I wasn’t ready for Turks and Caicos. Sure, I’d packed my toothbrush, swim trunks and passport, but those necessities didn’t prepare me for the impact of simply laying eyes on the place.
A British overseas territory consisting of approximately 40 islands and cays, Turks and Caicos is, judging by recent media buzz, the Caribbean hot spot of the moment, the “most romantic destination,” offering the “best beach in the world.”
I’ve travelled across a few of the Caribbean’s roughly 3 million square kilometres and love many of the islands for different reasons, but the quality of the water around Turks and Caicos remains among the most beautiful I’ve seen anywhere outside of French Polynesia.
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There’s something almost otherworldly about the way the light plays off the clear water here: the colours shifting from turquoise to emerald to an almost incandescent azure, everything framed by the softest coconut palm-shaded beaches.
What lies beneath the water is every bit as impressive. Here, in the expansive coral reef, the diving is considered among the best. I’m only snorkel-certified but still manage to spot a turtle, schools of various fish, and even a shark (a placid, harmless nurse shark, yet thrilling nonetheless).
Since all of this happened not 100 metres from my beach chair, I’m back on dry land enjoying a cocktail at Pink Bar before the adrenalin has even worn off. I’m staying at the Wymara Resort + Villas on Grace Bay Beach (the one with the aforementioned “world’s best beach” rep), on the main island of Providenciales. I first visited the property 10 years ago, when it was the achingly hip Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. Now, after a $13-million renovation, the resort feels refreshed — still cool, but more timeless luxury than of-the-second trendy.
A bird’s eye view of Wymara Resort + Villas, set on Grace Bay Beach.
ENVISIONWORKS Inc.
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The makeover was the brainchild of the hotel’s Canadian owner, Bruce Maclaren, who has a vision for the property and the islands more widely. In addition to the new rooms in the main resort, Wymara recently debuted a spectacular 150-foot-long ocean pool, the only one in the Caribbean. Several more six-bedroom villas will open later this year, and recently the resort announced a partnership with the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund on a project that is expected to generate $67,000 a year toward helping that organization preserve the island’s reef system. Good news for my shark friend.
The Aussie-style ocean-fed pool at Wymara Resort + Villas is a first in the Caribbean.
Gary James
To take in more of the island, Maclaren strongly encourages me to visit the Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club, and despite not being an avid golfer, I’m glad I do. The Karl Litten-designed, 18-hole course, with its hundreds of palm trees, limestone outcroppings and immaculate fairways, is challenging enough to host tournaments like the Caribbean Classic Golf. But it’s also forgiving enough that a duffer like me can get through a round unscathed, though one of my errant tee shots nearly decapitates an egret.
Pro tip: In addition to the usual water and sand hazards, watch out for the herons, pied-billed grebes and flamingos that congregate in the lagoons and occasionally stroll across the greens. It’s no surprise then that USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards named the Royal Turks the best golf club in the Caribbean for 2024.
Genteel pursuits like golf are fine, but what about visitors who want to let loose? Turks and Caicos has those folks covered as well. Opened in 2022, Noah’s Ark is already among the Caribbean’s legendary party spots. The “floating beach club” looks like some brightly painted rafts tied together. There’s a bar, a bathroom, a small kitchen and a booming sound system, and little else.
Still, boats line up two or three deep to dock here, plenty of them hoping to catch sight of the bar’s most famous patron: Drake. The Canadian rapper and Jamaican artist Popcaan filmed their “We Caa Done” video here, and I hear a rumour Drake can occasionally be found mixing drinks.
The rapper’s not playing bartender during my visit, but the patrons don’t seem to mind as they shake and shimmy to the pounding soundtrack of soca, dance hall and rap, while others race around on rented jet skis or fall off the floating trampoline. It’s wildly entertaining and, like so much about Turks and Caicos, even better than I expected.
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Chris Johnstravelled as a guest of Wymara Resort + Villas, which did not review or approve this article.
