Turks & Caicos

Consistently ranked one of the best beaches in the world, Turks & Caicos is an archipelago located southeast of Miami in the Atlantic Ocean. As the name implies, this Caribbean Island is made up of The Turks Islands and The Caicos Islands.

Grace Bay Beach is the area that wins all of the awards. It's located in Providenciales on the Caicos Islands, and most of the resorts are located along this stretch. It truly has some of the softest and cleanest sand I've ever stepped foot on. The luxurious sand combined with the clear turquoise ocean deserves every award it's received.

Must Do Moments

Morning coffee walk

We took a morning stroll along the water to drink our coffee and it was our favorite moment each day. The weather is always changing but it was chilly and rainy when we were there in December which was unusual for this time of year.

Kids playing chess on life size black and white board

Entertainment for families

The Ritz offers a lot of activities for kids. This one was free and entertaining

Oversized black and white chess board next to the beach

Chess by the sea

This was a big hit with our kids. It's steps from the beach and free entertainment

_Impeccable views

This was the literal view from our balcony. The majority of the rooms have an unobstructed view of the turquoise waters

Worthwhile cappuccino

Corelli delivered delicious cappuccinos over breakfast. We are usually more of espresso people, but this was not to be missed

Calm Seas, Big Giggles

Turks & Caicos is known for it's crystal clear water and soft sand. What we didn't know was how calm the water would be allowing hours of fun for the kids.

Banana oatmeal pancakes on a plate with berries on the side

Best breakfast item on the island

We skipped the buffet (which looked delicious) because these banana oatmeal pancakes were too delicious to pass up

Woman in black looking over balcony toward ocean

Views for days

The weather wasn't great but the views from the balcony were. Highly recommend booking ocean front because if we didn't have this view, we wouldn't have enjoyed this trip as much as we did

Live entertainment

They had a live singer a couple of nights a week in the open-air lobby bar

Palm trees with white lights on the base

Christmas in Turks & Caicos

We were vacationing the week before Christmas and the property was beautifully decorated

Smores!

Every night the Ritz Carlton lit a bonfire by the beach and offered smore making. It was mostly families, but some couples were enjoying the warmth and melted chocolate too.

Watersports

They offered a number of watersports but we didn't get to try any of them out due to the rough currents while we were there. They told us this wasn't typical of this time of year.

Connect Four

This was another life-sized game right in front of the kids club. We wrapped ourselves in towels and played this while it was raining

Christmas tree on the lawn by the pool overlooking the sea

Christmas in the islands

They had the property nicely decorated for Christmas. They had both and indoor and outdoor tree to enjoy

Where to stay

Grace Bay Club

The grounds of this hotel are quite spectacular. There is a perfect stretch of sand, a beautiful pool, vibey restaurants, and a tranquil, timeless courtyard vibe to the hotel itself.

Rock House Grace Bay Resorts

This hotel and its entire vibe feel like they were flown in from Santorini, Greece. While it doesn't have a great stretch of sand, it makes up for it with a stunning infinity pool, incredible views from every hotel room, and amazing restaurants and bars.

Ritz-Carlton Turks & Caicos

This is a 5-star hotel on the best stretch of beach in Turks & Caicos. The suites are almost as incredible as the views from the balconies, but the location is the most spectacular aspect

Where to Eat

Infinity Restraurant & Raw Bar

Cave Bar

Reservations

Coralli

Reservations

Packing List

Sunglasses, Swim wear, Resort wear, Sandals, hat, sunscreen, snorkel gear, workout clothing, sweatshirt

Packing Cubes

Packing Cubes make travel so much easier and more organized especially if you need to change hotels multiple times

Shop Product

SHOP ALL

Getting There

The international airport is Providenciales International airport (PLS) located on Providenciales Island (aka Provo). This is separate from the island that the cruises depart from (the cruise ship port is located on Grand Turk).

The planes are boarded and deplaned on the tarmac via stairs. Keep that in mind when you are packing your luggage. You have to carry it up and down to board the plane.

The customs line was extremely long. Fortunately we pre-purchased Fast Track passes which allowed us to bypass a large number of people. The passes were $75 per person for arrival only. We still stood in line for about 30 minutes which tells you how long you will be standing in line if you don't have this pass. We didn't purchase the departure passes and found they weren't needed but we departed mid-week.

FastTrack also offers an option for transportation to be included. This worked out extremely well for our party. They were prompt, the car was clean and the driver friendly. There isn't any public transportation on the island so if you aren't renting a car, or taking hotel shuttles, you will be taking taxis. Please note, taxis are expensive in comparison to other locations. You can review your options here: Fast Track TCI

There aren't many amenities at this airport as it's very tiny. The departure lounge was extremely overcrowded and didn't have enough seating. There are limited food and beverage options, and they do have a bar on the upper floor.

We didn't see an option to exchange money at the airport so if you have anything other than U.S. currency you will want to exchange it BEFORE you arrive at the island.

We were traveling from Los Angeles and there aren't any direct flights. Our options were to connect through Miami, Chicago, Boston or New York/New Jersey.

Must Know Before You Go

This is a British Overseas Territory. Tourism is their biggest industry.

Official Language: English

Local Currency: U.S. Dollar (there weren't any foreign exchange booths at the airport)

Outlets: U.S. Plugs (will need adaptor for any other plugs)

Road Rules: Traffic drives on the left side of the road (same as England). You need a valid driver's license to drive in Turks & Caicos

Passport & Visa requirements: Passports 3-month validity are required upon entry and exit. U.S. citizens can visit Visa free for 90 days. This is offered to many other countries as well. The info can be found on their official website.

Time Zone: Eastern time (same as New York City)

Hurricane Season: June through November with the rainiest being August through September.

Safety & Crime: Level 2 safety warning according to U.S. state department (at time of writing). Firearms and ammunition are prohibited and can result in arrest. Possession or usage of drugs can lead to severe penalties. More info can be found here: Turks and Caicos Islands International Travel Information (state.gov )