East Side Beach on Grand Turk
Coconut palms on East Side Beach, Grand Turk.
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East Side Beach Grand Turk

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Editor's Comments
Long and largely undeveloped, East Side Beach is the best coast on the island for flotsam beachcombing. Much of the water here is shallow and carpeted with seagrass, but sandy patches can be found close to shore. Typically the best spot on Grand Turk for kiteboarding.
3-star rating for East Side Beach by Visit Turks and Caicos Islands
East Side Beach in the Turks and Caicos
East Side Beach is exposed to the regular eastern trade winds.

The four-mile long (6.5 km) East Side Beach is the longest beach on Grand Turk. Largely undeveloped, this coast generally doesn’t offer the best swimming conditions, but several decent stretches can be found. It’s directly exposed to the open Atlantic Ocean.

Grand Turk’s main riding stable is found at the north end of this beach.

Seaweed and Flotsam

See Also Sargassum in the Turks and Caicos

Dense seaweed grows close off the beach in much of this area, and a heavy band of seaweed, sargassum, and flotsam is usually found washed up as well. Due to being directly exposed to the consistent eastern trade winds, plastic flotsam (from throughout the Atlantic) is common as well.

Sargassum and a sailboat wreck on East Side Beach on Grand Turk
A shipwreck and sargassum on East Side Beach. This coast can have significant accumulations of sargassum and flotsam at times.

Sargassum is a reddish brown holopelagic macroalgae that grows in warmer sections of the Atlantic Ocean, and is the primary buildup on many of the windward coasts in the Turks and Caicos. Sargassum is seasonal, typically being worst during the hottest months of the year.

It’s interesting to comb through the strange and foreign items that make it to the beach, and it’s not uncommon to find an actual message in a bottle.

Getting Here

There is no developed beach access to East Side Beach. Tracks lead down to East Side Beach from Lighthouse Road in many places, yet you’ll have to hunt a bit to find the perfect spot. On the northern point of East Side Beach are the remains of the U.S. NAVFAC 104 Navy Base, and the Grand Turk Lighthouse.

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