Explore the iconic Caribbean castle that has been sold for $9.5 million

The Castle of St. Croix sits on the apex of a magnificent hill that looks down upon both the north and south coasts of the Caribbean island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The island is noted for its beach, sun and turquoise water.

The island is reportedly some 22.7 miles long and eight miles at its widest point. However, the castle sits at a roomy 10,000 interior square feet and has extra private and secluded hilltop and surrounding rolling hillsides.

The white-domed vacation home is also adorned with Moorish archways and a mermaid mosaic, with murals of birds and blue skies. It also shows off white-washed walls and large arched windows, which try to complement the spectacular Caribbean views, according to the Wall Street Journal.

What is more, the castle has three cottages, six bedrooms, a swimming pool with a pool house, and a gatekeeper’s cottage. It also comes with the remains of a pier that was part of the Fairleigh Dickinson University West Indies Laboratory. That laboratory is currently closed. Surrounded by terraced gardens, the castle is accessed by a steep, circular road.

According to legend, the castle was built in 1989 by the late Bulgaria-born Countess Nadia de Navarro-Farber. She passed away in 2014. Following her death, the property was listed for sale by her husband for $15 million in 2016. The most recent listing for the Moorish-style structure was $8.99 million, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The castle has now been bought by a 60-year-old entrepreneur known as John Alexander, who has several real-estate finance companies. He was born in St. Croix and made moves to acquire the property for years. “It’s been on my to-do list for 15 years,” he told the Wall Street Journal. “It’s an amazing property.”

The business mogul is planning to convert the castle into an event space and short-term rental.