North Island

Is North Island for rent, and what does it cost?

North Island is a 496 acres resort / operating business private island in Inner Islands, Seychelles. It is offered for whole-island rental: €840,000 / week (whole island) · sleeps 44. Tenure is leasehold. Foreign ownership is permitted subject to local approvals. This is an editorial profile drawn from public record, clearly attributed, not our listing.

Summary

North Island is a fully operating ultra-luxury eco-resort on a 201-hectare granitic island northwest of Mahé, best understood as a rare rewilding-led hospitality asset rather than a bare-land opportunity. Opened in 2003, it carried the Marriott Luxury Collection brand until mid-2025, when it reverted to independent family ownership. The estate is not openly for sale; it trades on discretion, with whole-island buyouts and nightly villa rates the visible market. For a principal, the interest here is a proven going concern with an internationally recognised name and a mature conservation programme, acquired only through a private off-market conversation and a full going-concern review.

Land & Waterfront

The island spans roughly 2.1 by 1.2 kilometres of granite hills, restored indigenous forest and a series of quiet beaches, the flagship being East Beach. Wilderness Holdings acquired it in 1997 and launched a 'Noah's Ark' rewilding effort, reintroducing endemic flora and Aldabra giant tortoises and clearing invasive species. The surrounding waters offer reef diving and game fishing. Development is deliberately light-touch and concentrated, leaving most of the land as regenerating habitat. A buyer should treat the ecological programme as an asset and an obligation, since much of the island's brand value rests on the conservation narrative and the condition of its restored ecosystems.

Access & Utilities

Access is by helicopter from Seychelles International on Mahé, roughly a fifteen-minute transfer, or by boat; there is no fixed-wing airstrip. Utilities are self-contained in the manner expected of a remote Seychelles resort, with power and water generated and treated on site, though the operator has not published system detail. The eleven villas, spa, gym, restaurant, dive centre and back-of-house are supported by a resident staff establishment. Any diligence should verify generation capacity, desalinationMaking fresh water from seawater — the standard supply on dry islands, priced in energy. and waste handling against current guest load, plus resupply logistics from Mahé, since remoteness makes utility resilience and staff housing central to both running cost and guest experience.

Ownership & Use

Ownership history runs from the Beaufond family through Marius Maier and Wilderness Holdings to the present independent family owner, with title held through North Island Company Ltd. As with all Seychelles outlying islands, a non-Seychellois purchaser would take a long-term lease rather than freeholdOutright ownership of the land itself, indefinitely — the strongest form of title., subject to a Sanction to Purchase from the Ministry of Lands and Housing and the prevailing sanction duty and annual property tax. The practical route to control is acquisition of the operating company and its interests as a going concern. Buyers should confirm the exact tenure instrument, any residual brand or management commitments, and the staffing and conservation liabilities that come attached to a resort of this profile.

Provenance

Held by the Beaufond family of Réunion from 1826, sold to German developer Mr Ruster in the 1970s, then given to conservationist Marius Maier by his father in 1981; Wilderness Holdings bought it for $5M in 1997 and opened the resort in 2003, which carried Marriott's Luxury Collection brand from 2019 until reverting to independent family ownership on 1 July 2025.

Specification

Status	Quiet
Offering	For rent
Region	Indian Ocean · Inner Islands
Country	Seychelles
Size	496 acres · 201 ha
Tenure	Leasehold
Development	Resort / operating business
Holding-cost band	Operating business — staffed payroll
Access	helipad, boat
Nearest airport	~15 min helicopter transfer from Seychelles International (Mahé); 45 min–1 hr by boat
Power	self-contained off-grid (solar + generator implied)
Water	on-island supply/desalination (not publicly specified)
Communications	satellite/mobile
Structures	11 villas (10 x ~450m2 plus Villa 11 ~750m2), spa, gym, restaurant, bar, dive centre, pool
Foreign ownership	Permitted (see notes)
Publicly marketed	since 1997

Price record

Documented public figures over time — asking prices, reported sales and reductions, each attributed. This record is maintained editorially and may lag the market.

The full traced record — ownership lineage and every dated event back to the earliest public mention — is in The Ledger, for members.

Legal & Ownership Notes

Non-Seychellois require a Sanction to Purchase from the Ministry of Lands and Housing; outlying islands are available to foreigners on long-term lease (up to ~99 years), not freehold.

Zoning: tourism lease / operating resort

• confirm title/lease term and any management-contract encumbrance
• operating business would transfer as going concern

Satellite reference: ESRI World Imagery / Google Earth — North Island, Seychelles.
Reference imagery: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:North_Island_55.24963E_4.391.

Common questions

How much does North Island cost?

North Island is profiled at: €840,000 / week (whole island) · sleeps 44. Figures reflect public record at time of writing and may change; the profile keeps a dated price record.

What tenure does North Island have?

North Island is held on leasehold tenure. Always confirm the exact instrument and any remaining term on the title.

Can a foreigner buy North Island?

Foreign buyers may own property here subject to local approvals. Non-Seychellois require a Sanction to Purchase from the Ministry of Lands and Housing; outlying islands are available to foreigners on long-term lease (up to ~99 years), not freehold.

How do you get to North Island?

Access is by helipad, boat. Nearest airport: ~15 min helicopter transfer from Seychelles International (Mahé); 45 min–1 hr by boat.

How big is North Island?

North Island is approximately 496 acres (201 hectares).