The Ultimate Travel Guide for Planning a Trip to Turks and Caicos
I recently celebrated another birthday and continued the tradition of traveling to another island with my cousin. For my 30th, we were introduced to some of our roots in Barbados, last year we enjoyed food and beaches in Martinique, and this year we visited Providenciales island in Turks and Caicos.
Turks and Caicos had been on my cousin’s list for a while so we were excited to find a flight deal last November from NYC to Providenciales. I received a number of questions about my trip from followers via Instagram so today I’m sharing a full Turks and Caicos travel guide.
About the Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a series of islands known for their luxury hotels, coral reefs, and smooth white sand beaches. If you’re a frequent cruiser, there is a cruise terminal on Grand Turk island. Since they are a series of islands, it is possible to travel between the islands for a day trip via flight or ferry.
Best Time to Visit Turks and Caicos – Weather
The Turks and Caicos islands are located in the Atlantic and have a tropical climate. When planning a trip to Turks and Caicos, keep in mind that hurricane season is June-November. Temperature highs are in the 80’s and averages in the 70’s for the low.
The busiest tourist season is the Winter (December-March). Going at the end of April was the best time to visit Turks and Caicos for us to find both a flight and hotel that met our budget.
People & Language
The main language of Turks and Caicos is English, but being a Caribbean-American from NYC it is easy to notice different dialects. In addition to interacting with locals, we met a lot of people with Haitian, Jamaican and Bahamian backgrounds that lived and worked in Grace Bay.
Turks & Caicos Currency
Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory, but the main currency is the U.S. Dollar. Most of the restaurants we went to accepted credit cards, but there were some small shops that were cash only. If you’re using your card, remember to call your bank to let them know you’re using your card when traveling.
Planning a Trip to Turks and Caicos – Where to Stay
I’ve had a few friends visit Turks and Caicos so I received a number of recommendations when planning the trip. We stayed at Villa del Mar, a boutique resort across from Grace Bay Club, and walking distance to the Seven Stars Resort. These are all 4-5 star luxury resorts with guests paying around $600-$2000+ per night depending on the season. The Ritz Carlton will soon have a waterfront resort this fall.
Getting Around Turks and Caicos
Another important part of planning a trip to Turks and Caicos is getting around. Common methods of transportation in Turks and Caicos are renting a car, taking a cab, hiring a local driver, renting a bike or scooter or just walking. If you are comfortable with driving on the left side of the road, renting a car is the cheapest option.
Cab fare is per person and can add up over time. We met a number of people that offered to be our personal driver, but we walked almost everywhere. Another option is to ride a bike. Most resorts offer bikes to guests for free or a small rental fee.
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Things to do in Turks and Caicos
Learn about Turks and Caicos History
I LONGED for a museum and found through research that Providenciales has a former cotton plantation at Cheshire Hall. To learn more about the country’s history, it is best to visit Grand Turk which has many historical sites and the Turks and Caicos National Museum.
Eat and Drink
The Thursday Fish Fry was also a great option for cheap eats and entertainment. I couldn’t help but sing along with the live band, wine up to the sweet sounds of soca music and finally getting a taste of conch fritters. For added spice, make sure to eat it with some Peppa Joy, the local pepper sauce.
Turks and Caicos is also home to the only conch farm in the world that raises conch for local and international use. Conch is a type of sea mollusk locals use to make popular dishes such as conch salad and conch chowder. For the drinkers, drink a glass of rum punch with Bambarra Rum which is the official spirit of Turks and Caicos. You can also head over to Turks Head Brewery for tasting and tours.
Go on a Nature Walk
Bird watching is very popular in Providenciales. The best areas for birdwatching are West Harbour Bluff, Frenchman’s Creek and Pigeon Pond Nature Reserve and Northwest Point. These National Parks are great for hiking too.
If you’re an avid hiker, take the ferry to Middle Caicos, South Caicos or Salt Cay. Whale watching is also a seasonal attraction of migrating humpback whales mostly seen from December-March.
