Where to stay in Turks and Caicos
Providenciales
Providenciales, or “Provo” as the Islanders call it, is a glamorous island home to a bevy of luxurious hotels, resorts, and other accommodations. Provo is the most developed and populated of the Turks and Caicos Islands, adorned with endless beaches, sparkling waters, water sports, fine dining, and land activities that combine to make the perfect island getaway. Some of the country’s top beaches are located on Providenciales including Grace Bay Beach, Leeward Beach, Sapodilla Bay, and Taylor Bay. The island offers a few attractions such as the Chalk Sound National Park, Cheshire Hall, and Cockburn Town, the national capital. Provo is the gateway to the Turks and Caicos archipelago, a great place to base yourself with the greatest number of accommodations out of all the islands, along with plenty of fantastic restaurants, and great shops.
Parrot Cay
Parrot Cay is one of the islands in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. The island covers 1,000 acres with a mile-long beach, the main resort here is a high-end beach resort with 61 rooms. The resort features two restaurants on-site, one named Lotus, which is Southeast Asian inspired, and Terrace, which is Italian-Mediterranean. There are wellness programs including yoga, and pilates offered as well as the COMO Shambhala retreat. Parrot Cay is a private island, it takes 35 minutes by boat to reach the island from Providenciales, and offers visitors, and owners extreme seclusion and privacy. There are luxury private villas and beautiful beach houses on Parrot Cay that belong to famous owners such as Bruce Willis, Keith Richards, and Donna Karen. Parrot Cay was the place where Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner were married in 2005, other guests on this private island have included Julia Roberts, Paul McCartney, and Justin Timberlake.
South Caicos
South Caicos, nicknamed the Big South is an isolated island located at the edge of the Caribbean in the Turks and Caicos archipelago. The island boasts a central location, bordered on the northern side by the uninhabited East Caicos, and separated from the Turks Islands by a 20-mile-wide Turks Island Passage, it was the most popular island in the 80s until it was surpassed by Providenciales. The island does not have any taxis or public transportation and is very secluded with very few resorts lining the shores. There is a peninsula that juts out from the north, and Cockburn Harbour is the main settlement on the island filled with Bermudian architecture and limestone cut construction. There is only one hotel, the Ocean and Beach Resort, and others include Sail Rock which offers luxury villas, and East Bay Resort with private apartments and luxury villas. The island is surrounded by some excellent coral reefs and scuba diving sites.
Big Ambergris Cay
Big Ambergris Cay is an exclusive private island in the Turks and Caicos, it sits 600 miles south of Miami, on teh southeast corner of teh Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago. The stunning, secluded private island sits on 1,100 acres and is around 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. This exquisite private island offers premium all-inclusive resort accommodations such as the upscale Ambergris Cay Resort with breathtaking beachfront bungalows. The island has its own airport and also features luxury vacation homes, upscale dining, and extravagant amenities. The resort boasts beachfront access, swimming pools, spas, and complimentary activities as well as motorized water sports. Ambergris Cay opened as a private island resort in 2019, the resort is home to 17 bungalows and 9 villas for rent.
Grand Turk
Grand Turk is the largest island in the Turks Islands archipelago, home to the country’s capital city of Cockburn Town, it's the second most populous island in the chain. It is the region’s historical center, it is still a charming, sleepy island town with 19th-century Bermudian architecture. Staying on Grand Turk allows visitors many options when it comes to accommodations with many hotel chains, local hotels, and villas to choose from. The island offers some fantastic beaches, and the crystal clear waters are excellent for snorkeling and scuba diving with abundant marine life.