5 Things I Loved about Turks and Caicos

Recently, my husband and I spent a week in Providenciales at The Somerset on Grace Bay. We went with friends and wanted more room, so we splurged for a unit at this luxury condo resort.

This was not a budget stay by any means, but it was pretty swank and definitely worth it. This hotel has some regular rooms, but the bulk of their accommodations are 1, 2, 3, and 5-bedroom condos with full kitchens and living areas. This means you get all the amenities of a luxury resort but the feel of an Airbnb — and all on a world class beach.

While our hotel was grand, I really loved Turks and Caicos and believe we will be back. I have been to almost every country in the Caribbean, and Turks and Caicos is now in my top five next to favorites like Anguilla and Aruba. Here are the reasons I loved this destination so much and why I think you should add it to your travel list this year.

You can get there with Southwest Airlines.

There are a ton of airlines loyalty programs you can use to get to Turks and Caicos with miles, but I love the fact you can fly Southwest to the island. We wound up redeeming only 40,000 miles for two round-trip tickets, and as always this included two checked bags for person.

You can book sweet excursions through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

You can book many hotels in Turks and Caicos through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, even though we didn’t choose this option. One thing we did book through Chase, however, was a four-hour snorkeling excursion and boat ride. This trip cost us 28,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards for four people and included lunch and an open bar in addition to snorkeling and private beach stops. I loved it and I much preferred paying with Chase points versus handing over the $400+ it would have cost our group otherwise.

There are a ton of lodging options.

One thing I loved about Turks and Caicos is the fact that there are many, many condo options available. This makes it a solid option for our family in the future since we prefer rental condos when we travel with our kids. Checking around on Airbnb and VRBO.com, I have also noticed that many options are more budget-friendly than the luxury resorts of Grace Bay.

It’s easy and safe to rent a car.

You don’t really need a rental car in the Grace Bay area, but we got one anyway. It only cost us $167 for a week in a compact car through Expedia, so we figured why not. It was nice to drive all around the island, and specifically to the south end where the water colors were amazing!

The beaches were so beautiful.

Grace Bay reminded me a lot of Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman only it was a lot less developed. The water was some of the clearest you can find in the world, and the sand was soft white powder. The waves barely moved, which made my favorite beach hobby (drinking beer in the water) super easy. The beaches in Turks and Caicos were easily as beautiful as Rendezvous Bay in Anguilla, minus the spectacular mountain views.

 

The Bottom Line

I loved Turks and Caicos, so much so that I can’t wait to go back. Honestly, my only real gripe is just how expensive the food and drink was. Cheap local beer was $42 per case at the grocery store for heaven’s sake, and a box of cereal ran for $6 to $7. We bought some very basic snacks and salad ingredients one day and spent over $100. I also paid $4 for a single cucumber!

Turks and Caicos is worth it, but definitely make sure you bring your wallet and eat cheaply when you can. Having a condo really helped us in that respect, so I will go that route again the next time we visit this group of islands.

Have you ever been to Turks and Caicos? If so, what did you love about it?

 

 

[Image Source: The Somerset]