TuRKS CAICoS and
Uninhabited cays, coral reefs and miles of dazzling sands make for a sense of disconnection from the outside world as you bask in turquoise waters
BeST FOR WHiTE SaNDS
The Caribbean cliché of dazzling sands and jewel-toned seas reaches its apogee in the Turks and Caicos Islands. This British Overseas Territory sits to the southeast of the Bahamas, where its coral islands are fringed by bone-white beaches and shallow seas whose colours morph from turquoise to topaz with each passing cloud or shift in the tide. Of the 40 low-lying islands that make up the archipelago, only eight are inhabited – which leaves plenty of space for castaway day-trips and a real sense of getting away from it all.
For those arriving by air, the gateway island is Providenciales (or Provo), which is one of the westernmost isles and acts as the main tourist hub. As well as a well-renowned golf course, it’s home to miles of glorious sands at Grace Bay
– one of the Caribbean’s best beaches – which falls within the Princess Alexandra National Park. This protected marine zone encompasses vibrant coral reefs, wetlands, mangroves and a number of uninhabited cays where wildlife such as sea turtles, iguanas, nurse sharks and eagle rays can be seen. There’s also a strong chance of meeting JoJo, a wild bottlenose dolphin who’s frequently encountered at Grace Bay and who seeks the company of people when he visits.
Provo has the widest choice of decent places to stay, from villa rentals to high-end hideaways such as Amanyara aman.com or the boutique brilliance of Point Grace pointgrace.gracebayresorts.com which overlooks Grace Bay. Provo also offers your best bet for off-resort dining options. Island seafood (conch, lobster, grouper) is the thing to order, and local haunts such as Crackpot Kitchen crackpotkitchen.com and Caicos Café caicoscaferestaurant.com both in Grace Bay, are among the best spots to dig in.
At the other end of the island chain is Grand
Turk, far smaller than Provo yet home to the capital, Cockburn Town (founded 1681) and a small population of donkeys: their ancestors would have worked on the salt pans when this was the primary industry. Life here is much more low-key than in Provo, with heritage architecture, small-scale hotels and a smattering of restaurants close to Cockburn Town’s waterfront. For things to do, consider joining an excursion to nearby Gibbs Cay to interact with wild stingrays. The cruise port at Grand Turk’s southern tip, however, is best avoided.
To really get away from it all though, there's nothing quite like a private island. On Parrot
Cay, a short hop from Provo, super-luxurious COMO Parrot Cay comohotels.com is the only development on this 1,000-acre island, two thirds of which remains natural and pristine. Its mile-long beach is ideal for strolling, as are trails through the hinterland where lazy lizards, fat as cigars, reluctantly interrupt their basking to move out of your way. The sense of escapism that this island offers (combined with treatments at the COMO Shambhala spa) means there’s little to distract from the serious business of relaxation, making this – as elsewhere in Turks and Caicos
– a great bet for indulgently disconnecting. turksandcaicostourism.com