The Atlas

From the Maldivian atolls to the granite Seychelles and the East African coast — the deepest concentration of private-island hospitality anywhere.

Fiji, French Polynesia and the wide South Pacific, where a motu can be a whole property.

The Grenadines, the Virgin Islands and the Belize barrier reef — the oldest private-island market in the world.

The Anambas, Palawan and the Malay archipelago, where islands come in groups rather than singly.

The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and the American seaboard — Atlantic water, often filed as Caribbean.

Fortresses, villa colonies and lagoon islands — European island hospitality with a longer memory than the tropics.

The Great Barrier Reef and the Queensland coast, where the reef is the address.

Rivers, lakes and estuaries. Islands that are not in the sea at all.

Scotland, Ireland, the Scillies and the Norwegian coast — cold water, long light and stone.

Saudi Arabia's Ummahat and Sheybarah islands, on reefs with almost no visitor history.

Cambodian and Thai islands in warm, shallow, seasonal water.

Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Bahrain — desert islands at the edge of cities.

Above the circle: lighthouse islands, architectural cabins and the northern light.

Tasmania and the cool southern edge of the Pacific.