For the super-rich, backyards are about so much more than white picket fences and freshly mown lawns.
From mile-long driveways that meander through spectacular landscaped grounds, to private airports, golf courses and even tiny towns, we've cherry-picked some of the finest estates in the world, with gardens that will make you green with envy. Click or scroll on to take a tour of some of the most luxurious backyards in the world...
Playa Vista Isle, previously known as Le Palais Royal, is one of America's most expensive homes, having been listed for £119 million ($159m) in 2016.
Located in Hillsboro Beach, one of Florida's most sought-after spots, the 58,000-square-foot (5,388sqm) mansion was modelled on the Palace of Versailles in France.
The home was built by construction tycoon, Robert W Pereira, who started the project in 2006. Nine years later, it was finished. The extravagant house has 11 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms, as well as a truly mind-blowing garden.
The five-acre (2ha) estate benefits from 500-feet (152m) of Atlantic Ocean beachfront and 500-feet of Intracoastal frontage. There’s even a private dock big enough for a yacht!
Yet the pièce de resistance of the property has to be its 4,500-square-foot (418sqm) infinity pool. It comes with six cascading waterfalls and an LED-lit waterslide.
A firepit stands in the middle of the pool, while an infinity-edge hot tub sits above on a plinth. It's clear no expense was spared when designing and building this otherworldly estate.
England is known for its majestic stately homes and country estates and this is just one of them. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in the county of East Sussex, Eastwood Observatory sits on more than 10 acres (4ha) of grounds and is surrounded by vineyards.
The mansion itself comes complete with 12 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms, as well as a three-storey entrance hall, a games room and modern living areas.
The grounds are just as amazing, too. There’s a swimming pool, a hot tub, numerous spots for sunbathing and a tennis court.
There's also an outdoor kitchen and a dining patio, complete with a giant chess board. With woodland trails, endless lawns and beautiful scenery on all sides, the home is truly an oasis of tranquillity.
Available to rent on Airbnb, the idyllic country house can accommodate up to 24 people at a time. How's that for sprawling?
Mustique is just one of 32 islands in the Caribbean country of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. A popular holiday spot for billionaire and celebrities, such as George Clooney, Kate Middleton and Mick Jagger, Mustique is seriously envy-inducing.
Surrounded by azure waters and stunning landscapes, the island is home to amazing properties that few can afford to buy – enter this enchanting property.
This palatial estate occupies 17 acres (6.9ha) on the island and was for sale with Knight Frank, in early 2023, for a cool £150 million ($200m). At the time, it was the most expensive home to ever come on the market in the Caribbean, according to TopTenRealEstateDeals.
And it’s really no wonder. Known as The Terraces, the Palladium and Venetian-style estate includes nine buildings with a total of 13 bedrooms and seven reception rooms.
There's even a chapel and a 60-foot (18.3m) tunnel that connect the main house to a 12,000-square-foot (1,115sqm) entertainment complex – the largest of its kind on the entire island.
There are three swimming pools, one with an infinity edge, as well as a lighted tennis court, breathtaking fountains that rivals Europe’s best estates, lush plantings and, of course, exquisite views from one of Mustique’s highest elevations.
They say "everything is bigger in Texas" and if this ranch is anything to go by, the adage is definitely true. One of America’s most outrageous estates, Mesa Vista stretches for over 100 square miles (259sqm2) and almost 37,000 acres (14,973ha) next to the Canadian River.
The colossal ranch once belonged to late oil billionaire, T. Boone Pickens, and sold in March 2023 for a cool £45 million ($60m). It was originally listed for £188 million ($250m) in 2017.
The compound includes a five-bedroom family house, an 11,500-square-foot (1,068sqm) lake house, a gatehouse with three bedrooms, a pub, a golf course, a tennis court, a shooting range and a chapel, where T. Boone and his fifth wife tied the knot.
There’s even a 11,000-square-foot (1,022sqm) dog kennel, equipped with a veterinary lab. Boone’s Creek flows through the compound for about 12 miles (19.3km), so there are endless creeks, lakes, waterfalls and ponds to be discovered.
