A Turks and Caicos Vacation
My jaw dropped as we flew in for our Turks and Caicos Vacation. The water – everyone tells you about the crystal clear light blue water in Turks and Caicos, but no picture does it justice. You have to see it to believe it. My husband and I planned a 4-day trip to the island in February to get out of the cold and get some sun. We will definitely will be back.
I will share the beaches we went to, where we ate, where to see the sunset (another jaw-dropper), what we did, and where we shopped. It was so fun!!
A Turks and Caicos Vacation
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A Turks and Caicos Vacation: How to get There
Getting to Turks and Caicos is easy. There are many flights a day on all of the major airlines. We flew American Airlines from Tulsa and changed planes in Dallas. We went through Charlotte, NC on the way home. Your flight will be full! Immigration and customs was pretty easy. They are still a pen and paper country with their forms, but it did not take too long to get through.
A Turks and Caicos Vacation: Renting a Car
You will most likely need to rent a car. I am not sure about taxi/shuttle transportation from the airport to Grace Bay and its resorts, but most everyone on our plane was in the rental car lines. We were heading to a house on Chalk Sound, so we needed our own transportation. Hint: Use Gray Bay Car Rentals. You will get your car at the airport instead of having to take a shuttle to another location.
The people standing in line to get a shuttle looked weary and unhappy as we and others collected our cars from Grace Bay Car Rental. It’s not like a US airport where a shuttle comes by every 2 minutes.
We rented a Jeep. We were glad we had it because we did drive on a few unpaved roads during our stay. Another note: They drive on the left side of the road and you will be navigating round-a-bouts. We mastered them after a few trips. It is alarming for a while to see cars coming at you on your right.
A Turks and Caicos Vacation: Where to Stay
We chose a VRBO on Chalk Sound. Chalk Sound is about 20 minutes from the Grace Bay area by car. There are two beautiful beaches nearby. Most people seem to be at Grace Bay. As empty nesters we chose to get a house away from the crowds. We had our own pool, washer and dryer, and kitchen. We like the quiet and privacy, but that may not be what you are looking for.
We drove into town to go on our excursion, to shop, and to eat one evening. We didn’t mind the drives. This is the VRBO where we stayed. It was much bigger than we needed. There were 3 bedrooms and we only used one. My favorite things at this rental were the view and the excellent bed in the primary bedroom. You never know what kind of mattress you will get at a rental.
The things I liked least were the lack of any kitchen staples and that the pool was much colder than I would have liked. Groceries are super expensive in Turks and Caicos, so having to buy staples in addition to any food you want is not fun. I also wish there was a way to pay extra to heat the pool. The back of the house is to the east so we lost the sun on the water by mid-afternoon. I’m not sure the pool was getting enough hours of sunlight this time of year to warm up. Sitting by the pool was delightful, though.
My husband went out in the provided kayaks one morning and said it was beautiful on the water.
A Turks and Caicos Vacation: What to Do
Snorkeling and Half Moon Bay Excursion
We booked spots on the Island Vibes Half Day Snorkeling Trip. They picked us up at Bight Beach. The boat made stops at several resorts to pick up other people.
We love snorkeling and always bring our own masks on our trips. We upgraded to Full Face Snorkeling Masks and LOVED them. Sadly we did not see a lot of fish, but it is still fun to get off the boat and swim around the reef.
After we snorkeled, they took us to Half Moon Bay – another jaw-dropping spot. We saw iguanas and enjoyed the wam water and sand. You can walk from one side of the island to the other in 2 minutes. The Atlantic is on one side and the Caribbean on the other. They provided chips and ham/turkey/veggie rollups between the snorkeling and the island.
We stopped on the way back so people could use the boat slide and diving board. I could have done without this part of the trip. I stayed on board. My husband went down the slide twice. The water was calm, so sitting in the boat was fine with me.
Buy Now →Our beach day
We went to Sopodilla Beach for our beach day. The wind had picked up on Chalk Sound and also at Grace Bay Beach. Sopodilla Beach was a few minutes down the road from our VRBO on the other side of the road. We chose it over Taylor Beach (also down the road from us and protected from the wind) because we could rent chairs and an umbrella there.
There were people there who had come in from Grace Bay because of the wind. It was not so crowded that we couldn’t enjoy it. We easily rented chairs and an umbrella and enjoyed our afternoon in the sand, sun, and water. As empty nesters it is fun to watch the families with young children. So cute!
Golf
My husband played golf one morning at the Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Club. He routinely plays in Oklahoma, so he is used to playing in the wind. Two of our days were calm and two of our days were very windy. I was glad we went on our snorkeling cruise on a calm day. Life by the sea has wind sometimes!
Shopping
We went shopping one morning. We started at Salt Mills Plaza. Anna’s Art Gallery and Anna’s Too were the highlights. I bought a piece of pottery at Anna’s and a dress at Anna’s Too. We also purchased a Christmas ornament and a mug at other stores. We then looked around at the shops across the street in Regent Village.
Life at the House
We were mostly out and about, but did spend an afternoon at our own pool. We watched tv and played Mahjong in the evenings. My Travel Mahjong Set needs its own passport. It has been to Guatemala and Turks and Caicos. My husband and I play 2-person messy Mahjong. I have the mini mahjong mat that goes with it. The mat fits in the bag.
Buy Now →
Buy Now →A Turks and Caicos Vacation: Where to Eat
- Omar’s Beach Hut was our first stop after picking up our rental Jeep at the airport. It is at Five Cays and requires some travel on non-paved roads. Our shrimp baskets were yummy and the view was excellent.
- We bought snacks and a few breakfast items at the grocery store and made one simple dinner at our house. We also had leftover pizza one evening. The lack of pantry staples made cooking there difficult.
- For breakfasts we ate at Las Brisas which was down the road from our house. The restaurant faces Chalk Sound and has beautiful views. We stuck to the standard breakfast fare – bacon and eggs and omelets. Nothing special about the food, but it got the job done.
- We were quite hungry after our snorkeling cruise and looked for a spot to eat. We landed at Osteria, Pizza e Cucina. They asked if we had a reservation, which we didn’t, but they seated us immediately. They were very friendly and the service was great. The pizza was good and we took the leftovers home for another meal.
A Turks and Caicos Vacation: Sunset Dinner
The highlight meal was at Land + Sea. Wow. Just wow. We made reservations for 6:30 not knowing how long it was going to take us to get there. We arrived at 6pm and were stunned at the venue and the SUNSET. We were so glad we arrived early. If they had brought us cold, day-old McDonald’s to eat, we would not have cared. This place belongs on your bucket list. I felt like I was in a movie.
At the end of February 6:00 to 6:30 is the prime time to see the sunset. It was dark by 6:30. Check the sunset for when you will be there to get the right time. The staff happily took pictures of us and seated us early. I will admit the food was good, but not the best meal you have ever eaten. Go there for the view and the delightful service. My husband liked his groper (not grouper) and said it was well-cooked. My lobster was a bit overcooked. The calamari appetizer was excellent.
I am adding four pictures. I could post eight. It was so so so so gorgeous.
We had a delightful 4-day getaway to Turks and Caicos. We are already excited to return! You can check out more of our travel adventures below. Empty nesting has its perks ;)
Related posts to A Turks and Caicos Vacation:
Review of our Viking Ancient Mediterranean Treasures Cruise
Visiting Antigua, Guatemala – a foodie’s paradise!!
Nashville Travel Guide for Grownups
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