Frank & Cynthia
Things To Do
KICK BACK ON GRACE BAY OR TAYLOR BAY WHITE SAND BEACH
It’s so crystal clear, and with the white sand reflecting the light, it feels like you are swimming in the world’s biggest swimming pool. The barrier reef a mile out breaks all the waves, so it’s also the calmest beach you’ll ever been to. Sometimes you can see nurse sharks that swim up pretty close to shore here and at Leeward Beach.
SNORKELING AT SMITH'S REEF OR BIGHT REEF
Snorkeling is great in TCI for the same reason as diving. If you also want to try exploring on your own off the beach, the most popular spots are Smith’s Reef and Bight Reef in Princess Alexandra National Park. You can bring your own snorkel gear or many nicer resorts will provide them for you.
PADDLE BOARD EVERYWHERE
The mangroves are important to the ecology of the islands. They also act as a nursery to baby sharks, turtles, and more. You can get up close and personal to these animals on a stand up paddle board or kayak eco tour with Big Blue Unlimited.
SCUBA DIVING
Turks and Caicos has some of the world’s best scuba diving spots. They have the third largest barrier reef system in the world, and you’ll find a wide array of fish, lobsters, turtles, and sharks. If you’re lucky, you can even meet Jojo, a lone dolphin and national treasure to TCI. We were hoping to get scuba certified before our trip, but didn’t have time.
CHALK SOUND NATIONAL PARK
This turquoise lagoon on the southwest of Providenciales is home to hundreds of small rocky islands. The water is clean and no powered watercrafts are allowed in the sound. Keep your eye out for rock iguanas, bonefish, and barracudas. You may even catch a lemon shark or stingray swimming around. If you’re looking for a good workout, you can also do stand up paddle boarding and kayaking here. Sapodilla Bay and Taylor Bay are officially outside of the park, but are still considered to be part of the area. They’re perfect for families with small children, since the sand is finer than other beaches and the water is very shallow and calm for swimming.
IGUANA ISLAND
Also known as Little Water Cay, this pristinely preserved island is home to locally revered and loved rock iguanas that give the island its nickname. Whether it’s a pit stop on a snorkeling tour, or a dedicated tour to Iguana Island, check out these critters that dig burrows in the sand. They’re good at blending in so keep your eye out.
HORSE BACK RIDING
Even if you’ve ridden a horse before, there are few places you can ride along such beautiful beaches. You also get to take the horses into the shallow waters for a truly unique experience.
INDULGE ON THURSDAY NIGHT ISLAND FISH FRY
Every Thursday, the Island’s Local Fish Fry at the Bight Children’s Park (on Lower Bight Road) brings out the tourists and locals alike to mingle. Dozens of food vendors, entertainers, and cultural acts come together to create a great evening from 5:30 to 9:30PM. Although this helps bridge the gap between tourists and locals, most tourists tend to come early for the overpriced food and leave early, while most locals come later and stay late for drinks and dancing.
CASABLANCA CASINO
The Casablanca Casino is Providenciales’ only live casino, featuring several live gaming tables and the Casablanca Lounge and Bar. The 12 live game tables include Blackjack, American Roulette, Poker (both Caribbean Stud and Texas Hold ‘Em), Craps, and Baccarat. In addition, they have 85 slot machines. The hours of operation are currently 7pm to 5am (with extended hours to be in effect during peak season) and they offer free transportation to and from the casino for guests of any hotel or resort on Providenciales. The Casablanca Lounge and Bar located inside the casino offers a variety of distinctive cocktails and wines as well as both bottled and draft beers. For those that feel a little itch and lucky, here it is!
GET SOME LOCAL HISTORY AT TURKS AND CAICOS NATIONAL MUSEUM
If you want to learn about the culture and fascinating history of TCI, there is a small but decent museum on the island of Grand Turk. Most cruises have a port destination in Grand Turk, but you can take a short flight over from Provo (~$85). BONUS: The typical water activities available on every other Caribbean island like banana boats, jetskies, flyboards, parasailing, are also available here. TCI, however, has a charm that’s very different from any other Caribbean island. We personally think it’s a place that’s better off without noisy activities. Some nicer resorts offer complimentary hobie cat rides, kayaks, and paddle boards for their guests as a great option.
CONCH FARM
The first and only commercial conch farm in the world is only an 8-10 minute drive from Grace Bay. You learn a lot about their lifecycle, see them in different stages, and you can even pet one at the end if you want! The tour is informative but short. It lasts about 30 minutes, 10 minutes of which is an indoor presentation. Though I wouldn’t put this at the very top of my list of things to do, I would recommend it if you have the time!
DEEP SEA FISHING
TCI offers a wide range of fishing options: deep sea, bottom, bone, fly, sport. Unlike most deep sea fishing trips where you have to travel hours, in TCI, you can get into deep water in no time! The barrier reef is about a mile from shore, and then the drop off to 7000 ft is just a half mile after that.