Family Getaway to Turks & Caicos

Family Adventures

The islands of Turks & Caicos have been on my family’s radar screen for many years, and we finally heeded the call of its famous turquoise waters for spring break 2022. We spent a 7-night family getaway on this island paradise, and it was everything we wanted and more! We walked away with family memories of fun activities, beautiful beaches and gorgeous sunsets.

Here’s the scoop, so you can add this beautiful island destination to your bucket list now!

About Turks & Caicos

Turks & Caicos is part of the British West Indies. It consists of over 40 islands and cays that sit 400 miles southeast of the Bahamas in the tropical Atlantic Ocean. Only 8 of the islands are inhabited, and the most frequently visited is Providenciales (also called Provo). This is the island we visited, and the one that I’m writing about.

Provo is home to the world-famous Grace Bay, a 12 mile stretch of spectacular white-sand beaches and strikingly blue water.  The second largest barrier reef system in the western hemisphere lies off the coast of the island, so diving and snorkeling are top-notch. One of the coolest features of Provo is the Caicos Bank, a 1700 square mile marine bank around the island. It is quite shallow, so at low tide, you can walk for miles out in the ocean with the water just up to your waist.

Getting there

The main international airport for Turks & Caicos is on Providenciales (airport code PLS). There are several direct flights each day, arriving from cities all over the USA.  Our direct flight out of Chicago was under 4 hours. We left a grey and drizzly Chicago in the morning, and had our toes in the sand by early afternoon!

One thing to note is that the airport in Provo was CRAZY on the Saturday afternoon we flew in.  Luckily, we had signed up for FastTrack service to skip to the front of the immigration line, and it was well worth the $$. I can help you navigate these details. However, if you have flexibility to fly in during the week vs a weekend, I highly recommend it. For those flying on to a smaller island from Provo, you can catch inter-island flights from the same airport.

Where to stay

There are lots of great hotel options on Providenciales. Many families opt for the all-inclusive Beaches resort and love it.  Since my family tends to enjoy exploring different restaurants and areas when we travel, we didn’t go this route. Instead, we stayed the The Shore Club on Long Bay, which is known as one of the best kite-surfing beaches in the world.  The resort was beautiful and kept us busy with 4 pools, tennis and basketball courts, a nice fitness center, kids club and a luxurious spa.

I was able to tour several other resorts on the island while there, so I also highly recommend Grace Bay Club, Seven Stars, The Palms and the West Bay Club.  Each resort has a different personality and location, and I can work with you to choose the right property for your family and occasion. Additionally, there are many private villas for rent on the island, which I can help you find.

Activities

If your family loves water as much as mine, Turks & Caicos really shines.  In addition to hours spent in the pool and ocean, we went on some great excursions.  We spent one morning with Big Blue Collective on a private paddle-board eco tour of Mangrove Cay.  Our guide taught us about the mangrove habitat and ecology, which is so vital to protecting these islands.  We spent a peaceful two hours paddling through the mangroves, spotting baby sharks and more sea turtles than we could count.  The water is breathtakingly clear, so you can see these animals perfectly. 

Another day we chartered a boat with Okeanos Charters and spent an afternoon with a captain and a guide, exploring the area.  The snorkeling off Grace Bay was spectacular (“some of the best we’ve ever done,” according to my kids who are lucky to have snorkeled all over the world). Again, the water was extremely clear, so we could intimately see the life living on and around the reef.  Our favorite part was trailing the turtles as they zipped around the reef.  Later we stopped at Little Water Cay, also known as Iguana Island, to check out the lizards living there. We ended the day cruising along the shore and enjoying some of their famous rum punch!

Other water sports available are kiteboard, jet skiing (be sure to stop by one of the tiki bars set up in the middle of the ocean), parasailing, fishing and sailing.

Book with Christina Smith Travel

There is no better way to experience the fun, beauty and relaxation of Turks & Caicos than by booking with Christina Smith Travel.  I have the inside track on the best vendors and guides to guarantee a great experience, as well as a list of not-to-be-missed restaurants on the island (and can even help secure hard-to-get reservations!). I would love to share my first-hand knowledge of the resorts on Providenciales and work with you to choose the right one for your family.  And through my relationships with many of the resorts, I can typically secure you:

  • Free daily breakfast
  • Hotel/resort credit starting at $100 USD per stay
  • Room upgrades, based on availability at time of check-in
  • Early check in/late check out, based on availability

Reach out to learn more about Turks & Caicos or to start planning a trip today! ✈️🏝☀️