Holiday homes in The Bahamas: new developments tempt a younger crowd to island tax haven loved by Johnny Depp and Sean Connery

More flights will help UK buyers enjoy this glorious island.
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Cathy Hawker2 March 2020

Connections between the 700 sandy islands of The Bahamas and the UK are strong.

The Bahamas is a proud member of the British Commonwealth, with our Queen as its Head of State and a similar legal and political structure to Britain’s.

Physical links are good, too. From next month BA is adding another weekly flight from Heathrow to The Bahamas, making five in total.

Direct flights from London land on the island of New Providence, where the vibe is more built-up Miami than laid-back Caribbean.

Most visitors are North Americans flying down for sunshine weekends. Johnny Depp and Sean Connery are among celebs with homes there — and this is a top destination for affluent international buyers.

Two new projects on New Providence aim to provide luxurious, contemporary holiday homes with no-expense-spared facilities.

Baha Mar: Las Vegas in the Caribbean

Baha Mar is a super-sized resort 10 minutes from Nassau airport that opened in 2017.

The 1,000-acre site on beautiful Cable Beach has three hotels, 40 restaurants and bars and the biggest casino in the Caribbean.

Outstanding facilities include an ESPA Spa, Jack Nicklaus golf course, tennis centre, a sea life conservation centre and currently under construction, a £155 million water park complete with its own open-air mini casino.

From £770,000: new flats at Rosewood, Baha Mar resort, on the north coast of New Providence

This is not the rustic Caribbean experience familiar to many Europeans, but rather a “sophisticated luxury”, with the laid-back Bahamas archipelago an easy boat ride away.

New property for sale at Baha Mar ranges from 107 one- to three-bedroom residences at the four-star SLS Hotel up to 91 one- to six-bedroom apartments and villas at the five-star Rosewood Hotel.

Prices start from £560,000 at SLS and from £770,000 at Rosewood.

Owners who use their home for less than 88 days a year pay no property tax, one reason why most international purchasers join the optional rental programme.

These attractive, fully furnished homes are handsomely finished, with a youthful Art Deco design at SLS and a more elegant style at the exclusive Rosewood.

The Bahamas are also a tax haven where fiscal advantages for residents include no income, capital gains or inheritance tax.

Albany: celebrity sports

On the south coast of New Providence, Albany is even more contemporary in style. Star owners and investors include Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake.

There’s an Ernie Els golf course, a 71-berth marina, tennis and padel courts, water park, recording studios and top-grade gyms and wellness areas.

From £3.8 million: contemporary-style villas and marina residences at Albany resort, New Providence

There’s even an international school and extensive children’s play areas to serve the 50 families who live there full time.

This resort provides all the comforts of city living and promotes itself as a place to “live, work and play”, resonating with a younger crowd who “don’t like to be told they can’t wear jeans or use their phones”.

A tour reveals some of the most beautiful homes in the Caribbean, with oceanfront villas, marina residences and courtyard villas priced from £3.8 million. Even at this price point, 95 per cent of owners are in the rental programme.

What is it like to live and work in The Bahamas?

Ben Fox and Lesley Owens taught at Wetherby School in Notting Hill and were living in Wimbledon Park.

Pictured with daughter Tilla, five, and son Flynn, three, they now live in The Bahamas and are head and deputy head of Windsor School, with 320 pupils from 30 countries.

'Bahamians are so welcoming': Ben Fox and Lesley Owens with daughter Tilla, five, and son Flynn, three

“The outdoor lifestyle and change of pace has been a huge positive to our family,” says Ben, 39.

“A typical weekend might include a day out on the boat, watersports, horse riding on the beach or football matches. Seeing tropical fish such as stingrays is a daily occurrence and within 30 minutes you can be on a private island. A family favourite is a Sunday afternoon beach picnic as the sun sets.”

The family live in staff quarters on the Albany campus and plan to buy, as rent is expensive.

“The welcome we have received from the community has been incredible,” says Ben.

Baha Mar: bahamar.com

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