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Image Credit: HG Christie Nic Cage / Leaf Cay, The Exumas, Bahamas
In 2006, famously property mad movie star Nicolas Cage shelled out about $3 million for an unspoiled island in the Exumas archipelago in the Bahamas. The 1996 Oscar winner (and 2003 nominee), who once owned more lavish homes than cats have lives, sold off the bulk of his holdings a decade or so ago in order to pay millions of dollars in back taxes. However, not for lack of trying, he’s yet to shed his Bahamian island paradise.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Nic Cage / Leaf Cay, The Exumas, Bahamas
The pristine, still-undeveloped 30-acre island, known as Leaf Cay, has three sandy beaches and protected deep-water access for anchoring boats and yachts.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Nic Cage / Leaf Cay, The Exumas, Bahamas
According to listings held by John Christie at HG Christie Ltd., there are “full development approvals” to build five cottages, plus additional support buildings, and to convert one of the island’s two large ponds into a marina. Though listed with HG Christie at an undisclosed price, other digital portals peg the price at around $7.5 million.
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Image Credit: HG Christie La Patella, Nassau, Bahamas
This is the only private island home located in Nassau, Bahamas’ Old Fort Bay to have convenient causeway access, which means you can drive a car from the mainland on to the island. Known as La Patella, the estate was designed by Italian architect and furniture designer Luigi Caccia Dominioni in an unusual three-pronged star shape. Measuring in at a stately 7,500 square feet, the two-story island manse provides plenty of space for owners and guests with seven bedrooms and six brightly tiled baths. The property is available for $5.25 million through John Christie at HG Christie Ltd.
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Image Credit: HG Christie La Patella, Nassau, Bahamas
Just off the coast and enveloped in a tropical fantasia of palm trees, the spacious house is loosely designed around a sculptural central spiral staircase. Just as one might want in a Caribbean island getaway, the living and dining areas flow easily out to a covered patio ideal for al fresco lounging and the kitchen is fully modern with top-of-the-line appliances and stainless steel countertops on clean-lined lemon yellow cabinets.
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Image Credit: HG Christie La Patella, Nassau, Bahamas
There are two main floor bedrooms perfect for guests and three more guest or family bedrooms upstairs, along with a master suite complete with dual closets and a private study/office. A slim balcony wraps around the entire second floor and adds to the easy-breezy indoor-outdoor flow.
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Image Credit: HG Christie La Patella, Nassau, Bahamas
The luxurious island estate’s landscaped grounds encompass palm dotted lawns, meandering stone terraces and a heated freeform swimming pool lined in azure tiles. A cute Tiki hut with built-in grill adds to the charm. The island’s two docks, equipped with underwater lighting, include two boat lifts, plus another for a three-person jet ski. The estate also benefits from a generator for power outages and impact resistant doors and windows for hurricanes.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
For those whom money is no object and whose fantasy island paradise comes with the caveat there needs to be room for everyone and more, there’s Big Grand Cay Archipelago, priced at $29 million and situated about 200 miles off the east coast of Florida in the Northern Abaco Islands.
In 2015 coal magnate Chris Cline acquired the vast archipelago, which consists of a nearly one-mile long main island and eight smaller adjoining islands. In total, the estate covers a whopping 277 acres, with 115 acres of freehold interests and 162 acres of leasehold interests with over 90 years remaining on the leases.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
The self-made West Virginia billionaire planned to build a private resort for family and friends. Unfortunately, he and six others died last year in a tragic helicopter accident while departing the island, but he did a lot to develop the property before his death. The main island, Big Grand Cay, is really more like a village than what most people think of as a private home. In addition to two expansive main residences and eight beach- and ocean-front guest cottages, there are three homes for staff, plus a dormitory building that will accommodate several dozen guests or workers with a full kitchen and dining hall.
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Image Credit: The Corcoran Group Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
Designed for relaxed living and grand-scale entertaining, the island’s primary residence features a slew of luxuries such as an under-lit onyx bar, a chef’s kitchen and an up-to-date gym.
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Image Credit: The Corcoran Group Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
All together, there are 15 bedrooms and 15 full bathrooms in about 30,000 square feet of comfortably appointed living space that includes a cluster of recently built guest cottages with private spa tubs and outdoor showers.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
The original house on the island, a four-bedroom coral stone manor built in the 1950s, has been host to a number of high-profile guests including former U.S. president Richard Nixon. An octagonal bungalow scenically situated on an elevated point was originally built to house Nixon’s retinue of Secret Service agents.
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Image Credit: HG Christie Big Grand Cay Archipelago, Northern Abaco Islands, Bahamas
Besides lounging around in hammocks, frolicking on pristine beaches or splashing around in the crystalline waters, the archipelago’s myriad leisure and recreation options include several swimming pools, one of the lined in shimmering iridescent mosaic tiles, and a handful of tennis and basketball courts. A fleet of dune buggies and golf carts are included in the sale for zipping around the island. A plant with multiple generators keep the lights on and the air-conditioning pumping and a de-salinization system ensures plentiful fresh water.
The reort-style estate is jointly marketed through Palm Beach agent Bill Yahn of The Corcoran Group, and Nassau-based John Christie of HG Christie Ltd.