Why You Should Plan a Trip to Turks & Caicos

Approximately 575 miles southeast of Miami, Florida lies a beautiful tropical archipelago comprised of 40+ small islands. It’s called the Turks & Caicos Islands. The islands are separated into two groups – the Turks Islands to the east, which include Grand Turk and Salt Cay and the Caicos Islands to the west, including Providenciales, North Caicos, South Caicos, Middle Caicos, Pine Cay and Parrot Cay. All in all, there are 8 islands in the chain that are inhabited.

The archipelago is a British Oversees Territory and is home to over 31,000 full time residents. Due to its stunning calm, blue water and white sand beaches, T&C has become a popular beach lovers destination and welcomes more that a million tourists annually.

Have you been to T&C? If not, here are some reasons why you should plan a trip to Turks & Caicos!

Beaches

It’s no secret that we love a beautiful white sand beaches and the islands of Turks & Caicos have some of the prettiest we’ve seen. With miles of secluded beaches to explore, these islands are truly a beach lover’s paradise. Some of our favorites?

Grace Bay Beach, Providenciales

Grace Bay, Providenciales. This stunning beach frequently makes the “Top Most Beautiful Beaches” list and for good reason. At a little over 3 miles long, this white sand beach lapped by beautiful turquoise water just begs you to come in for a swim, float, snorkel or to play. Some areas around the resorts can be busy at times, but we’ve never had a problem finding a quiet, beautiful area to enjoy. And, if you get hungry or thirsty after a day in the sun, there are several restaurants and bars (such as Somewhere Cafe’ & Lounge) to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger while enjoying the incredible views.

Sapodilla Bay, Providenciales

Sapodilla Bay, Providenciales. Although not as long as Grace Bay Beach, Sapodilla Bay compares in sheer beauty. Crystal clear water and white sand make this beach an absolute treat for the eyes. There are villas for rent just off the beach and if you get hungry, Las Brisas Restaurant is close by.

Whitby Beach from Barracuda Beach Bar

Whitby Beach, North Caicos. There are several stunning beaches on North Caicos and you will most likely have the beach entirely to yourself. We enjoyed Whitby Beach, a long stretch of soft white sand with a small restaurant/bar named Barracuda Beach Bar & Grill. The beach and shallow water were dotted with pretty conch shells during our visit and were used as decorations at the beach bar.

Mudjin Harbour Beach, Middle Caicos

Mudjin Harbour Beach, Middle Caicos. A stunning coastline of beautiful beach, a rugged rocky outcropping called “Dragon Cay”, caves and high limestone cliffs that somehow reminded us a bit of Ireland all combine into one special place on Middle Caicos called Mudjin Harbour. Accessed by boat tours or by car via the causeway between North and Middle Caicos, this area is definitely worth a visit. Read more here.

Eat & Drink

Not surprisingly, conch is a popular dish in Turks & Caicos. Whether made in a ceviche, fritters, chowder, curried or in a salad, we found it all to be fresh and delicious. Wash it down with a refreshing rum drink (Bambarra is the local rum) and what more could you need! Other seafood is also readily available, such as Grouper and Caribbean Lobster (in season). Some of our favorite restaurant/bars so far?

da Conch Shack, Providenciales & RumBar. Enjoy a delicious dinner (cracked conch and jerk chicken are excellent) with a tall glass of Jan’s Rum Punch while sitting on a picnic table with toes in the sand. Perfect. Read more here.

Mr. Grouper’s. Sometimes it truly pays to ask the locals for a dining recommendation. Unsure of where to go one evening, we asked a lady we met for a good local eatery. She said that if we like seafood, we should definitely try Blackened Grouper at Mr. Grouper’s. Man, was she spot on. We ordered a Blackened Grouper and a Coconut Crusted Grouper with Mango Chutney Sauce. Other dishes are available, but when we went back a second time that week, we ordered the exact same thing, Delicious.

Rum Drinks at Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl

Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl, Providenciales. A beach side, seafood restaurant with delicious food and great drinks. Dine on the deck under the trees or grab a table in the shallow water, if there’so one available! Read more here.

