Section I · The Ranked Twelve
From best to twelfth.
Ranked by deeded-frontage permission, by boat-size capacity, and by dock-to-villa distance.
No. I
Necker Island, full buyout, British Virgin Islands.
Bedrooms: 17. Sleeps: up to 40. Dock: Necker main jetty, supports tenders to 18 metres and the island supply boat. Boat included: three sailing catamarans, paddleboards, sea kayaks, the dive boat. Peak rate: from $115,000 per night.
Why it ranks here: the Necker main jetty is the deepest deeded dock in the BVI villa inventory. Tender capacity to 18 metres. Direct boarding from the Great House terrace at 90 metres. The island’s own sailing fleet is on the rate. Verified on virginlimitededition.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: Necker is the trophy BVI buyout. Plan inbound boat connections from Beef Island before sunset.
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No. II
Moskito Island, Branson Estate, British Virgin Islands.
Bedrooms: 11 across multiple villas. Sleeps: up to 22. Dock: Moskito Island deeded jetty, 90-metre yacht capacity. Boat included: three sailing catamarans, water-sports fleet, the supply boat. Peak rate: from $135,000 per night.
Why it ranks here: the Moskito jetty supports the largest yacht in the BVI villa inventory, with a deeded 90-metre capacity at the head of the island. The water-sports fleet is on the rate. Verified on virginlimitededition.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: Moskito is the only BVI villa that takes a yacht-to-villa transfer for a guest’s own charter. Confirm the slot at booking if you are arriving by 60-metre or larger.
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No. III
Four Seasons Voavah Private Island, Maldives.
Bedrooms: 7. Sleeps: up to 22. Dock: Voavah jetty, supports the Four Seasons Maldives Explorer yacht and tender fleet. Boat included: 8 sailing dinghies, the dive boat, two tenders. Peak rate: from $54,000 per night.
Why it ranks here: Voavah’s jetty is the only private-island dock in the Baa Atoll with a permitted tender-to-yacht service for guest charters. The Four Seasons Maldives Explorer yacht docks alongside on request. Pad-to-jetty is 60 metres. Verified on fourseasons.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: the Voavah jetty is the only formal departure point for the Hanifaru Bay manta excursions May to November. Book it day-one.
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No. IV
Cousine Island, full buyout, Seychelles.
Bedrooms: 4 villas. Sleeps: up to 10. Dock: island jetty, supports tenders to 12 metres. Boat included: the dive boat, fishing tender. Peak rate: $58,000 to $98,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the Cousine jetty is the only one of the four sister-conservation islands with a permitted dock for tender-to-yacht transfers. The dive boat operates from the jetty daily, weather permitting. Verified on cousineisland.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: the Cousine jetty operates on the leeward side. In rough easterly conditions, the boat departures shift to Cousin Island’s leeward side.
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No. V
Sotogrande Marina villa, Andalucía.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Dock: deeded marina mooring, Sotogrande Marina, supports vessels to 24 metres. Peak rate: €35,000 to €65,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: Sotogrande Marina is the only Andalusian residential community with deeded private moorings sold with selected waterfront homes. The Marina supports vessels to 24 metres on the residential berths. The Gibraltar Strait crossing puts Tangier 90 minutes off the dock. Verified on sotogrande.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: Sotogrande Marina’s residential moorings transfer with the villa lease. Confirm the mooring number on the rental contract.
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No. VI
Hvar Town waterfront villa, Le Collectionist.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Dock: private jetty on the Hvar harbour-side, tender capacity to 15 metres. Peak rate: €28,000 to €52,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the southern Croatian coast still allows deeded foreshore on selected pre-1991 properties. Le Collectionist’s Hvar Town waterfront product is the largest verified private-jetty inventory on the Dalmatian coast. The jetty positions the villa as the boarding point for the Pakleni day-trip routine. Verified on lecollectionist.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: the Hvar Town harbour is busy through July and August. The private-jetty advantage is real at peak. In shoulder, the public quay is fine.
