Royal Island

Editorial profile. This island is not our listing. It is profiled from public record. Figures and status reflect the sources below at time of writing and may have changed. Sources: public listings.

Is Royal Island for sale, and how much does it cost?

Royal Island is a 430 acres partially developed private island in Bahamas, Bahamas. It is currently offered for sale: US$45,000,000. Tenure is freehold. Foreign ownership is permitted subject to local approvals. This is an editorial profile drawn from public record, clearly attributed, not our listing.

Summary

Royal Island is the most conventionally investable island currently marketed in the Bahamas: 430 acres wrapped around one of the country's best-protected natural harbours, four miles from a jet-capable airport, with a built villa estate on the ground and legacy government approvals for a marina-and-golf resort that was halted by the 2008 downturn. The current campaign asks $45 million for the main island, with an adjoining 28-acre peninsula, Jewel Point, marketed separately at $17.5 million. Unlike remote southern islands, the underwriting here is about entitlement value and proximity — Spanish Wells, Harbour Island and North Eleuthera's air links put it inside a functioning economy rather than beyond one. It is the turnkey-plus-upside profile in this cohort.

Land & Waterfront

The island's defining asset is its harbour: a large, naturally enclosed anchorage regarded as among the most protected in the Bahamas, which is why the original consortium planned a marina of as many as three hundred slips here. Around it run more than ten miles of ocean frontage, white-sand beaches and elevated ground offering 360-degree viewpoints across the North Eleuthera waters, with reef and diving grounds close offshore. Two small adjacent islets are included and earmarked for future development. The existing built fabric — five beachfront villas of roughly 1,500 square feet each with private pools, a welcome centre with spa and gym, restaurant, bar and infinity pool — occupies a small fraction of the land, leaving the majority of the 430 acres as consented but unbuilt resort ground.

Access & Utilities

Access is the strongest in this cohort short of an on-island runway: fifteen to twenty minutes by boat from North Eleuthera, whose international airport takes private jets and scheduled service, meaning Nassau or South Florida to the island dock inside an hour and a half. Spanish Wells, one of the Bahamas' most capable marine communities, is effectively next door for trades, provisioning and crew. Utilities serve the current villa estate, though specifications have not been published and any purchaser should survey generation, water-making and waste capacity against expansion plans. The unbuilt approvals — a circa 100-slip marina and a Jack Nicklaus-designed 18-hole course from the 2006/2007 consents — are the items whose regulatory status most needs confirming.

Ownership & Use

Freehold under the standard International Persons Landholding Act permit route, with any revived resort scheme likely to involve fresh Heads of Agreement with government — the original approvals covered ninety-plus parcels, golf and marina, and their survival in current form is the central diligence question. Three strategies present: operate the existing five-villa estate as an ultra-private compound or small hospitality business while land-banking the entitlements; recapitalise and build the marina village, for which the harbour is genuinely suited; or acquire main island and Jewel Point together to control the whole landmass. The price history is thin — the consortium's 2006 purchase price was never disclosed — so the $45 million ask should be tested against entitlement counsel's view rather than comparables alone.

Specification

Status	Available
Offering	For sale
Region	Caribbean · Bahamas
Country	Bahamas
Size	430 acres · 174 ha
Tenure	Freehold
Development	Partially developed
Holding-cost band	Moderate — partial infrastructure
Access	boat
Nearest airport	North Eleuthera International (ELH, jet-capable) under twenty minutes door-to-door via boat
Power	installed for the existing villa estate; full specification not public
Water	installed for the existing villa estate; full specification not public
Communications	mobile
Structures	five 1BR beachfront villas (~1,500 sq ft each, private pools), welcome centre with spa and gym, restaurant and bar, infinity pool, sports facilities
Foreign ownership	Permitted (see notes)
Publicly marketed	since 2024

Price record

Documented public figures over time — asking prices, reported sales and reductions, each attributed. This record is maintained editorially and may lag the market.

From above: 2008 vs today

Legal & Ownership Notes

Bahamas International Persons Landholding Act permit; 2006/2007 government approvals reported for marina, golf and 90+ parcels — verify whether entitlements remain live

Zoning: Marketed with legacy resort entitlements including ~100-slip marina and 18-hole golf course

• confirm currency of 2006/2007 entitlements
• separate 28-acre Jewel Point parcel marketed at $17.5M — confirm what the $45M includes
• utilities specification not public — survey required

Satellite reference: ESRI World Imagery / Google Earth — Royal Island, off North Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Imagery shown is representative of the region, not the island itself.

Common questions

How much does Royal Island cost?

Royal Island is profiled at: US$45,000,000. Figures reflect public record at time of writing and may change; the profile keeps a dated price record.

What tenure does Royal Island have?

Royal Island is held on freehold tenure. Always confirm the exact instrument and any remaining term on the title.

Can a foreigner buy Royal Island?

Foreign buyers may own property here subject to local approvals. Bahamas International Persons Landholding Act permit; 2006/2007 government approvals reported for marina, golf and 90+ parcels — verify whether entitlements remain live

How do you get to Royal Island?

Access is by boat. Nearest airport: North Eleuthera International (ELH, jet-capable) under twenty minutes door-to-door via boat.

How big is Royal Island?

Royal Island is approximately 430 acres (174 hectares).