Terrific Turks and Caicos

---

I have been fortunate enough to have traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands twice, both times to the island of Providenciales.

The first trip was a family vacation. The island chain is just a bit south of the bahamas, not technically in the caribbean. This was a spring break trip but the weather was certainly tropical. We had some evening storms and one day when the wind was blustery but otherwise pleasant conditions.

We stayed at the Ocean Club West a condo resort on Grace Bay which stretches for several miles. The beach is wide and sandy with fairly calm waters. Because it is a sandy bay there's not much to see when snorkelling off the beach but it is nice for swimming and you can see the occasional sand dollar even in 17 feet of water. The term "Gin Clear Water" is certainly appropriate.

At the time we first visited the resorts were no more than 3 or 4 stories tall but since then a 7 story facility has opened with several towers.

I would compare the island to what Grand Cayman may have looked like 20 or so years ago.

If you are looking for active night life you would probably need to go elsewhere. There's not much of a downtown and the shopping is only marginal compared to other island destinations. Fortunately we don't necessarily find that a bad thing. The main activity seems to be relaxation.

My second trip was for a meeting sponsered by DAN (Divers Alert Network). This was held at the Beaches resort, one of those all inclusives. It was nice not to have to deal with driving or searching for restaurants but it was a busy place for my liking and it seemed many people there were intent on getting their moneys worth in alcohol. I prefer something a bit more quiet and out of the way.

Caicos diving is fantastic. There is healthy reef and lots of active reef life. Most dive sites were 20 minutes or so away from the resort dock. Weather one day required that we leave from a dock on the south side of the island and we dove off the western end. A nice change of scenery.

Since Grace Bay is so long it makes a great walking tour. Heading east you pass the Grace Bay resorts all stretched out along the coast. Its quite a long walk from the Beaches Resort. Near the eastern end of the beach you pass the Club Med which seems to cater to 20 and 30 somethings. It was loud and large. I recall walking along the beach here the first time we visited with my son and daughter. He was probably 5th or 6th grade. I had explained that in some island areas outside of the US some women did not feel the need to wear the top part of a bathing suit so as to enjoy a bit more freedom. As we walked by, sure enough a couple of women emerged from the water headed to their towels topless. My son did an excellent job of not gawking but I'm sure he was looking forward to sharing the moment with his buddies when he got home!

Even further east the beach narrows and is lined by sandstone cliffs that are 5 to 20 feet high. At high tide the waves come all the way to the cliff edge. Once you've walked this far you will likely not see any other people and this was supported by a sign that identified the area for nude sunbathing. Since it was so hot I availed myself of the privacy with a refreshing skinny dip!

---