Necker Island

Necker Island: Richard Branson’s Private Paradise in the BVI

Necker Island is a 74-acre private island in the North Sound of the British Virgin Islands, owned by Richard Branson since 1978 (he bought it for £180,000; it was reportedly worth significantly more the moment he improved it). It’s one of the most well-known private island rentals in the world, partly due to Branson’s visibility and partly because it’s genuinely extraordinary.

The island can be booked exclusively — the whole island — or, on specific dates, as individual rooms on “house party” weeks, where you share with other guests you haven’t met. The exclusive booking accommodates up to 34 guests across the main Great House and the Bali Houses. Prices for exclusive use start at around $78,000 per night. Yes, per night.

What You Get

The Great House is the original structure, built in a Balinese style across the island’s highest point. It has 10 suites, a main living area open to the sea breeze on all sides, a dining terrace, and the kind of infinity pool that you can see why people want. The Bali Houses are separate cottages scattered around the island, each with a private plunge pool.

Staff-to-guest ratios are absurdly high. Food is prepared by resident chefs using local seafood and produce from the island’s own gardens. All watersports equipment (kayaks, windsurfers, wakeboards, snorkelling gear, kiteboarding equipment) is included. So is the speedboat. Scuba diving and fishing trips can be arranged.

The coral reefs around Necker are in reasonable condition and the snorkelling is good. Hawksbill sea turtles nest on the beaches seasonally. The reef sharks and rays are habituated to divers.

The House Party Option

“Celebration Weeks” (around ten per year) allow individual bookings at rates starting around $5,000–$7,500 per person per week. This is still very expensive, but it’s how most individuals access the island without chartering it entirely. Guest demographics are predictably varied — tech executives, finance people, the occasional celebrity — which makes for occasionally interesting dinner conversation.

Practical Logistics

You get to Necker by boat from Beef Island (Tortola) or by helicopter from Beef Island Airport (EIS). Flights into EIS connect through Miami, San Juan, or Antigua. The Virgin Limited Edition team handles all arrangements from arrival.

The BVI are appealing beyond just Necker: Virgin Gorda has the famous Baths (dramatic granite boulders forming grottos and pools above a beach at The Valley end of the island), Cooper Island has an excellent dive site at the Indians, and Jost Van Dyke has the legendary beach bars of White Bay. If you’re chartering a yacht separately and passing through the BVI, Necker is visible from the North Sound, which is the closest most people will get.