Now that the marina is complete and some slips are available for sale, Walker's Cay is about to start additional development

1656 Productions

I’d never heard of Walker’s Cay when first met Carl Allen in the wake of Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Back then, all I knew was that his 182-foot-long Damen Yacht Support vessel Axis, had provided critical hurricane relief to some islands—that I’d honestly never heard of—in the northern Bahamas that had been ravaged by Hurricane Dorian.

However, I came to learn all about Walker’s Cay and frankly, be inspired by Allen’s efforts to bring the small island that lies 53 miles to the northeast of West End, Grand Bahama and 100 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida back to its former glory as a fishing destination.

Since he bought the island in 2018, Allen and his team have focused on restoring the island's core infrastructure including building a large, best-in-class marina that’s capable of accommodating more than 70 boats (including super yachts), a nearly completed utility district that houses a water desalination plant and power plant designed to operate on cleaner liquid natural gas. It also has a runway, airport, and on-site customs office that are currently open to the public and available by appointment.

However, there hasn’t been any other development on the island —cabins, cottages, hotels, or restaurants—until now.

"Phase one is pretty much complete," Allen says. “The marina continues to be a huge success. Our brand-new power grid is up and running, and we just had over 60 boats in the marina for the Walker's Cay Invitational."

With the marina and core infrastructure complete, Allen and his team have turned to developing a Marina Village for Phase 2. The current plan is to transport 16 cottages to the island creating 26 guest rooms, shops, a bar and grill, and a beach club with a resort style pool. A key part of Phase 2 is the limited sale of marina slips.

"We're just taking reservation deposits now, but the initial reaction has been extremely positive," Allen said. "We don't anticipate the remaining available slips will last too much longer."

Walker’s Cay is also partnering with the Discover Collection to implement a multi-phase development plan. Phase 3 plans for a new Discover Collection resort to be built. The resort is expected to include 18 stand-alone pavilions with private pools and extensive luxury amenities on the west side of the island and 21 private building lots on the east side of the island, with prices ranging from $7-to-$21 million.

"Walker's Cay is an extraordinary island with a rich heritage and incredible natural beauty," said Bernhard Bohnenberger, CEO & Founder of the Discover Collection. "At Discover Collection, we are always drawn to projects that are distinctive and incredibly authentic, and Walker's Cay embodies this perfectly. This is a very special project, and we are proud to be part of its next chapter."

'There is no better sight in the world than a full marina at Walker's Cay," Allen said. "It was a lifelong dream of mine to own the island and my goal has always been to bring it back to its former glory. I am proud to be a part of the history of Walker's Cay and to give others the opportunities to make memories here, just as my family and I have been blessed to do."

Click here for more info on marina slip sales. And here for more development info.