Looking for a luxury vacation home in Florida? Forget living among the averagely wealthy in places like Palm Beach and Bal Harbour. The crème de la crème of super-rich A-listers head for Miami Beach's ultra-exclusive and reassuringly secluded islands where privacy and exclusivity keep them a world apart. Join us as we take a look at the lavish properties owned by celebrities including J-Lo, P Diddy, Oprah, and Cher on Star Island, Fisher Island, La Gorce and more...

Back in August 2020, Jennifer Lopez together with her then-fiancé Alex Rodriguez dropped a whopping $32.5 million (£24.6m) on a spectacular 14,762-square-foot (1,371 sq m) Mediterranean-style Star Island estate. The couple actually bagged a bargain, believe it or not, since the property was originally listed for $40 million (£30.3m).

Nestled on almost an acre of land – quite something, given the island's bijou size – the sprawling waterfront estate comprises a picture-perfect white stucco mansion and guesthouse. According to the listing on Realtor, the buildings surround an illuminated resort-style infinity pool and outdoor Jacuzzi, covered bar and cabana, 100-foot dock and lush tropical gardens.

The interiors are especially snazzy, with all sorts of high-end features, from stone floors and Venetian plaster to wonderfully ornate fireplaces, a catering-sized chef's kitchen, marble wet bar and climate-controlled wine cellar tucked away behind wrought-iron doors. There's even a grand library and elevator inside the property.

All in all, the estate boasts 10 bedrooms and 10-and-a-half bathrooms, including a glam master suite with a private sitting room and study. Following her breakup with A-Rod in April, J-Lo went on to rent a manse in Miami Beach's Bayshore neighbourhood after rekindling her romance with old squeeze Ben Affleck, so it's likely her baseball legend ex got the Star Island property, or they may decide to sell it and split the proceeds.

P Diddy, who dated J-Lo on and off from 1999 to 2001 and remains on friendly terms with the Hustlers star, snapped up a 19,545-square-foot (1,816 sq m) manse on the island back in 2003, splashing $14.5 million (£11m) on the nine-bedroom, 12-bathroom property, which belonged to Mariah Carey's former husband, record executive, Tommy Mottola.

P Diddy, real name Sean Combs, followed up on his bumper purchase in July by buying the estate next door from Gloria Estefan and her husband Emilio. They had worked with renowned Uruguayan architect Carlos Ott to design the gorgeous abode. Diddy parted with an astronomical $35 million (£26.5m) to bag the property, which sits on 1.3 acres, making it even bigger than J-Lo and A-Rod's sumptuous estate. 

Fisher Island is so exclusive, it's only accessible by boat, preferably a luxury yacht, or helicopter, which works wonders keeping out the riff-raff. Consisting mainly of opulent mansions and swish apartment buildings, the 216-acre isle has the highest per capita income in America. Residents have to pay $250,000 (£189k) to join the island's club and stump up annual dues of $20,000 (£15k). Stars who have owned property here include Julia Roberts, Boris Becker, Andre Agassi, Oprah and Caroline Wozniacki and David Lee.

Oprah's real estate portfolio is formidable with homes in California, Hawaii and elsewhere, and the Queen of All Media once owned a sensational penthouse in Fisher Island too. The TV legend bought the property in the Villa Del Mare condo building in 1995 and sold it to the former chairman of Campbell's Soup in 2000 for $6.5 million (£4.9m).

According to the listing with Luxe Living Realty, highlights include the expansive living room, dual-aspect dining room, which showcases the vistas to the max, the roomy master suite with twin ensuite bathrooms and dressing rooms, as well as an office, gym and three further bedrooms. The owner also has access to the condo building's superior amenities such as its pools and spas, plus the property came with ample parking space.

The master suite has its own terrace – there are six in total – as well as his and hers dressing rooms and a spa bathroom decked out in copious marble. In the end, the condo proved too big for the couple, who opted to downsize to a smaller place on the island. They sold it fully furnished with The Jills Zeder Group in February for $16.25 million (£12.3m), $1.25 million (£946k) short of the asking price but a significant increase on what they paid for it in 2018. 

Cher added to her house collection purchased a villa on the island in 1993 and set about transforming it into an exotic retreat, drawing inspiration from Moorish and Venetian design. Eschewing the minimal aesthetic of her previous homes, the Goddess of Pop and Oscar-winning actress went all out packing the property with religious art, rich fabrics, carved wood and fancy “clutter”.

