An aerial shot of the island made famous in the Fyre Festival announcement video.
HG Christie Limited
Unless you don’t engage in any social media or streaming services whatsoever, you’ve likely heard of the colossal failure that was Fyre Festival.
Promoting a video featuring A-list models partying on a private Caribbean island (touted as having been owned by Pablo Escobar), Fyre festival founder Billy McFarland and partner Ja Rule sold thousands of tickets on the promise of an island paradise “on the boundaries of impossible.”
The opening of the festival’s now-famous video announcement reveals an aerial shot of a pristine island known as Saddleback Cay – one of 365 such islands located in the Bahamas chain known as the Exumas. Spanning 35 acres, with a protected bay and 7 beaches, the private island is almost cartoonishly perfect, having all the features one imagines in a Caribbean getaway.
While the festival turned out to be a total fraud, the island which made it famous most certainly is not – currently for sale for $11.8 million dollars by Bahamas realtor HG Christie.
It is worth noting that while Saddleback Cay is indeed the island featured in the marketing promo for the festival, it is neither the island famous for being part of Pablo Escobar’s smuggling route (this is nearby Norman’s Cay), nor is it the final location of the festival itself (this is Great Exuma).
The largest beach of Saddleback Cay.
HG Christie Limited
Despite the mountain of bad press for the festival, Saddleback Cay has actually garnered a lot of interest since the dual releases of the Fyre and Fyre Fraud documentaries.
“I actually had a buyer the next day after it aired”, says listing agent John Christie. “They came down to check it out but it ended up not being right for them.”
Indeed, while the island is undoubtedly beautiful, owning a private island might not be “right” for many. Although the island does have a 500-square-foot cottage and 2 bathrooms, the property is primarily for sale for the land, and would likely require development from any potential owners.
A small lookout tower over one of the beaches in Saddleback Cay.
HG Christie Limited
Located in the northernmost section of the Exuma Cays, the island does have easy access by boat or by air from New Providence (the most populous island of the Bahamas), and nearby Normans’ Cay has an operational airstrip.
Despite the good access, it appears at least part of the reason the island is still on the market is technical complications. The current owners have the property wrapped into a company, and buying the island requires buying of the company as well.
As for whether the debacles of convicted-fraudster Bill McFarland will hurt the value of the island, Christie doesn’t seem concerned:
“No such thing as bad publicity, right?”