Turks & Caicos Islands (TCI) is considered one of the world’s premier beach destinations, prized for its exquisite sandy beaches, new hotels, all-inclusive resorts, and luxury rental villas.
But its history was far less glamorous. The first European visitor there was Christopher Columbus. When he anchored at this string of 40 islands in 1492, they were inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Lucayan Amerindians, who had preceded him by almost 1,000 years.
After Columbus, other Europeans visited the islands, and in the 16th century, they enslaved the Lucayans and harvested salt from the shallow waters surrounding the archipelago. In the 21st century, salt is a commodity that’s cheap and widely available. But in those pre-refrigeration days, it was crucial for preserving meat and fish. The navies of the world depended on it.
For decades, Spain, France, Britain, the Bahamas, and Bermuda fought amongst themselves for ownership of Turks & Caicos until in 1962, the islands became one of Britain’s overseas territories (formerly known as British Crown colonies).
Twenty years later in 1982, Club Med, the Columbus of its age, made landfall and opened Club Med Turkoise on Provo, officially starting the tourist age there. In 2023, the islands received more than a million visitors, and tourism is the country’s main source of revenue.
What To Do
The islands’ greatest attraction are the beaches: gorgeous, clear water, plus a variety of water sports, from diving and snorkeling to kayaking, kiteboarding, and stand-up paddleboarding.
Grace Bay Beach is the largest and most famous. Taylor Bay Beach, where my family stayed in a rented villa, is wonderful for young kids: smaller and less overwhelming than the 12-mile-long Grace Bay Beach, with water that’s quite shallow for easy wading with little danger.
Nearby Sapodilla Bay Beach is also shallow enough for kids (about one foot deep, unless you walk out dozens of yards), with limestone rocks framing the water.
TCI has only one golf course, but it’s a great one: Royal Turks and Caicos Club on Provo has twice been named the Best Caribbean Golf Course by USA Today. Thanks to its choice of turf – Platinum Paspalum grass – the fairways are always fresh, dark greens and playable.
The club house, bar, and pro shop are all inviting. Besides golf, the club offers two floodlit courts for evening tennis.
Where To Stay
Grace Bay is where most first-time visitors stay. The beach is world famous and the hotels are first class. In addition to all that, it offers sidewalks, streetlights, cafés, and stores.
Some of Grace Bay’s hotels are all-inclusive. That’s something to consider because even for the Caribbean, TCI is expensive. Food is especially costly because almost nothing grows on the island. Most of what you’ll eat is imported, and there’s a 30% tax on most imports.
An all-inclusive hotel arrangement that covers food and drink might offer significant savings, especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed. Three all-inclusive, family-friendly places are Alexandra Resort, Grace Bay Club, and the Island Club.
Alexandra Resort on Grace Bay Beach lets kids under 12 stay and eat free. It has a lagoon-style pool, water sports, and tennis courts.
Grace Bay Club is thought of as the number-one hotel on Providenciales, and it’s famous for its kids’ program.
Then, there is the Island Club, a reasonably priced condo complex near the Saltmills Plaza and close to restaurants and the beach. It’s a perfect location on the islands because you can walk everywhere without needing a car.
If you or your family prefers the more relaxed atmosphere of a rented house, these abound, and we saw many more under construction in our neighborhood. We found our place on VRBO, and it did not disappoint – four air-conditioned bedrooms and bathrooms, including a spacious main suite with outdoor porches. It also had a pool, hot tub, and two kayaks. It was a five-minute walk to the beach, entered via a private gate.
Most of these houses are hidden from sight, encased by thick trees but with commanding views of the water and within short walking distance to the beach and sea.
We bought food the first day at a grocery located about 10 minutes away and were able to get most of the basics. We later discovered a “gourmet” version of that grocery called Graceway Gourmet in Grace Bay.
Officially, the tap water is drinkable in TCI. However, if you choose bottled, know that it’s taxed even higher than other foods – 40% instead of the usual 30%. Our house supplied a water cooler at no additional cost, which is a perk renters might look for.
Obviously, house renters come into much greater contact with the community than guests at a resort. That has both plusses and minuses. Our trips to the grocery store were fun, and the people we met were friendly and helpful.
