Great Harbour Cay is the major island in the north Berry Islands. It has a population of 353. The Islands are a stirrup shaped chain of thirty large cays and numerous small cays of about thirty-two miles in length. Great Harbour Cay boasts seven continuous miles of magnificent beaches and one of the best protected harbors in The Bahamas. It is said that there are more millionaires per square inch on The Berry Islands than most places on earth.
The development of Great Harbour Cay began in the mid 1960’s with a $38 million investment and the dream of creating a hideaway for a very privileged few. Great Harbour Cay’s close proximity to the southeastern United States combined with its unspoiled beauty and seeming remoteness, made it a tropical, private and very exclusive haven for the rich and famous during the late 1960’s.
Golf course designer Joe Lee fashioned an 18-hole championship golf course on rises of land that overlooked the sea. With over 125 golf courses designed in seven countries, Joe considers the original 18 hole, par 72-regulation golf course to be one of his best. A marina basin lined with waterfront town homes and luxurious yachts became the social center of the community. A magnificent multi-story clubhouse offered sweeping panoramic views of the island from its wooded hillside.
In the beginning, famous and some say the infamous, including Hollywood celebrities, came stay in the adorable bungalows while visiting this idyllic island. Some of the people that enjoyed this beautiful destination were Cary Grant, Brigitte Bardot, Jack Nicklaus and Great Harbour Cay was popular with the socially elite Rockefeller clan, Dame Margot Fonteyn, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Ingrid Bergman and Hugh O’Brian were regular visitors.Over the years, many of the original families invited neighbors, friends, and business associates, to come and share in their little piece of paradise. As the families grew, so did the history, the stories, and the love that forms the Great Harbour Cay community.
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