It has almost 10 hectares and is in the Pleasant Bay of Massachusetts, United States. Because of its beauty, it could have been a very busy destination in summer, but until now it has been closed to the public. Sipson Island first opened since 1711 thanks to the locals of the bay, who bought it for conservation.
Sipson Island, Cape Cod’s last private island, entered the luxury real estate market in 2018 but envisioning a glamorous resort in the heart of the bay prompted neighbours to act together.
They joined the Friends of Pleasant Bay and the Cape Cod Conservation Trust Pact – SIT – to establish the island’s non-profit trust and purchase the property.
According to information published in Smithsonian magazine, they did not manage to buy all the hectares, but they hope to raise enough money and do so in 2021. Once they have the total, they will build a research and education center. The island, with English capitals for 300 years, was inaccessible to the general public.
We want to give back to the island and honor the natives who were here before us,” SIT President Tasia Blough told CNN. “The best we can do is learn, maintain, apply and teach (to the best of our ability) the principles and values of these indigenous peoples. For us, that means sharing the island, giving it back, restoring it to a balanced and natural state and teaching others to do the same,” he continued.
To get to the island, visitors must sail in a private boat to its eastern shoreline or approach it from the west with a kayak or rowboat. The trust requires that only shallow vessels, less than 7 meters, land on shore to protect the island’s marine environment.
“We are very excited to welcome visitors to this extraordinary location,” said Blough. “While preparing the island for its opening, I have been constantly amazed by the beauty that we are discovering. It is like opening a secret garden.”
Possible activities include walking the trails, taking landscape pictures, hiking, swimming, picnicking, and fishing (licensed). The island offers a variety of ecosystems to explore, including beaches, coastal banks, a salt marsh, eel meadows, grasslands and forests.
