TURKS AND CAICOS

Picture, if you will, the most stunning, tropical beach you can imagine. Add crystal, turquoise water, powder-Grace Bay Beach @ The Sandswhite sand, and a light breeze. An unobtrusive hotel sits a tasteful distance from the beach, tucked behind rolling sand dunes and natural foliage…

Meet Turks and Caicos, a small Caribbean island chain just south of the Bahamas. Technically a part of the British West Indies, T&C has a culture all its own, and unsurprisingly it revolves around the sea. I wasn’t shocked to hear that various publications have named Grace Bay Beach on Provodenciales the number one beach in the world. In a word, it’s breathtaking. 

For a nation that depends almost entirely upon tourism, the locals are not particularly interested in catering to mass tourists. Sure, there are adventure tours and snorkeling trips galore. And yes, there are plenty of luxury resorts and spas, but you won’t find overly trendy nightlife or St. Barths-styleOutlying Cove shopping. As far as I could tell, there’s not a single fast food chain or starbucks in the entire country! What you WILL find is a real sense of local culture: laid back, unassuming restaurants that offer local specialties like conch fritters or grilled sea bass. You’ll find plenty of friendly bars offering rum punch and the locally produced beer. There might not be a plethora of designer boutiques, but there are plenty of thoughtfully curated shops and galleries that are truly unique. 

I stayed at The Sands at Grace Bay, and can't say enough good things. In addition to the impeccable service and lovely all-suite rooms, the resort offers free bike rentals, tennis play and an on site convenience store. There's also a divine restaurant on site called Hemingway's, which made it difficult to think about pursuing meals elsewhere. I walked the entire stretch of Grace Bay Beach, and without a doubt, The Sands' stretch of beach is the widest and most spectacular. More on The Sands soon.

Honestly, good luck tearing yourself away from the beach. There are plenty of sights to see, but none more stunning than the beach described above. Here are my “Top 5 Turks and Caicos”

1. Grace Bay Beach – I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but no trip to T&C is complete without ample time spent on Grace Bay Beach. There’s a reason it’s among the best in the world.
2. Glow Worm Cruise – Every month, a couple of nights after the full moon, an extraordinary phenomenonOur conch shells, pre-cleaning happens in the coves of Turks and Caicos. In scientific terms, it’s a mating ritual between small invertebrates. In human terms, the entire ocean lights up with hundreds of tiny glowworms. Definitely worth planning your trip around this attraction.
3. Snorkeling – It doesn’t get much better for snorkelers or divers than T&C. The best way to snorkel the reef is to join an excursion tour. We chose Reef Peepers, and were very impressed. I saw plenty of sharks, rays, and other ocean predators.
4. Conch Diving – This activity is a local favorite. Join an excursion to the outer banks of the islands, where your guides show you how to dive and detach living conch shells. Our guide then prepared a fresh conch salad and cleaned our shells so we could take them home as souvenirs.
5. Relaxation – I’m not a particularly indulgent traveler, I usually prefer to be up and at ‘em, so to speak, but it’s hard to resist the lure of relaxation on T&C. I’d highly recommend treating yourself to a massage at the Point Grace Spa.

-Lindsey