Providenciales, Turks and Caicos and the blue Atlantic from the air
Laced across the Atlantic Ocean in the western Caribbean region, the Turks and Caicos are a collection of 4 major islands and about 40 little cays; the most-visited island is Providenciales, home to the islands’ capital and the funky little international airport.
The big draws here are 1) some of the most clear and stunning water you’ll find anywhere and 2) more conch than you can throw a fork at.
Providenciales, while home to a metric ton of restaurants, resorts and shops, is no hotbed of culture and is unlikely to inspire intellectual thought; however, the ocean breezes, soft sand and elbow room on Grace Bay might just restore your sense of well-being after months of being wrapped up in work with a side of work. And while you could easily sloth away your stay here in a lounge chair on the beach, I’d highly recommend that you hop in a cab or a rental car (keeping in mind that it’s left-side-of-the-road driving here) and go do some exploring.
I’d recommend three excursions:
The Provo Conch Farm. Right off Leeward Highway, see how the big-ticket foodstuff in these parts is raised and processed; last year alone, this farm sent over a million pounds of conch to Florida. Learn about the mysteries of mollusk procreation (preparing yourself to be both horrified and amazed), the sheer array of stuff that can be made from conch shells, and the story of the owner’s fortuitous shipwreck back in ’74. During my visit, I cooed over a tankful of orphaned baby sea turtles that an employee has rescued and is nurturing until they’re large enough to be returned to the sea; with any luck, they’ll still be there during your visit. ($10 for tours, approximately 30 minutes)
At the Provo Conch Farm, you'll see conch and its production in all its mollusk-y glory (as well as a few baby sea turtles)
Da Conch Shack. Why you (which is to say, I) come to the Caribbean in the first place: A soft ribbon of beach. Windswept palm trees. Lilting reggae on the stereo. Enormous pitchers of rum punch. The greatest conch fritters in human creation, light, fluffy and served with a bottle of scotch-bonnet hot sauce. Weep softly for joy as you eat, and debate the wisdom of that second pitcher of rum punch. (Fritters $11, pitchers $28)
At Da Conch Shack, the concept is simple: Enjoy yourselves
A Sun Charters snorkeling cruise. I think that if you haven’t been out on the water in the Turks and Caicos, you haven’t actually been to the Turks and Caicos. I sailed out on the Atabeyra, a private charter sailboat, for a half-day — and could easily have kept going ’til nightfall.
You think the water looks amazing from the beach? Try seeing it below the surface. At one point, I swam right into a flash-bright school of yellowtail snapper, and after they darted around me, all I could see below were green and yellow corals. I’ve snorkeled all over the world, and the Caribbean region doesn’t always get high marks in my books for healthy ocean stewardship; it made me deeply happy to see such a well-protected reef in the midst of such a well-worn tourist path.
Aboard the Atabeyra, you'll have a lovely time meeting the first mate, JT, and the water
My cruise included stops at two cays (pronounced keys), the Caribbean name for islets:
Pine Key, home to the quiet, romantic Meridian Club (where you can stay or arrange to visit for lunch), is an ideal spot for sand dollar hunting. The water here is crystal clear and shallow enough to wade into as you search for the dry husks of departed ‘dollars. Almost silently, I sluiced out from the deserted shore for a mere five minutes, the warm water no higher than my hips, and in 20 minutes managed to find six chalky-white sand dollars on the brown-sugar seabed. In a half-hour’s time, I’d thought about nothing but the task at hand and had something to show for my efforts — kind of like meditation when you manage not to fall asleep.
Little Water Cay, while uninhabited by people, is home to a few hundred friendly iguanas. Part of the Princess Alexandra National Park, this former pirate outpost is now a wildlife preserve and popular local spot for picnics. I enjoyed the sense of quiet adventure here, strolling along the weather-baked boardwalks amongst hardy tropical trees and long-tailed lizards, occasionally looking skyward to watch the drifting clouds.
Sun Charters’ day and evening cruises include tasty wrap sandwiches, fresh fruit and a bevy of beverages (both pickled and non), and twice a month, the bioluminescent mating dance of local glow worms. (Private charters, $750-$1275; sunset to half-day cruises, $39-75)
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My Turks and Caicos excursions were sponsored by the Ocean Club Resorts at Grace Bay, Providenciales.
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See also
Turks and Caicos: Kicking Back at the Ocean Club Resorts
TWT Travel Binder: Turks and Caicos
