8 Turks and Caicos Resorts Sorted by Which End of Grace Bay

Grace Bay is nineteen kilometres of the same beach. Powder-white sand, water that shelves gently for a long way out, and a barrier reef about a kilometre offshore that keeps the whole bay flat. It is routinely voted the best beach in the world and unlike most beaches with that reputation, it is genuinely uniform: there is no bad stretch.

Which means the question here is not which beach. It is where along one beach, and what sits behind you.

What actually varies along the bay

Density. The central stretch, around the Bight and Grace Bay proper, has most of the resorts, the restaurants at Salt Mills and Regent Village, and the shops. Walkable, sociable, and the only part of Providenciales where you can eat out without driving.

Quiet. The eastern end towards Leeward and the western end towards Turtle Cove thin out quickly. Wider empty sand, and a car for every meal.

Reef access. Snorkelling from the beach is limited along most of Grace Bay because the reef is a long way out. Bight Reef, sometimes called Coral Gardens, is the exception and is swimmable from the sand.

The other islands. Providenciales is where almost everything is. North and Middle Caicos, Parrot Cay and the far islands are a different proposition entirely: emptier, more expensive to reach, and considerably quieter.

The ten below are grouped by position.

Central Grace Bay

The walkable stretch. Restaurants, shops and the most life.

The Ritz-Carlton, Turks & Caicos occupies a long stretch of central beach with a spa, several restaurants and a level of service that has been the island's benchmark for decades. It is the most complete resort in Turks and Caicos.

The Palms Turks and Caicos sits beside it with an infinity pool, colonial-style architecture and one of the better spas in the Caribbean.

Pine Cay, Turks and Caicos occupies a smaller site with suites, a courtyard and a quieter tone than its neighbours. It is the most personal of the central group.

Seven Stars Resort & Spa sits on the central bay with all-suite accommodation, a large pool and the shortest walk to the restaurant clusters.

Wymara Resort & Villas occupies a contemporary property on the bay with a good beach bar, a pool and the most current design on the island.

Ocean Club West sits at the western end of the central stretch with condominium-style suites, kitchens and considerably more space per dollar. It is the family and long-stay pick.

The eastern end and Long Bay

Quieter sand, wider beaches, and a drive to dinner.

Beach House Turks and Caicos occupies a stretch of beach east of the main cluster with villas, several pools and a calmer setting.

The Shore Club Turks & Caicos sits on Long Bay on the southeastern shore, which is shallow, flat and the island's kitesurfing beach, with a different character from Grace Bay entirely.

Away from Providenciales

Amanyara occupies a private stretch at Northwest Point, well away from the resort strip, with pavilions, three pools and complete quiet. It is the most serene property in the country and it is twenty-five minutes from Grace Bay.

COMO Parrot Cay sits on its own island north of Providenciales, reached by boat, with villas along an empty beach and a level of privacy that nothing on the main island can match.

What we have left off

The villa rentals along the bay are excluded, and they are often the most economical way for a group to stay on this beach. They are not hotels, which is the standard applied throughout, and they come without the beach service, the restaurants and the front desk that make a resort a resort.

What to do

Snorkel Bight Reef from the sand. It is free, it is a marked swim from the beach and it is the only easy shore snorkelling on the bay.

Take a boat. The reef, the cays and the sandbars are the reason to be here, and a half-day charter to Half Moon Bay or the iguana cay is the best thing on the island.

Eat conch. Cracked, fritters or in a salad, and the conch shack on Blue Hills is the correct place to try it.

Go to North and Middle Caicos on the ferry for a day: Mudjin Harbour, the caves and beaches with nobody on them.

Whale season runs roughly January to April as humpbacks pass through the Turks Island Passage.

Practical notes

Providenciales airport is 15 minutes from Grace Bay. Flights are mostly from the US east coast and Toronto.

December to April is the dry season and peak, with the highest rates of the Caribbean year. May, June and November are quieter and much cheaper. August to October is hurricane season.

Turks and Caicos is expensive: everything is imported, restaurant prices are high and a hire car is close to essential outside the central strip.

Questions people actually ask

Is one part of Grace Bay better than another?

The sand is uniform. What varies is how far you are from the restaurants and how empty the beach is. Central for convenience, the ends for quiet.

Do you need a car?

In the central stretch, no. Anywhere else, yes.

Is it worth the price?

The beach is the best in the Caribbean and the country charges accordingly. There is no budget version of Turks and Caicos.

How many nights?

Six. Five on the beach with a boat day and a trip to North Caicos.

If you only book one

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