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No. VII
Lake Como private-mooring villa.
Bedrooms: 7. Sleeps: 14. Dock: private boathouse with deeded foreshore on the Tremezzina or Bellagio side, tender capacity to 12 metres. Peak rate: €38,000 to €95,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the Lake Como historical villa tradition produced a small inventory of estates with deeded boathouses on the foreshore. The Tremezzina-Bellagio corridor holds the largest concentration. The lake transfer to Como city, to Bellagio, and to the Punta Spartivento is the trip’s native logistics.
What we would change: the lake foreshore permits do not always transfer to short-term rentals. Confirm the boathouse permit is included on the lease, not just the boathouse structure.
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No. VIII
Mustique full-buyout villa with mooring.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Dock: Mustique Company shared jetty at Britannia Bay, mooring buoy for the villa. Peak rate: $58,000 to $190,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the Mustique Company holds the only permitted marine infrastructure on the island. The villa-attached mooring buoys at Britannia Bay are sold with selected Pasture Bay and Endeavour beachfront villas. Yacht-to-shore transfers run through the Company.
What we would change: the Britannia Bay anchorage runs busy through Christmas and New Year. Confirm the buoy number at booking.
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No. IX
Pelješac peninsula waterfront villa, Croatia.
Bedrooms: 5. Sleeps: 10. Dock: private jetty on the Pelješac southern coast, tender capacity to 12 metres. Peak rate: €14,000 to €28,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: Pelješac is the Adriatic’s most under-priced deeded-frontage market. The southern peninsula (Trstenik, Žuljana, Trpanj) holds a small inventory of pre-1991 villas with private jetties. The Pelješac-Korčula crossing is 15 minutes by tender. Plum Guide and Le Collectionist both carry inventory here.
What we would change: Pelješac jetty permits are issued by the Pelješac coastguard. Confirm the permit number is current on the lease.
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No. X
Lake Garda private-dock villa, Le Collectionist.
Bedrooms: 6. Sleeps: 12. Dock: private boathouse on the western shore (Gardone Riviera or Salò), tender to 10 metres. Peak rate: €22,000 to €48,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: Lake Garda’s western shore (the Brescian side) holds 8 to 12 deeded-boathouse villas on the rental market. Le Collectionist coordinates the largest verified inventory. The lake supports tenders up to about 10 metres on the residential moorings; larger boats use the Salò and Gardone marinas. Verified on lecollectionist.com 2026-05-14.
What we would change: the Lake Garda boathouse market is constrained by the 1980s development cap. Inventory does not grow. Plan 12 months ahead.
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No. XI
Bodrum waterfront villa, Yalikavak.
Bedrooms: 7. Sleeps: 14. Dock: deeded jetty at the Yalikavak waterfront, tender to 18 metres; Palmarina Yalikavak megayacht berth available for charter guests. Peak rate: €18,000 to €42,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the Yalikavak peninsula on the Bodrum coast holds the largest deeded-frontage villa inventory in the eastern Mediterranean. Palmarina Yalikavak alongside is the Turkish coast’s deepest megayacht marina (capacity to 130 metres). The private-jetty villas position the household at the marina rim. Verified on the Palmarina Yalikavak channel 2026-05-14.
What we would change: the Yalikavak jetty permits are issued by the Bodrum harbour master. Confirm the permit transfers with the lease.
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No. XII
Sardinia Costa Smeralda private-mooring villa.
Bedrooms: 8. Sleeps: 16. Dock: private cove with mooring buoy, supports tenders to 12 metres. Porto Cervo Marina megayacht berth available for charter. Peak rate: €42,000 to €145,000 per week.
Why it ranks here: the Costa Smeralda’s 1962 master plan permits a small inventory of villa estates with deeded cove access. Romazzino, Pevero Bay, and Porto Cervo Marina hold the largest concentration. Le Collectionist coordinates inventory here.
What we would change: Porto Cervo Marina’s megayacht berths book 12 months ahead for July and August. Plan the boat slot before the villa slot.
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