Enjoy the Beach and Watersports
All of the beaches in Turks and Caicos are free and accessible to the public. If you’re a wanderer like me, Providenciales may not be for you, but it is great for people that like to lay back and relax.
Most things to do in Providenciales are beach and water activities like snorkeling and scuba diving, sport fishing, jet skiing, parasailing, paddle boarding and more.
Important Things to Know When Planning a Trip to Turks and Caicos
Turks and Caicos is Expensive!
One of the things I learned about Providenciales was you visit Turks and Caicos to spend money or make money. I thought visiting Martinique was pricey, but Providenciales was hella expensive! As we spoke to the locals they told us a lot of products are imported so it is reflected in the prices. Price ranges for hotels and resorts usually range from $400-2000+ a night depending on the season alone.
To save some money, stay in a hotel that offers free breakfast and free non-motorized water sports. When going to the grocery store for fruit and snacks, they were charging as much as $8 for strawberries. As mentioned earlier cab rides are per person so staying in an area close to everything will work better for your pockets. I usually bring home gifts for myself or friends and family, but everything in the gift shops was just too much.
Bring Bug Spray!
The mosquitos in Providenciales are no joke! When you are planning your trip to Turks and Caicos, make sure to pack insect repellant wipes or an equivalent spray. On our first night, my cousin and I went for a walk on the beach and the mosquitos had a feast!
As it gets cooler in the evenings, have a light shirt, cardigan or wear clothing that covers your legs to reduce the number of mosquito bites.
Wear Sunblock and Stay Hydrated
We never had a cloudy day and the sun was beaming so remember to bring sunblock and drink enough water. Our resort offered complimentary bottled and iced water by the pool and beach areas so we made sure to stay hydrated as much as possible. When venturing out, I made sure to purchase bottled water from the grocery store which was about .60 a bottle.
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I hope these tips for planning a trip to Turks and Caicos were helpful. If you enjoyed this Turks and Caicos travel guide, make sure to share it with your social community.
My mother in law was the last person I personally know that recently visited the island. She said the views were incredible and seeing your pictures I see that they are phenomenal. Thanks for all the sage advice!
That is really disappointing to know how all of these islands are getting so overpriced. I didnt know T&C was so pricey $8 for fruit and $400 a night for a hotel wow…
Turks and Caicos has been on my bucket list for a while. Thank you for sharing this guide- beautiful photos!
Thanks for reading Arnitis! I hope you get to visit one day.
Boy, this looks absolutely wonderful. I hear that Prince’s estate is selling his property there. It’d be nice to scoop that up!
Oooh that’d be pretty cool! I’m sure it’ll be a hefty price
I may have to get with you on planning my next out of the country vacation… Seriously. Lol. When my budget is strict, and I still want to vacation, it will be guides like yours that I’ll remember to have a bomb budget trip. Thanks for sharing!!
You cover everything necessary to travel to Turks and Caicos. I am glad you really was honest about the island bugs and high prices. I could not help but think of the actress that married the local official from Turks and Caicos and how it was plagued with scandal when I read your blog. I SEE you stayed professional and did not throw that facts in the piece.
I love that you shared this guide. I was intrigued by your first post on taking a budget trip. Definitely want to visit Turks and Caicos in the future.
Thanks! Yes, she did a great job being honest about how much she spent. A lot of people think you have to spend an arm and a leg, but if you know how to budget right, it can be done for less.
I have not gone to Turks and Caicos and part of me is like what have I been waiting for and the other part of me is like mmm expensive?! It won’t fit into my typical thrifty travel lifestyle but I could save up for a splurge! Thanks for all the deets- will be helpful in the future.
I definitely get it. I would love to visit the museums next time because I get bored easy laying on the beach or poolside doing nothing.
I love how thorough and detailed this is. Sounds like such an awesome trip. I would love all the soca music and riding bikes around.
Riding bikes let you explore a little more than walking and you also get some exercise in. I wish our resort offered bikes. That would’ve been fun.