What was once Aristotle Onassis’ private island in the Ionian Sea, Skorpios, will soon become a VIP resort, after a Joint Ministerial Decision (JMD) was signed on December 31.
The 55-page JMD was signed by the Ministers of Environment and Energy, Shipping and Island Culture, Tourism and the Deputy Minister of Development and Investment.
The ambitious project worth €165 million on the private island, which was bought by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev from the Onassis family in 2013, will be funded in its entirety by the Russian magnate.
The VIP resort is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024.
The €165 million investment includes a:
The two ports will also be modernised and expanded so that they can moor luxury yachts.
It is projected that Skorpios will greatly boost Greek tourism. It will also be the first private island for rent for the rich and wealthy, and will be one of the few in the whole world.
Skorpios or Scorpios (Σκορπιός) is a private island in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and just to the east of the island of Lefkada.
The island, spanning 83.2 hectares (205 acres), is irregularly shaped, with main axes about 1500 meters and 1000 meters.
Administratively it is part of the municipality of Meganisi in Lefkada regional unit.