Although there seems to be a glimmer of light at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, most people still want to take a break. If you could escape and completely hide away, where would you go?

For a lucky — and often wealthy — few, the answer is an island, where life moves more slowly, local communities thrive and the surroundings are filled with natural beauty, not least the sparkling sea.

The unattainable dream of resort living has become a reality. The island development combines a variety of accommodation options (from folk-inspired cottages to sleek modern villas) with world-class golf facilities (from seaside courses to championship courses) and a variety of entertainment facilities (from beach bars to spas), so that residents can be away from the hustle and bustle without feeling isolated or bored.

While island life may seem isolating to many, the abundance of flight options, the rise of remote work, and increased demand for local recreational facilities have changed that. The pandemic will only accelerate this trend.

With the help of technological upgrades and the reshaping of living and working spaces, places that were originally used by people to escape from the world occasionally have in many cases become part or all of their homes.

Being able to live on the island longer also adds to the appeal of this lifestyle, as each of the following developments is building more homes and some are also building new golf courses.

The 200-hectare Abaco Club sits on a ridge on Great Abaco Island, overlooking a crescent-shaped bay and white sandy beaches. Homes here range from studio cottages to three-bedroom country houses to sprawling custom-built estates.

The homes, which range in price from $700,000 to $12.5 million, have pitched metal roofs and colorful siding inspired by traditional Bahamian architecture and spacious patios and outdoor spaces, said Matt Deitch, operating principal of Southworth Development, the developer of Abaco.

Toronto residents Tim McGuire and his wife, Sheila, have been visiting the area for about four weeks every year since they bought it in 2012. They first won the opportunity to visit the area at a charity auction and immediately fell in love with the area.

“Life is easier on the island than anywhere else,” he said. He feels there’s a real sense of “belonging” here, and you can walk or take a golf cart to everywhere. His adult children also spend time here, and for much of the year, the McGuires can rent the house to visitors through the club’s rental program.

In the remote Canary Islands of Spain,Foothills of Mount Teide in TenerifeAbama ResortThe terraced terrain allows almost all houses here to overlook the sea and other nearby islands.

“It’s a shame to have a suite in a beachfront resort and not have an ocean view,” said Francis Pujol, head of real estate for the Arum Group, which developed and operates the Abama resort, which has an 18-hole golf course, a semi-private beach, a Ritz-Carlton hotel, a gym and spa, a tennis academy, two Michelin-starred restaurants and Melvin’s Restaurant, named after the famous architect Melvin Villarroel, who designed the Ritz-Carlton here.

“If you want to experience seclusion, this is the best place to go,” Pujol said. “You don’t even have to leave the resort.”

Modern homes in the Abama resort area were designed by many of Spain’s top architects and firms, including Villarroel, Kodecki Construction, Virgilio Gutiérrez Herreros and Eustaquio Martínez, and are priced from $637,000 to $2.2 million.

Smaller attached units also offer hotel services, and larger residences often have private pools, patios or courtyards. All homes have large balconies, large windows and overhanging roofs, and blend minimalist exteriors with local stone, hardwood and tile. Much of the resort was designed with sustainability in mind, including the use of solar panels, recycled materials and its own desalination plant.

Stretching about 180 hectares along the Kona Coast of the island of Hawaii, Kohanaiki is the most expensive community on this list.

Prices for single-story, three- or four-bedroom “seaside tree houses” start at $3 million, while custom homes built by local developers can cost well over $30 million. Chuck Cary, vice president of marketing for the community, said 40 new homes are currently under construction.

“You feel like you’re decompressed as soon as you get off the plane,” said Brent Hallock, co-founder of the Milton Curtain Company. “I’ve made a lot of friends pretty quickly and effortlessly.” Hallock and his wife, Holly, finished their home in Kohanaki last year and plan to live there six months a year.

“I think they really thought about how they designed it so that once we’re here, we don’t have to leave,” Hallock said. “We don’t go out. We don’t go anywhere. Why would we leave?”