, and Oprah Winfrey. She has a coastal retreat with all the comforts of home, not to mention a view of the highest peak on Antigua: Mount Obama. (It was recently named.) Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow used to be regulars, too, before they consciously uncoupled.
Barbados
When the rich and famous come to Barbados, they’re not just looking for homes with luxurious amenities—they need security, too. Rihanna grew up on the island and returns home often. Mark Wahlberg is spotted every year, along with neighbors Simon Cowell, Mariah Carey, and Cara Delevingne.
Mustique
Mustique was really swinging in the 70s, when the celebrity circles of Mick Jagger and Princess Margaret overlapped. Bar owner Basil Charles was a fisherman’s son who now owns the most notorious bar in the Caribbean. The paparazzi is banned from the private island, so English celebs such as Hugh Grant and Liam Gallagher mix with royalty there.
St. Barthélemey
You can call it St. Bart’s, St. Barth’s, or heaven. Just about every A-lister has been glimpsed here, but the only one who matters is the queen: Beyoncé. She and Jay-Z are said to own a French-inspired mansion on the island. Privacy isn’t prized nearly as much as the booming nightlife here. You don’t necessarily have to own a home, though. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Salma Hayek, Matt Damon, and Simon Cowell dock epic yachts offshore.
Little Hall’s Pond Cay
Haven’t heard of it? You probably won’t see it, either. The most coveted places for celebrities to buy homes in the Caribbean are completely private islands where no one will disturb them. This 45-acre getaway is owned by Johnny Depp—not coincidentally, the star of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Other stars who like to play castaway on their own islands include Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts, David Copperfield, Eddie Murphy, and Tyler Perry.