The icing on the cake is this covered porch area, which makes for the perfect spot to relax with a cocktail or two. The house has been let over the years to everyone from Janet Jackson to Julio Iglesias but last sold in December 2020 for a hefty $17 million (£12.9m), though the buyer, hospitality exec Keith Menin, bought it for $5 million (£3.8m) under the asking price. Since he said he was planning to undertake only a light renovation, it's likely Cher's signature touches will remain.

The couple upgraded the 1935 property to reflect their taste, which is laid-back and unpretentious, though the main house has all the trappings of an A-list home such as a movie theatre, wine cellar and custom office, along with a gourmet chef's kitchen, cutting-edge security and a whole lot more besides.

The piece-de-resistance however has got to be the enticing elevated pool. In 2013, the family decamped to Pacific Palisades, opting for a manse a stone's throw away from Damon's best buddy Ben Affleck's place. After struggling to attract a buyer, the property was reduced in price from $20 million (£15.1m) to just under $19 million (£14.4m) but eventually sold at the end of 2014 for $15.38 million (£11.6m).

In 2010, Lil Wayne splurged $11.6 million (£8.8m) on an enormous contemporary manse on La Gorce island, but must have rued the day he closed the deal, since the property gave him nothing but problems. After the sale went through, the Young Money rapper wasted no time tricking out the 15,101-square-foot (1,403 sq m) pad.

Here's the shark lagoon in all its awesomeness. The star went on to mortgage the property to the hilt, compounding his debt issues, and in 2015 cops raided the manse, seizing the rapper's $30 million (£22.7m) art collection to pay off $2 million (£1.5m) he owed on a private jet. That same year, Lil Wayne fell victim to a swatting incident after police received a hoax call that four people had been shot in the pad, and swatters struck again in 2016 according to a report by TMZ.

After offloading the cursed La Gorce Island mansion, Lil Wayne tried his luck on the nearby Allison Island, settling on a $16.75 million (£12.7m) manse, having got to grips with his financial problems with a little help from Jay-Z. Like La Gorce, the 8.5-acre cigar-shaped isle was dredged in the 1920s, but is less celeb-heavy and best known for its luxe Aqua condo development and tranquil waterfront estates rather than the stars who live there.

Replete with a profusion of palm trees, the sublime 82-acre Palm Island perfectly reflects its name. Created in the 1920s, the artificial isle soon attracted the great and good, and not so great and good of society, including notorious gangster Al Capone, and was famed for its Latin Quarter nightclub, which was owned by Barbara Walters' father Lou and frequented by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Jane Russell.

The most extravagant feature though has got to be the $2 million (£1.5m) gold toilet the hip hop hitmaker installed. Prompted by alleged mortgage problems and damage from 2017's hurricane Irma, Birdman vacated the property and put it on the market for $20 million (£15.1m), but it ended up selling in 2020 for just $10.85 million (£8.2m), only for the new owner to give the manse a minimal overhaul and list it for an outrageous $33.9 million (£25.6m).

Back in the late 1940s, Elizabeth Taylor sojourned on the heavenly island with her then-fiancé, William Pawley Jr. The Hollywood icon is pictured here with her beau relaxing around the pool of the waterfront manse, which was owned by his father William Pawley, who was the US ambassador to Brazil at the time.

The main 8,082-square-foot (751 sq m) house, which is painted pastel pink, has seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms, along with a family room with vaulted ceilings, a chef's kitchen and more, while there's also a one-bedroom, one-bathroom guesthouse on the property. According to the listing on Realtor, it last sold in December 2020 for $19.95 million (£15.1m).

Also late on in 2020, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner spent a staggering $32.2 million (£24.3m) to secure an empty 1.8-acre Indian Creek plot, where they plan to build a home. No doubt impatient at the prospect of having to wait ages for their dream property to be built, the duo paid $24 million (£18.1m) in April for a palazzo-style manse on the opposite side of the island.

The 1.26-acre estate had been on the market for six months before Ivanka got hold of the deeds. The original listing photos are really quite something, from this shot of the exterior – showing a magnificent resort-style swimming pool, reflecting pools and lovely gardens – to the knockout interior pics.

Just check out the ravishing double-staircase and domed ceiling. The 8,510-square-foot (791 sq m) manse has spacious open-concept living and entertaining areas, a  screening room, wood-panelled office, gym and a chef's kitchen, along with six bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms brimming with expensive marble. 

The property may have been turnkey-ready when it went on the market, but it has since deteriorated, at least on the outside. The drained resort pool is now filled with dank green water and the patio appears to be only partially tiled. It will clearly be some time yet before the family are able to set up home there. In the meantime, Javanka are renting an apartment in nearby Surfside's Arte building.

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