FIRST SETTLED IN 1836 BY William Colebrooke – governor of The Bahamas for two years 1835-37 – the Berry Islands are a chain of around 30 small islands just 30 miles northwest of New Providence. The islands are sparsely populated with just under 1,000 inhabitants, most of whom live in Bullocks Harbour on Great Harbour Cay.

The Berry Islands gained a reputation as an exclusive hideaway for the wealthy elite in the 1960s when actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr took an interest in Great Harbour Cay. It underwent a period in intense and successful development including The Great Harbour Cay Club in the late 1960s when Notable residents and visitors over the years included Brigitte Bardot, Ingrid Bergman, Earl Blackwell, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Dame Margot Fonteyn, Cary Grant, Curt Jurgens, Jack Nicklaus, Hugh O'Brian, Telly Savalas, the Rockefeller’s and the Rat Pack vacationed and built homes there along its 6 mile white sand beach.

By the 1970s, however, its popularity had waned and “the Berrys” entered a period of minimal development. Attempts were made in the late 1970s into the early 1980s to revitalize Great Harbour Cay, but these were overshadowed by drug and weapons traffic in 1983 and the island has been quiet since.

Today this lack of development is very much an asset for the island chain whose unspoiled beauty is giving it new popularity as a secluded retreat. Several of the Berry Islands are now privately owned by wealthy investors, some are available to rent, and others are on the market with multi-million-dollar price tags. Great Harbour Cay has also seen some development with a marina, a nine-hole golf course, several hotels and restaurants.