One-Week Itinerary for a First Time Visit to Turks & Caicos
This guide is a general itinerary for a one-week stay on the island of Providenciales for first-time visitors to the Turks and Caicos. It’s important to keep in mind that this is just a general outline. The beach and ocean is the top attraction of the Turks and Caicos, and the trick is to find the best way for you to enjoy the tropical environment. For some, it’s simply lounging in the water and at the beach. Others will want to discover water sports and other attractions.
In addition to your flights and hotel or villa, you’ll want to make some other reservations well in advance of your visit. It's best to book boat charters, reservations at popular fine dining restaurants, and activities such as horseback riding as soon as you have decided on your vacation dates.
It's also recommended to rent a car for the duration of your stay. During the busy season, rental car availability can be quite limited. There is no public transport in the Turks and Caicos, and taxis can be quite expensive.
See What to Bring, Best Times to Visit, and Travel Information for important hints and tips on planning the perfect Turks and Caicos vacation.
Restaurants and Dining
Providenciales is home to a great selection of restaurants. It's best to make reservations at any fine dining restaurants that you want to try, especially during the winter and spring high season.
Casual restaurants usually don’t require a reservation.
Great fine dining restaurants include The Marine Room, Terra Mar Restaurant, Coco Bistro, Caicos Café, Noori, Bella Luna Ristorante, and Baci Ristorante.
Popular casual and lunch restaurants are Sharkbite, Castaways Conch Bar & Island Grill, Ricky’s, Da Conch Shack, Las Brisas, and Bugaloo’s.
Arrival
It can take 2–3 hours to clear immigration and customs, collect your rental car, and check into your accommodation. During the height of the high season, long immigration lines at the Providenciales International Airport are common. Some regular visitors to the country use fast track service to bypass the lines.
Your arrival day is a great time to stock up on groceries, drinks, and other necessities. There are several supermarkets to choose from. The Wine Cellar offers the widest selection of alcohol, and the cheapest beer on Providenciales is found by the case at the Turk's Head Brewery.
If you need coolers, beach towels, chairs, umbrellas, or inflatable floats, try Building Materials Do It Center or Graceway IGA supermarket. These amenities may be included at your vacation rental or resort.
A wonderful way to spend the remainder of the day is to enjoy one of Providenciales’ amazing beaches.
Day 1—Grace Bay Beach
Discover and enjoy Grace Bay Beach. There’s a reason that this exquisite beach often ranks as the best beach in the world—the clear turquoise water and sugar-soft white sand of this coast are breathtaking.
If you’d like to explore more than Grace Bay, try the Stubb’s Point (also known as Pelican Point) or the Emerald Point area of Leeward Beach. Likewise, the Bight Beach and Long Bay Beach are also spectacular.
Day 2—Boat Charter to the Caicos Cays
Take a cruise to the Caicos Cays. Your boat charter is something that you should schedule well in advance of your visit, as availability on popular excursions can be limited.
There’s so much to see by boat. Popular boating destinations include the Turks and Caicos Islands rock iguana sanctuary of Little Water Cay, Half Moon Bay, Water Cay, Pine Cay, Dellis Cay, and the exquisite Fort George Cay, where 1700s-era cannons can still be seen in the water today.
A snorkeling cruise on the barrier reef is an amazing experience. The offshore reefs offer a different atmosphere than the beach reefs. The water tends to be clearer and bluer, there are fields of waving sea fans, and you’re more likely to see one of the larger sea creatures, such as a dolphin or shark.
Day 3—Island Tour and Chalk Sound
Once you’ve spent a day or two on the water, it can be fun to explore Providenciales by car. A good place to start is touring the scenic Venetian Road and Turtle Tail area, which offers turquoise waters, coastal bluffs, elegant villas, and a few secluded beaches.
The southwest of Providenciales includes the vibrant turquoise of Chalk Sound National Park, Sapodilla Bay Hill, Sapodilla Bay Beach, Taylor Bay Beach, and Five Cays Beach. When in the area, a great place for lunch is Las Brisas or Bugaloo’s.
Blue Hills, one of the original settlements on Providenciales, offers a quaint beachfront drive with a laid-back Caribbean feel.
Day 4—Snorkeling and More Beaches
Another wonderful way to spend part of the day is to snorkel at some of the amazing Providenciales shore reefs.
Two centrally located sites, the Bight Reef and Smith’s Reef, offer beautiful underwater sights. Both are located directly off the beach. The Bight Reef (Coral Gardens) is the more popular of the two reefs, and is very easy to find and navigate. A single reef system leads off the beach for several hundred feet out, and there’s plenty of coral and colorful fish to see. Sea turtles are common sightings as well.
A great activity for later in the day is to take an evening cruise to watch the sunset.
Day 5—More Beaches and Shopping
You’ll want to make sure that you complete your checklist of beaches to visit. The best beaches on Providenciales include Grace Bay, Leeward Beach, Long Bay Beach, the Bight Beach, Sapodilla Bay, and Taylor Bay. If you’ve missed any, now is the time to visit them.
The best gift and luxury shopping on Providenciales is located in central Grace Bay at a few adjacent plazas. The Saltmills, Regent Village, and Ports of Call are home to many gift shops, art galleries, and restaurants, and it’s easy to spend a few hours browsing.
As an alternative to the above, and if you’d rather spend more time exploring the natural beauty of the Turks and Caicos, consider a day trip to the verdant twin islands of North Caicos and Middle Caicos.
Day 6—Water Sports
There are so many amazing water sports to try in the Turks and Caicos, and your last full day is the perfect time to try one.
Exciting options include parasailing, jet skiing, or a fishing charter. If you’d rather get a little closer to nature, there’s kayaking and paddleboarding in the wetlands, kiteboarding, and freediving. The Turks and Caicos offers incredible scuba diving as well. As it's recommended to wait 24 hours to fly after recreational scuba diving to avoid decompression sickness, it may be best to book scuba diving excursions several days before your departure.
Land activities include guided ATV tours, a tour of the local Turk’s Head Brewery, and the historical Cheshire Hall Plantation. Horseback riding on the beach is also a very popular thing to do, and typically takes place at Long Bay Beach.
If it’s a breezy day, it’s also fun to watch the kiteboarding action at Long Bay Beach.
Departure
It's recommended that you arrive at the airline check-in counter three hours prior to your flight departure time during the winter and spring months, and two hours prior to departure during the summer and fall months.
Additional Ideas
Potcake Place K9 Rescue, a non-profit Potcake dog rescue charity, welcomes visitors to take a Potcake puppy out for a walk on Grace Bay Beach.
If you’re staying at a vacation rental or a smaller hotel and want the resort experience, a day pass to one of the larger resorts can be quite fun. Club Med and Beaches offer day and evening passes.