If all that wasn’t enough, the property even comes equipped with its own private airport, complete with a runway, a plane hangar and a two-bedroom apartment for pilots.
Of course, there's also an outdoor swimming pool, but that just sounds trivial when you consider all that this ranch has to offer!
Few estates around the world are as extensive or luxurious as this one. Spanning 180 acres (73ha) along the Baltic Sea, in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, this mesmerising property is almost too big and too opulent to be true.
For starters, it boasts 40 restored historic buildings, a huge mansion, a total of 90 bedrooms and a 27,000-square-foot (2508sqm) spa. And that's not nearly all!
Weissenhaus is fully gated and has all the appeal and amenities of a world-class resort. There’s a gym, a library, a billiards room, home cinema, yoga studio and artist’s studio.
The seemingly endless grounds benefit from a swimming pool and bathing deck, a hot tub, landscaped gardens and even a helipad!
The estate also boasts its own private beach. The two-mile (3.2km) stretch of sand has endless spots for soaking up the sunshine and the scenery.
This remarkable residence was on the market in April 2025, with Sylt Sotheby's International Realty, for £159 million ($211m). We can certainly understand why!
Said to be the largest private home in New York, OHEKA Castle finds itself in West Hills, a hamlet in Suffolk County. The party destination during the Gilded Age, the estate hosted many of the era's biggest stars, including Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.
The residence is said to have inspired the glamorous mansion in F Scott Fitzgerald's iconic novel, The Great Gatsby, and has appeared in many TV shows and movies, including Citizen Kane and Succession.
The 109,000-square-foot (10,126sqm) property was the creation of the so-called 'King of New York', German Jewish financier, Otto Hermann Kahn. He purchased 443 acres (179ha) of land in Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island, and completed his dream home in 1919.
Kahn added a 24-foot-high (7.3m) ballroom, a grand dining room, a stunning entrance foyer, a library and more than 34 bedrooms, as well as an amazing garden.
The sprawling estate features a long, sweeping driveway lined with manicured red cedar trees. There are 10 reflecting pools and endless fountains, statues and tree-lines pathways.
There's even a private airstrip, tennis courts, one of the largest private greenhouse complexes in the country, horse stables, orchards and an 18-hole golf course. Truly, what more could you need?
With its enviable climate, it makes sense that Mexico is home to some beautiful, resort-style homes. Exemplifying the type of luxurious villas you can find across the country, this stunning home is on another level when it comes to design and amenities.
Located in Tulum, five minutes from the beach and town centre, Villa Onyx sits on a 8,350-square-foot (776sqm) plot and comes with five bedrooms and six bathrooms.
The property offers a gym, underground parking, a wine closet and stunning interior spaces. But the backyard is definitely the highlight!
The sanctuary-like garden has a heated jacuzzi, a 43-foot-long (13m) pool with three waterfalls and a spacious rooftop deck.
There are numerous spots for sunbathing, as well as a dining area for alfresco meals and three swings, so lucky guests of this Airbnb can swing out over the water. There's even a stunning outdoor tub, tucked away on a private balcony, for jungle views while you bathe.
With its striking façade, incredible interior, multitude of surprising extras and breathtaking backyard, Summit Cove mansion has it all.
Located in Palm Desert, California, the trophy home could never be described as ordinary, not least because it comes equipped with an aquarium tunnel and a shark tank. Unsurprisingly, the house once had a very wealthy owner, the late hospitality tycoon, Duane Hagadone.
The 20,667-square-foot (1,920sqm) home sits on almost eight acres (3.2ha) of land, meticulously curated by architect Guy Dreier. Across the acreage you'll find waterfalls, koi ponds and a pickleball court, as well as three swimming pools, an open-air elevator and an outdoor spa.
Plus, the private 18-hole golf course allows you to tee off while soaking up the Californian sunshine. But, of course, that isn't quite all...
Listed with Bighorn Properties in April 2025, for £44.4 million ($59m), the home's stunning backyard is hiding another rather unusual secret. Carved into a rock in the mountainous grounds is a glass-walled home office – possibly the most unique remote-working space we've seen.
This mesmerising addition seals Summit Cove's fate as one of the greatest mansions of all time.
