Saturday, June 20, 2009

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (2009)

I've just returned from a short travel agent familiarization (FAM) trip to Beaches Turks and Caicos, which is located on the island of Providenciales, also known as Provo, the most developed of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The slogan "Where on earth are the Turks and Caicos Islands?" is well-chosen, because invariably someone who hears of those islands will ask that same question. They are part of the same chain of limestone and coral islands as the Bahamas, but are south and east of Nassau and slightly north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Technically they aren't Caribbean islands because they face the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea, but culturally they do have a lot in common with the islands that face the Caribbean.

The major attraction of Provo is its beautiful 12-mile Grace Bay Beach, which runs across the entire northern part of the island. The offshore coral reef makes for gentle waves, ideal for floating in the water, and the sand is powdery soft. Because the surrounding waters are protected by law from fishing, there are a surprising number of fish swimming in the water very close to shore, something I also saw in the Bahamas. The water is so clear that you can see the bottom as if you were in a swimming pool.

See more pictures from Provo on my travel website.

7 comments:

virginia bed and breakfast said...

All the sensational and great beach destinations with a true feelings of fun, joy, cherish and excitement altogether.

SWL said...

Did you check out Taylor Bay? It is totally unmarked and hard to find if you don't know where you are going! Here are directions to Taylor Bay on Providenciales Def worth a look!

Michael Esposito said...

The picture of Taylor Bay is phenomenal! I didn't have time to roam around the island, but if I'm able to return there, I will definitely go!

Maureen said...

Taylor Bay is a must see beach! It's practically deserted and when it's calm, it looks like glass. You can walk out for yards and yards before it even reaches your midsection.

Pelican Beach is another jewel. The color of the water was surreal.

I'm returning to Turks and Caicos in May and am going to explore more out of the way beaches, although I loved Grace Bay Beach as well!

Michael Esposito said...

I went to the webpage with the picture and video of Pelican Bay and that beach looks surreal, especially with the color of the water. Thanks for sharing!

Maureen said...

It's crazy isn't it? I can't wait to get back to Turks and Caicos. I'm planning on moving there in October of this year!

I'm going to be putting up a blog with a picture a day of the beaches and other great stuff on the Islands, I'll come back and let you know when it's up.

Michael Esposito said...

Maureen, would you like to exchange links between my website and yours?