If you could buy a near-deserted island, would you be brave enough to do it? When Betsy Dingman and her late billionaire husband, Michael Dingman, bought Little Pipe Cay in the Bahamas from a friend, they had no clue how much maintenance it would require, from hiring a foreman to dredging the seabed for the delivery of construction supplies.
A consortium of high-profile investors, including pop star Shakira and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, likely faced similar challenges following the 2006 headlines that they had bought an undeveloped island farther to the north named Bonds Cay for $16 million. Now, back on the market for $30 million, the 650-acre spread is one of the country’s most expensive isles on offer with infinite possibilities for creating your own Caribbean wonderland. Gavin Christie at Corcoran C.A. Christie Bahamas holds the listing.

A wide-range view of Bonds Cay, which spans a whopping 650 acres.
Brett Davis Photography
This is the first time Bonds Cay has been up for grabs since the investors scooped it up 20 years ago—there is no record of them selling it before now—with ambitious plans to build an artist’s retreat, boutique hotel, luxury condominiums, and homes with private beaches, Forbes reports. Galleries featuring emerging artists, a rotating list of artists-in-residence, as well as a program offering semester-long sabbaticals, were also on the docket for the unfulfilled project. Its new owner can use it as a private residence or further develop it in similar ways—following government approval, of course.
“It’s incredibly rare to find an island of this size that remains entirely pristine,” says Gavin Christie of Corcoran CA Christie Bahamas, who holds the listing, in a statement. “The scale of the island allows for extraordinary vision without compromising its natural beauty.”

A handful of glamping cabins and a beach bar are lined up along one of the white sand beaches.
Brett Davis Photography
Several factors contribute to the island’s natural appeal, starting with being situated within the Berry Islands, a premier cluster of cays in the northern Bahamas bordered by the Tongue of the Ocean, a deep underwater trench with an abundance of marine life. Sport fishing fans are likely to take home blue and white marlin, plus tuna and wahoo, as catches of the day. Bonds Cay is also the exclusive habitat of the Cerionidae, a species of air-breathing land snails discovered by naturalist and ornithologist duo Charles Maynard and N.A. Clapp in 1921.
Transforming the island into a modern luxury retreat would certainly take considerable time and resources, but in the meantime, or for those who prefer a simple setup for their secluded Caribbean getaway, a handful of glamping bungalows dot the powdery white shoreline, in addition to a beachfront bar.
Though it feels remote, Bonds Cay is just 37 miles from Nassau and 155 miles from Fort Lauderdale. “You get absolute privacy without sacrificing convenient access,” Christie claims. Owners and their guests can reach the island by boat, seaplane, or helicopter, and in the short time it takes to reach Bonds Cay, it becomes as clear as the turquoise waters around the island how unmatched privacy and barefoot good vibes are the true selling points here.
Authors
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Demetrius Simms
Demetrius Simms is a digital staff writer at Robb Report. Following a brief stint in public relations, their work has now appeared in lifestyle and culture publications such as Men’s Health, Complex…