In terms of safety, in the community of villas where we stayed, private security cars were visible day and night. According to the official U.K. government website (UK.GOV), “levels of crime across the Turks and Caicos Islands are relatively low. . . . Most crime tends to be as a result of opportunistic burglary and theft.”
Of course, if you opt for a house, you’ll need a car, and you’ll need to drive the British way on the left side of the road. “No problem,” you might say. Just bear in mind that the tarmac roads are narrow and crowded with local cars and a fair share of aggressive drivers. During my four-day visit in the month of February, I spotted five accidents.
If you’re new to the island, I’d recommend checking out Grace Bay. It’s a long curve of sand on the north shore of Provo with a spectacular world-famous beach, plenty of shops, and lots of restaurants.
The luxury hotels are the Palm Turks & Caicos, Grace Bay Club, and COMO Parrot Cay. Boutique hotels are The Sands at Grace Bay and The Somerset on Grace Bay. Osprey Beach is another beach resort. The islands do have a diverse selection in price and location.
A good friend stayed recently with his wife and their two young daughters at Grace Bay’s Club Med Turkoise. They had an all-inclusive package, which meant that for one flat price, they all enjoyed unlimited food, drink, and group activities, such as pickleball, kayaking, catamaran sailing, and snorkeling off one of the resort’s boats.
They also took sailing tours to various inhabited islands, including Iguana Island and Mangrove Cay. “Scuba diving was all I had to pay for,” he says. He found the food “fresh and good,” and he noted that there were many food stations that allowed them to choose among as many as 12 different types of cuisine at their hotel.
He also realized that this Club Med has “lots of return visitors.” One woman we met was making her 16th visit to the hotel. And there was a nice mix of people. Everyone wasn’t young.
While considering Club Med Turkoise as one of the best bargains on the islands, he also noted that “the rooms are small, and the resort has the feeling of a summer camp. It’s great if you have kids.”
Where To Eat
There’s an abundance of good places to eat. At even the fanciest, dress is pretty casual (neckties never required). Two restaurants I would suggest where you can watch beautiful sunsets while you dine are the Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar and Mango Reef Restaurant & Bar.
Magnolia is on a hilltop with a compelling view of Turtle Cove Marina and the north shore. It’s famous for its banoffee and lemon-lime-curd pies. And all of their dishes have a European and Caribbean taste.
Nearby and closer to the water is Mango Reef, an outdoor restaurant loved by families with children. It serves typical American and island dishes. Their charred lobster tail was particularly delicious. Dining outside, you can enjoy the sunset and watch the boats sail in from the sea. Also, the kids can watch gray herons up close as they snap up offerings from diners and friendly waiters.
For lunch, try Las Brisas Restaurant & Bar. It has a beautiful view of Chalk Sound and casual surroundings.
When To Go
While you can visit TCI year-round, the peak tourist season is December to April. May to August, of course, has favorable weather but fewer tourists, and as in most of the Caribbean, there’s always the possibility of a hurricane in the late summer and early fall.
One drawback of the islands, and one you can’t avoid, is the international airport. TCI is in the process of building a new one, but for now, the small terminal seems ready to burst. On the day we departed, it was so jammed that crowds of departing tourists never found a seat. They spent several hours standing on their feet with no place to rest even briefly as they waited to leave the Caribbean paradise.
Arriving in Turks & Caicos, however, is not a problem. Come when you can, and stay as long as you can. These small islands in the sun have much to give.
John Coyne is the author of 28 books of fiction and non-fiction, and his short stories have been included in several “best of” horror anthologies. His most recent book is Long Ago and Far Away, a love story set in Africa, Europe, and the United States spanning 40 years. A lifelong lover of golf, he has published three novels on the sport and edited three books of golf instruction. He is also a former college professor and college dean at Old Westbury College of the State University of New York and the coauthor of books on education. His articles have appeared in dozens of national publications including Smithsonian, Travel & Leisure, Glamour, Foreign Affairs, Redbook, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. John lives in Westchester, New York with his wife Judith, a former book and magazine editor.
Well written and learned much more about this beautiful island. Makes me want to explore Turks and Caicos soon!