Sea-to-Sea Villa

This historic six-bedroom estate on Paradise Island in The Bahamas occupies a private sea-to-sea parcel of over two acres, with a beach on one side and a deep-water harbour on the other. It was created by the American A&P heir Huntington Hartford, who was responsible for the development of Paradise Island. The actor Sir Richard Harris later acquired it and renamed it after the county of his birth in his native Ireland. Over the years the house has hosted the Beatles, Sir Richard Branson, Peter O'Toole, Pierce Brosnan and Nicolas Cage.

Built more than 60 years ago, the house has been lovingly restored by the current owners to its original splendour, with close attention to detail and real respect for its past. Perched on its own private stretch of land, it combines luxury and privacy with modern convenience. It retains much of the original panelled library, the living rooms and the gymnasium, along with several loggias facing in varied exposures, which give a choice of settings for entertaining at different times of day. The new kitchen has soaring vaulted ceilings, quartz countertops and top-of-the-line appliances, with a simple charm that suits island living. There are eight bathrooms in all.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped with lush, tall trees and a pool with waterfalls that blend into the surrounding foliage. On the beach side, a manicured lawn flows down to the beach, suited to parties or to landing a helicopter. Beside the pool is a guest cottage with a private terrace, originally designed as a rehearsal stage for Richard Harris.

On the harbour side, the dock has a number of slips, and the main berth at the end can moor a yacht of over 130 ft in its current set-up. It could be modified to take significantly larger vessels.