THE BEST BEACH FOR BOAT TRIPS
HALF MOON BAY, WATER CAY
Half Moon Bay is a breath taking pristine three-quarter mile long, 400 foot-wide (1200 meter) sandbar that connects the uninhabited islands of Little Water Cay and Water Cay off the north-east coast of Providenciales.
The northern side of the bay is simply spectacular, with soft sand and translucent waters. On the southern side, you’ll again discover stunning white sand and calm gin clear sea, with the added bonus of a sheltered and shallow lagoon to enjoy.
Upscale charters and boat cruise operators offer half and full day trips from Providenciales to Half Moon Bay, which is by far the most popular location in the Turks and Caicos for those wanting to experience a boat trip and day excursions.
There are a wide range of tailored trips available to suit larger groups, families or couples who are looking to experience this truly magical location.
Whether your preference is sailing on a comfortable, elegant, stable 40-foot catamaran or perhaps a fast sleek cruiser; the local boat captains have dedicated expert knowledge and offer the best options for stop-offs to snorkel and see magnificent marine life.
Boat charters and day trips are a fantastic way for families and groups to experience this truly magical spot. Boat excursions from Providenciales provide all logistics, together with a delicious lunch with a wide selection of beverages.
THE BEST BEACH FOR GETTING AWAY FROM IT ALL
NORTH BAY, SALT CAY
The peace and quiet of the island of Salt Cay is a perfect location to totally relax and unwind.
If it’s complete tranquillity and sublime seclusion you’re after, then tiny and remote Salt Cay is hard to beat. Laidback and low-key, it’s home to a handful of rustic villas and hotels with just three restaurants.
The real draw here is North Bay Beach which is just as beautiful as Grace Bay, with the added benefit of being completely unspoilt and secluded. Humpback whales occasionally pass by the island.
Salt Cay is a perfect location for whale watching (January through early April), and has spectacular small reefs to experience which make for superb snorkeling.
Boat day excursions and snorkeling excursions from the island of Providenciales are a fantastic way to explore one of the finest coastlines in Turks and Caicos, with pristine soft white peach-colored sand and translucent waters to appreciate.
Whether you’re traveling in a group with family and friends or as a couple; there is a wide choice of boats available to cater for a custom adventure to idyllic North Bay, Salt Cay.
Your captain will share their expert local knowledge about where the best places are to see wonderful wildlife, or which local reefs to snorkel on to experience the teeming marine life waiting just below the surface.
All logistics, equipment, and transportation are provided, together with a delicious lunch and a wide selection of beverages.
THE BEST BEACH FOR SCUBA DIVING AND SNORKELING
THE BARRIER REEF, PROVIDENCIALES
BIGHT AND SMITH’S REEF. PROVIDENCIALES
The vast choice incredible marine life and beautiful vibrant coral reefs in the Turks and Caicos are simply out of this world and the reason why scuba divers and snorkelers return time after time.
The Islands dive and snorkeling excursion sites are spread across over 70 miles (112km) of barrier reef and can be visited by joining a variety of dive boats and snorkeling excursions which operate out of Providenciales.
If you’re wanting to learn to scuba dive, Turks and Caicos is a perfect place to learn with local dive centers offering open water and DSD courses. The local dive centers have accredited and professional instructors offering PADI and Scuba Schools International (SSI) courses.
Most of the scuba diving near Providenciales is considered wall diving, which is where the shallow water drops off suddenly down to much deeper depths. In some locations, the wall is a sheer vertical face and an unbelievable sight to see.
You will discover spur and groove reef formations with shelves at different depths and some spots offer undercut walls, swim-troughs, canyons and sand chutes to explore.
Scuba divers are drawn to the islands by the stunning hard and soft corals and sponges, alongside the variety of spectacular sea life that inhabits the wall drop-offs and beyond, including; whales and reef sharks and wonderfully named fish such as horse-eye jacks, blue tangs and grunts to name a few.
Scuba diving tour operators specialize in private group diving day trips, as well as offer shared small group diving day trips on dedicated boats, depending on your group size and individual requirement on the day.
For those who don’t scuba dive, half or full day trip snorkeling excursions are a fantastic way to experience the teeming reefs, or perhaps just want to explore and discover that little bit more further afield.
For snorkelers, Smith’s Reef is one of the best spots for beach-access, which can be found at the west end of Grace Bay Beach. Its calm waters and accessible coral are home to gorgeous green turtles and magnificent eagle rays. Nearby Bight Reef Beach has offshore seagrass which attract rays and barracudas.
Your captain will provide advice for the best sites to visit, depending on your group size and what you want to see. All logistics, equipment, and transportation are provided, together with a delicious lunch and a wide selection of beverages.
THE BEST BEACH FOR STYLE AND GLAMOUR
GRACE BAY BEACH, PROVIDENCIALES
Grace Bay Beach is world famous for its clear translucent waters and soft white sand and is located on the northeast coast of the island of Providenciales.
Over the previous decade, Grace Bay Beach has won first and second place awards no less than 19 times, alongside a wealth of internationally recognized honors and accolades.
This iconic pristine beach is the symbol of the Turks and Caicos Islands and currently holds Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2021 Award for ‘Best of the Best Beaches’ in the world.
The beach is just over three miles long (4.8 km) with stunning turquoise water and clean soft white sand which is free of rocks, seaweed, & pollution, and protected from the ocean swells of the Atlantic.
The water at Grace Bay Beach is kept calm and safe by an extensive barrier reef which is located about a mile (1.6 km) offshore.
Grace Bay Beach is part of the Princess Alexandra National Park which also includes the Bight Beach, Smith’s Reef, the Bight Reef (Coral Gardens), Leeward Beach, Little Water Cay, Half Moon Bay, and the eco-tour destination of Mangrove Cay.
