Fisher Island

Lonely Planet review

One day Carl Fisher purchased this little island and planned on dying here. But as is wont to happen, the millionaire got bored. When William K Vanderbilt II fell in love with the place, Fisher traded the island for Vanderbilt's 250ft yacht and its crew. Things were like that in those days. Vanderbilt proceeded to build a splendiferous Spanish-Mediterranean-style mansion, with guest houses, studios, tennis courts and a golf course.

Today, this exclusive resort is accessible only by air and private ferry. The condominiums that line the mile-long private beach range from $1-million hovels to a $7-million-plus pad President Bill Clinton once borrowed. It's said the sun shines over the island even when it's raining on Miami Beach; maybe when you play with nature by importing boatloads of sugary white sand from the Bahamas you have sway over the weather, too.

Moneyed readers can overnight on Fisher Island at the Inn at the Fisher Island Club. The island is usually open only to paying guests and residents, but you can arrange a tour with hotel staff if you're especially persistent. Ferries leave from Fisher Island Ferry Terminal off the MacArthur Causeway. The air-conditioned ferries depart every 15 minutes around the clock and the trip takes 10 minutes.