This secluded Mediterranean compound lies on the Cap d’Antibes, in the French Riviera.
Tucked away behind discreet gates, at the end of a winding pathway lined with maritime pines, Domaine de la Belle Étoile overlooks the serene Port de l'Olivette and unfolds over 3.2 acres (1.3ha).
Dotted with lavender and jasmine plants, the grounds are equipped with three romantic villas that seamlessly blend into the Mediterranean landscaping. From flower beds to column-like bushes and reflecting pools, the garden has been finished magnificently.
There are a few outdoor patios where morning coffees can be savoured, as well as a spacious pool, spa and gym.
The estate is also home to a stunning formal garden, which looks like it has been plucked with the grounds of a lavish stately home. Plus, the secluded beaches of Antibes are just mere steps away, making this property one for lovers of outdoor living.
This exquisite residence was listed for sale with Côte d'Azur Sotheby's International Realty, in April 2025, for £50.6 million ($67.3m).
Casteel Creek Retreat is undoubtedly one of the world's most lavish homes. It spans a staggering 30,350 square feet (2,820sqm) and comes with everything from a dramatic million-dollar glass bridge, to its very own ice cream parlour, movie theatre, cowboy saloon, spa and gym, plus a few more surprises nestled in the grounds.
Spreading some 250 acres (101ha) in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, the garden borders National Forest land, allowing for complete seclusion and enchanting views across the Vail Valley.
Despite being down the road from some of America’s best ski slopes, you wouldn't need to leave the estate to indulge in outdoor pursuits. There are endless woodland trails and slopes for snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and hiking. But that's not all.
The grounds feature a 27,000-square-foot (2,508sqm) entertainment venue, with a climbing wall, pool, shooting range, catering kitchen, Teppanyaki restaurant, bar and games room. There's also a stocked fishing pond, a soccer field, numerous patios and hot tubs, a playground and even a fake Wild West town with a sheriff's office and gas station.
If all that wasn’t enough, there’s even a dedicated car and snowmobile garage. The residence features a dramatic 200-foot (61m) steel viewing bridge that's suspended above the forest, offering the perfect vantage point for taking in jaw-dropping views of the Sawatch Mountain Range.
It's no surprise that this pad was listed for sale in 2019 for £58.8 million ($78m). Later, Concierge Auctions and LIV Sotheby’s International Realty sold the pad for £16.9 million ($22.4m).
No home could be better described as an entertainer's paradise than this property in Newry, Maine. The extensive estate, known as Glen House at Sunday River, is the ultimate place for frivolity, featuring almost too many amenities to name.
The property comes with nine bedrooms, a movie theatre, arcade, spa, three kitchens, four bars, a recreation room and a billiard room. But that's not nearly all!
Outside, you’ll find a large hotel-style swimming pool, a hot tub, a basketball court, volleyball arena, kids’ treehouse and playground.
There’s even an outdoor fire pit on the main deck. Other amazing extras include the home’s karaoke zone, four-person infrared cedar sauna with built-in speakers, croquet lawn and inflatable bounce house.
Plus, the home is nestled on the edge of the Sunday River Golf Course. In fact, the three-acre (1.2ha) property is privately located along the entire length of the first hole, close to the clubhouse, so guests of the Airbnb can literally walk straight onto the green.
Here, you really would want for nothing.
Providing unrivalled levels of privacy, this remarkable rural home is located 1,000 feet (305m) above sea level, allowing for 360-degree views of Australia’s stunning Whitsunday Islands and Coral Coast.
Known as Parc Exclusif, the luxe home was designed by architect Chris Beckingham and absolutely no expense was spared.
Described on Airbnb as the “ultimate playground”, the property occupies an entire mountaintop and is accessible via a long, sweeping driveway and by helipad – there’s a private landing zone on the lawn, opposite a truly mind-blowing swimming pool.
Imagine taking in views of the Great Barrier Reef while you do your laps!
The resort-style pool comes with a hot tub and around it you'll find various spots for sunbathing and soaking up the scenery. Plus, the grounds around the home stretch 50 acres (20.2ha) and are filled with palm trees and other local flora and fauna.
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