The majority of the luxury resorts and upscale boutiques on Providenciales are located at Grace Bay Beach, and is also home to a variety of water sports such as scuba diving and Hobie Cat sailing that take place between the shallow waters off the beach and barrier reef itself.
Grace Bay Beach continues on its east side as Leeward Beach which is a wonderful location for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. At the west end, Bight Beach and Smith’s Beach both offer sublime snorkeling with scuba diving available for every level off their respective reef’s.
THE BEST BEACH FOR ISOLATION
MALCOLM’S ROAD BEACH, PROVIDENCIALES
One of Turks and Calicos’ most stunning stretches of sand is Malcolm’s Road Beach which can be found out on Providenciales west coast and is unsurprisingly where the luxury five star Amanyara Resort is located.
Malcolm’s Road Beach is part of the Northwest Point Marine National Park. This protected area includes the ocean out to the barrier reef, and the beach up to the high tide point.
The 1.3-mile-long (2 km) beach is a 30 minutes trip from Grace Bay – Malcolm’s Road Beach is largely deserted and well worth the journey.
The sublime Caicos subterranean plateau cliff edge is just off the coast here, with some of the most remarkable diving to be found on the island. One unique aspect of Malcolm’s Road Beach is being located so close to the wall, which is the sheer drop-off on the edge of the underwater Caicos Islands plateau.
At Malcolm’s Road Beach, the depth at the top of the wall is about 50 feet (15 meters), and rapidly descends to over 7000 feet (2100 meters).
This feature surrounds much of the Turks and Caicos Islands and offers some of the most magnificent scuba diving and snorkeling in the region, yet nearly all other beaches on Providenciales are quite a distance from the wall, although still protected by the barrier reef.
One of the defining features of the north-western coast of Providenciales is its incredible underwater visibility. Of course ocean conditions vary dependent on the swell and weather; however, on a good day the gin clear water is absolutely breath taking.
Scuba diving tour operators specialize in private group diving day trips, as well as offer shared small group diving day trips on dedicated boats, depending on your group size and individual requirement on the day.
For those who don’t scuba dive, half or full day snorkeling excursion trips are a fantastic way to experience the teeming reefs & wildlife ,or perhaps just want to explore and discover that little bit more further afield.
All logistics, equipment, and transportation are provided, together with a delicious lunch with a wide selection of beverages.
THE BEST BEACH FOR SUNSETS
LEEWARD BEACH, PROVIDENCIALES
To the east of Grace Bay and much quieter than its renowned neighbor, are the wonderful waters and super soft white sands of Leeward Beach.
The fantastic-looking kaleidoscopic of aquamarines and turquoises at Leeward Beach are created by limestone particles suspended in the water, making it a perfect place to swim during the day.
It’s also a lovely location for kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding amongst the sheltered channels off its eastern side. These are ideal watercraft for eco-tours as they have very little environmental impact, are extremely easy and fun to paddle and provide a birds-eye view into the water.
This low-impact ecotourism is a brilliant way to experience the wonderful Turks and Caicos’ natural habitat first hand which is suitable for all ages and skill levels, and a wonderful way for kids to discover remarkable wildlife in their natural environment.
Tours include guided eco-adventures to the beautiful islands and wetlands near Providenciales, and unguided rentals for those wanting to explore on their own.
Later on in the day and being situated at the north-east tip of the island, Leeward Beach is the ideal place to watch the stunning sunset across the bay.
As the sun goes down and for those wanting a truly different and unique experience, there are tours available offering sunset and glow-worm excursions. As the sun sets, a variety of nocturnal creatures come out and you may have the chance to see glow-worms lighting up the water.
THE BEST BEACH FOR HORSEBACK RIDING
LONG BAY BEACH, PROVIDENCIALES
Long Bay Beach’s amazing aquamarine water is just a couple of feet deep in depth which continues out from the shoreline for miles across the Caicos Bank, and is a beautiful location for horseback riding. This is a great experience that the whole family can enjoy while on your tropical vacation.
Long Bay Beach, in comparison with Grace Bay, is a little more private and equally as stunning, although the ocean at Grace Bay increases in depth much closer to shore and due to being on the sheltered side of the island, the water tends to be calmer there.
Providenciales has two small horseback riding stables offering rides along beaches for both group and private rides. All of the beaches in the Turks and Caicos offer an amazing setting for horseback riding – with beautiful clear water and white sand, and both beginners and experienced equestrians will appreciate the routes.
Before rides, the stables give a quick introduction on equipment and safety, and offer guide-led ponies for younger children.
As well as horseback riding, the coast at Long Bay Beach is one of the top kiteboarding destinations in the Caribbean, and you’ll see some amazing action on the water when the wind is blowing.
THE BEST FOR KITEBOARDING
LONG BAY, PROVIDENCIALES
The consistent trade winds arriving all the way from north Africa blow directly on to Long Bay, making it the Turks and Caicos primary beach for kiteboarding and arguably one of the best in the Caribbean for the sport.
The turquoise water at Long Bay is just a couple of feet deep in depth and continues out from the shoreline for miles across the Caicos Bank, ensuring kite boarders are able to stand when they’re not powered-up or catching massive air time!
The perfect easterly cross-shore breezes at Long Bay are ideal for beginners and more experienced kite boarders alike. The white sand here is firmer than at Grace Bay Beach, making it a little less soft and giving greater stability under foot, which is ideal when launching and landing your kite.
Long Bay is also a wonderful location for horseback riding. Riding along the beach or through the shallow water is an incredible experience that the whole family can enjoy whilst visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands.