If you’ve ever dreamt of buying your own island and living out your days surrounded by warm waters and good times, now is your time.

Side note  – if you haven’t had this dream what is wrong with you, other than an aversion to water I can see no downside to this scenario.

Well now would be the ideal time to dig deep and take the plunge, because given Greece’s current financial predicament (we’re being kind, they are buggered) your chances of owning an island have never looked better.

The country is estimated to have around 6 000 islands and, according to British property agents, we may well see a ‘fire sale’ in the coming years given that only 10% are currently privately owned. Here’s what’s on offer courtesy of BusinessInsider:

There’s a few for sale right now – 16 in fact, on Private Islands Online, ranging from just under $5 million to well above $63 million. That might seem a lot…but remember, this is the Mediterranean. Crystal clear, warm waters, postcard cliffs and coves, ruins, ancient churches and olives. A millionaire boatie’s dream, in other words.

Right, here’s four of our favourite islands up for sale so let’s set the dream wheels in motion…

Isle of Gaia

Location: Echinades Group, Ionian Sea
Title: Freehold
Price: $4,765,525
Size: 17.40ha

“The perfect millionaires’ playground.” Surrounded by the Ionian Sea, just off the western Greek seaboard, Gaia comes with “clean ownership papers” and approval to build six villas.

Nissos Sofia

Location: Echinades Group, Ionian Sea
Title: Freehold
Price: $6,997,875
Size: 17.60ha

A “green paradise”, Nissos Sofia is perfect for the nature-loving millionaire…it’s considered an important area for wetland conservation and birdlife. The sea is described as “shallow and as clean as it could ever be” and with just a single owner ready for a clean ownership transfer.

Kardiotissa Island

Location: Aegean Sea
Title: Freehold
Price: $8,270,215
Size: 113.31ha

Another Aegean classic, Kardiotissa features magnificents cliffs dropping down to the sea with spectacular natural coves. Ten minutes in a speedboat will get you to an all-year-round ferry link to the Greek mainland just out of Athens. And it’s huge – 113ha for diving, sailing and adevnture sports enthusiasts.

The above three all fall into the bargain bucket when it comes to island shopping, let’s for a second imagine we landed the big one. Perhaps the $123 million Mega Millions later tonight? That’s just the R1,5 billion for those who want the conversion done for them. Now that we’re playing with the big dogs let’s take a look at Omfori Island…

Location: Ionian Sea
Title: Freehold
Price: $63,617,038
Size: 450.01ha

…Omfori is apparently “nothing short of an earthly paradise”. That church is the only building on the island’s enormous 450ha footprint, but you can build on 20% of Omfori. And moorings are free.

Yeah that should do me just about fine, now to select the ten mates to take along for the ride. Bribes in the way of whiskey will be accepted.

[source:businessinsider]