Discover Shopping on Providenciales
Where to Shop in Turks and Caicos
Providenciales is home to most of the luxury resorts and hotels in the Turks and Caicos, and likewise offers the best shopping opportunities of any island in the country. There’s an excellent and interesting selection of gift shops, art galleries, and luxury goods stores to browse, many of which are centered around a few shopping plazas and courtyards in the Grace Bay area.
See Customs Allowances for information on duty-free items and what returning guests may bring back to their home countries without incurring customs duty.
The retail and dining district of Grace Bay is largely found along a short distance of Grace Bay Road. Two adjacent plazas, the Regent Village and Saltmills Plaza, are the center of most activity and house clothing boutiques, surf and sport shops, jewelry stores, art galleries, souvenir shops, and specialty food stores.
A smaller selection of shops are found in the nearby Ports of Call and La Petite Place plazas just a short walk away.
Local Souvenirs and Gifts
As is the case with most tourist destinations, many of the souvenirs and gifts in shops are imported items with Turks and Caicos rebranding, yet the selection of authentic and high-quality goods is better than what’s typically found on other Caribbean islands.
Turks and Caicos shopping can be an adventure, and you never know what you may find. In recent years, there has been a large increase in boutique Turks and Caicos arts and crafts, designer fashion, handmade jewelry, and accessories. These locally manufactured items have a much better connection to the islands. A good example is the jewelry made here, which incorporates Turks and Caicos sea glass, beach sand, and conch, or is cast in silver from molds made from native seashells.
For those visiting Providenciales in December, the Art and Craft Expo in the Saltmills Plaza provides some of the best local souvenir and gift shopping, as all the items for sale are made locally.
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Skincare and Cosmetics
The Turks and Caicos is home to a small yet select collection of homegrown and unique soap and skincare products. Several art galleries in Grace Bay offer handcrafted and boutique soaps, including products from the Turks and Caicos Soap Company and Rejouvenance.
Local skincare brand Wildflower Skincare Lab uses locally-grown plants like wild orchid and bougainvillea to create a range of products, from moisturizers to sunscreens, at their storefront in Caicos Café Plaza.
Turks Islands Landfall
A unique gift to consider is a copy of Turks Islands Landfall, a massive and fascinating Turks and Caicos history book. Written over several decades by Herbert ‘Bertie’ Sadler, the book offers insights on epochs ranging from the pre-Columbian Lucayans to pirates, industries, the modern era, and much more.
Arts and Crafts
There’s a wide selection of paintings, prints, sculptures, and crafts available at the art galleries on Providenciales. The art scene in the country is ever-expanding, and there’s now a wide range of artists here working in many types of media. Wander through one of the Grace Bay galleries, and you're bound to spot something that catches your fancy.
You can also find products from the Middle Caicos Co-op on Providenciales. These handmade goods from the quiet islands of North Caicos and Middle Caicos are crafted in the same fashion and with the same materials as they used to be more than a century ago. There are woven baskets and hats, old-fashioned dolls, and model sailboats—necessities and toys from a time past. A small sampling of their products is available for purchase at Bella Luna, the shop at Cheshire Hall Plantation, and at the Turks and Caicos National Trust's office in Saltmills Plaza.
Some pieces in shops here are handmade in the Caribbean, but do not originate in the Turks and Caicos. This includes the brightly painted Haitian sheet metal art and some paintings.
Jewelry and Fashion
If you're looking for tropical fashions or surf apparel, the shops and boutiques on Providenciales carry several local brands with popular and original designs.
Konk Apparel is a locally-owned surfwear and skatewear brand that sells sunglasses, hats, clothing designs, and backpacks that feature local symbols, such as conch shells to potcake dogs. All items are shipped internationally, but you can buy Konk hats and sunglasses on Providenciales at the Blue Surf Shop in Saltmills plaza.
Although not manufactured in the country, unique Turks and Caicos design T-shirts are now available at many shops.
Two more options are Sea Sage’s unique silk scarves and Atelys Adrian’s handcrafted silver jewelry with beautiful stone, sea glass, and pearl settings.
Food and Drinks
A flavorful way to start the day, TCI Coffee Roasters’ gourmet coffee is offered in a wide array of blends. The raw coffee beans are roasted and packaged (both ground and whole) in central Providenciales.
Turk’s Head Beer and Bambarra Rum are the two local alcohols. Both are bottled on Providenciales: the beer is brewed from scratch and the rum is blended from regional stocks. Several other local brands have emerged in recent years, but are less popular. Pre-packaged Bambarra rum cake is another popular gift that's easy to travel home with, and while it's a bit darker than the better-known Tortuga rum cake, the taste is similar.
Other local items include Peppa Joy hot sauce (made from local North Caicos peppers), sea salt from Salt Cay Salt Works, and Salt Cay caramel candies.
Conch Creations
Along with contributing to many of the nation’s favorite dishes, conch is used to make many locally made gifts and souvenirs.
Conch shells have been used by people in the islands throughout history for several purposes, from making horns and tools to incorporating them into construction. Popular souvenirs today include vases and dishes, jewelry, and artwork. While conch shells can be clunky to travel with, they are a great and rather unique souvenir to bring home from the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Albeit quite rare, the pastel-hued conch pearl is sometimes sold alone or incorporated into jewelry.
Conchs and Other Seashells
Many of the smaller craft markets and shops offer a selection of seashells for sale, but other than conchs, queen helmets, and triton's trumpets, nearly all of these shells are imported.
In some cases, shops sell non-conch local shells. It's best to avoid them. There's a high chance these shells may be gathered unethically and illegally.
Conchs are the only legally exportable shell, and certain conditions apply.
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