Somewhere’ Cafe’ and Lounge, Providenciales. Located on the beach in West Grace Bay, this multi-level restaurant and bar serves up a beautiful view of Grace Bay Beach in addition to tasty food and drink. Excellent place to enjoy a colorful Turks & Caicos sunset. Read more here.

Other Things to do in Turks & Caicos

Besides spending time on the beach or eating and drinking, what else is there to enjoy in Turks & Caicos? Here are a few ideas:

1. Diving and snorkeling – with such amazingly clear water, it’s no wonder that diving and snorkeling in Turks & Caicos is top notch. The coral is vibrant and the reef fish are plentiful .

2. Take an excursion to a deserted cay and enjoy your own private island for the day!

3. Visit Water Cay and learn about the endangered Rock Iguanas that used to live on all islands in the Turks & Caicos but are protected here.

4. Attend the Thursday Fish Fry on Providenciales. Sample food from local restaurants and vendors, enjoy some live music and shop for local arts and crafts.

5. Play golf. Get a round in between beach days at Provo Golf Club.

6. Explore other islands. Ferry to North Caicos, rent a car and explore North Caicos and Middle Caicos (connected by a causeway) for the day.

7. Catch a sunset on Grace Bay Beach or Leeward Beach. Stunning.

What to Bring Home from Turks & Caicos.

  1. Bambarra Rum
  2. Locally made jewelry, sea shell creations, paintings and ceramics
  3. Turks Island Roasters Coffee
  4. PeppaJoy Hot Sauce
  5. Lots and lots of pictures!

Other posts you might be interested in:

Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Croix, USVI
Why You Should Plan a Trip to St. Thomas, USVI
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Barbados
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Kauai
Why You Should Plan a Trip to Tortola

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Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC.  All information is correct to our knowledge at the time of writing, but be sure to verify current information before your visit.

Da Conch Shack & RumBar, Providenciales


For a small island with not even one stop light, Providenciales in the Turks & sure has a large number of simply amazing beaches (see The Stunning Beaches of Providenciales), and a number of really fun beach bars too.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
One of the better known, da Conch Shack & RumBar, is located in the Blue Hills area on the northern coast of Provo (next door to Kalooki’s).

Conch-Shack-6-(600)-O
da Conch Shack & RumBar provides deliciously fresh seafood and a wide variety of conch dishes – cracked conch, conch salad, conch fritters, conch creole, and curried conch.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
And if all that delicious conch & seafood weren’t enough, the RumBar serves up an excellent Rum Punch called Jan’s Rum Punch, served by the glass or pitcher.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
We ordered conch fritters, conch salad and a couple Rum Punches and settled in to listen to the live music and enjoy the sea breeze.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
O’Brien, the bartender at the RumBar was great to talk “rum” with and delighted in sharing his favorite rum selections.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
Listed as one of the 1,000 places to see before you die in the book of the same name, we’d have to agree that it’s well worth a visit, or two, while staying in Provo.

da Conch Shack, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos - copyright Rum Therapy
Have you been to da Conch Shack & RumBar? Tell us about it!

Find out more on their website: da Conch Shack & RumBar

Find da Conch Shack on our Turks and Caicos Map

To see more posts on Turks & Caicos and other islands, check out our Island Blog Directory

 Copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC

Snappas Grill & Chill, Marsh Harbour, Abaco

From the outside it looks fairly unassuming, but on the inside it can be hopping. Snappas, a bar/restaurant that sits on the waters edge in Marsh Harbour was a fun place to hang out during our visit earlier this year to The Abacos, Bahamas.

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Close to the dock where we left on our Abacos sail in March Harbour, we ventured over to Snappas on several occasions to enjoy a cold beverage, a warm meal and conversation with other boaters.

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Conch Chowder with Cheese Crisps

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Conch Fritters

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Goombay Smash (recipe here!)

With live music on Friday & Saturday nights, cold drinks, warm food and friendly people, Snappas is a great place to chill while in Marsh Harbour. And don’t forget to look out back at sunset to see if you can catch a glimpse of one of their amazing sunset views…

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Have you been to Snappas? Tell us about it!

 Find Snappas Grill & Chill on our Bahamas Map

To see more island posts, check out our Island Blog Directory

copyright©Rum Therapy
Pictures and other content may not be re-used without written consent from Rum Therapy, LLC