20 Turks and Caicos Beaches

Turks and Caicos is world-renowned as a destination of pure luxury, home to the world’s most breathtakingly blue waters and impossibly white sand beaches. Despite being a small archipelago, Turks and Caicos has many beaches to enjoy, from shallow watered ones great for families to adventurous windy ones for diving and surfing.

Turks and Caicos has some of the world’s best diving, with reefs aplenty and the spectacular underwater ‘wall’ drop off point. The waters are home to unique marine life, including humpback whales, turtles, sharks and rays, which you can see when snorkelling or diving, and the skies and remote uninhabited islands are home to birds such as heron and kingfishers. These islands are indeed a paradise on earth, so if you’re searching for a destination where you can relax on the sand, enjoy some water sports and have a cocktail in the sunshine, these are the best Turks and Caicos beaches to do it on.

Turks and Caicos Beaches

20 Best Beaches – Turks and Caicos

1- Grace Bay Beach

Grace Bay Beach often comes out top as not just one of Turks and Caicos’ best beaches but also the world’s (it has won the award 19 times).

On the north coast of Providenciales, this swathe of paradise is part of Alexandra National Park.

There is world-renowned scuba diving on offer at the nearby tropical reef, or you can also snorkel, among a host of other activities such as sailing, paddle boarding and sailing.

Unsurprisingly, the beach is home to most of the area’s resorts and hotels, but the beach remains clean and the water beautifully clear.

A popular thing to do here is to catch one of the spectacular sunsets but instead of heading to a hotel bar, take a sunset cruise around Grace Bay for unforgettable views.

2- Governor’s Beach

The best beach on Grand Turk, Governor’s Beach, was originally the home of the island’s governor, and his house, from which the beach gets its name is nearby.

Generally quieter as the snorkelling isn’t great, the beach is an ideal place to head if you want a day of relaxation, light swimming and soaking up the sun.

Shaded by casuarina trees and protected from high winds, the beach is cool, and the water is calm.

Either bring some snacks and settle in for the day or if you’re lucky, you’ll find a few food vendors set up for the occasional incoming cruise ships where you can grab a bite.

3- Taylor Bay Beach

Taylor Bay Beach is only around 1968 ft (600m) long but is one of the best beaches in the south of Providenciales.

The cove is protected by a small peninsula leaving the water shallow and calm year-round, making it a great beach to visit with children.

Due to a lack of big hotels, you won’t find crowds here, which means you’ll have it to yourself.

However, a few beach rentals make an ideal base for a holiday.

While there is not much here in the way of activities, many tour companies on other beaches, including jet skiing and boating trips, make stops here if you’re only planning to visit for an hour or two.

4- The Bight Beach

Bight Beach is directly adjacent to Grace Bay Beach and is equally as spectacular.

There is some excellent snorkelling here due to the growth of ocean seagrass 328 ft (100m) offshore, home to stingrays, turtles, starfish and nurse sharks.

Alternatively, you can snorkel on the nearby Bight Reef.

You can also participate in a variety of water sports such as kayaking and paddle-boarding, where you’ll be able to see almost to the bottom due to the ocean’s clarity and easily stay upright since the beach is protected from high winds.

Many hotels and resorts from Grace Bay trail into Bight Beach, so you won’t be short of places to stay, and all of these have multiple bars and restaurants on offer for you to enjoy.

5- Sapodilla Bay Beach

Sapodilla Bay Beach is a small but mighty slice of paradise with 900 ft (275 m) of clear sand and crystal waters.

Due to its sheltered location, the water in the bay is often even warmer than elsewhere, so you won’t have to swim in cold currents.

You can easily snorkel to the base of the nearby coastal cliffs, where you are likely to see tropical fish, sea urchins and colourful coral.

Look for barracuda, stingrays and eagle rays by the pier.

Other attractions here include the famous Chalk Sound National Park, a lagoon featuring hundreds of tiny islands, so the beach provides a good base for the day.

Sapodilla Bay Hill is famous not just for its panoramic views over the area but for the mid-1700 rock carvings left by shipwrecked sailors.

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6- Mudjin Harbour

For more of an adventurous beach in Turks and Caicos, Mudjin Harbour is where you should go.

The ocean is exceptionally rough and home to reef sharks, so swimming is not advised, but the landscape around the beach makes a visit worthwhile.

With stunning limestone cliffs rising from the shoreline, you can climb these for sweeping views of the beach.

There is also a large open-faced cave to explore and many smaller ones that you can wander into and climb inside.

Dragon Cay, a tiny rocky outcrop that resembles a dragon at low tide, is connected to Mudjin Harbour by a sandspit and is a popular spot for photography.

Most people spend several hours in the area as there is so much to do, so it’s wise to stay nearby or pack everything you might need.

7- Half Moon Bay

With a name like Half Moon Bay, you can already imagine what this beach is like – a glowing white crescent of untouched sand and softly lapping water.

The beach is truly untouched because the islands of Little Water Cay and Water Cay, between which it sits, are entirely uninhabited.

This means there are no amenities or accommodation here, but not to worry, as the beach serves mainly as a destination for various tours and boat trips from across the islands.

If you book one of these, you’ll get to see the area’s famous rock iguanas running around the beach and lemon sharks in the lagoon.

Most of these tours provide picnics or lunch over half a day, but you can hire kayaks to explore the beach independently if you’re feeling adventurous.

8- Leeward Beach

Leeward Beach lies at the northern end of Providenciales, continuing from Grace Bay.

In fact, you can walk the whole way from this beach across Grace Bay, Bight Beach and to Turtle Cove, which is about 6.8 miles (11km) in total.

The main stretch of beach is tranquil and there’s plenty of space to find a patch of sand to yourself.

If you’re keen on more activity, the end of the beach leads to Leeward Channel, the main waterway for boat excursions, wakeboarders, kayakers and paddle boarders – this is where you’ll find the hustle and bustle of the area.

Although there is not much in the way of snorkelling, the direction of the bay means you can catch some breathtaking sunsets from the beach.

9- Malcolm’s Road Beach

Malcolm’s Road Beach sits on the remote west coast of Providenciales and can be quite a rough drive to reach.

All the better for those who make the trip as you’ll find a quiet, rugged and untouched area to explore.

There are a few high-end exclusive resorts nearby, but most people visit the beach for the day.

The most famous attraction at Malcolm’s Bay is The Wall which is a sheer underwater drop-off point into the deep ocean just offshore.

Going from 49 ft (15m) to 69,000 ft (21000m) provides some of the best diving in the region, although the swells and current are only for more experienced divers.

This also makes it an extremely popular spot for freedivers.

If you’re not a diver, there is also some stunning snorkelling to be found off the beach and you will still be able to enjoy a unique stretch of beach to yourself.

10- Long Bay Beach

Long Bay Beach draws people from far and wide due to its high winds, which are perfect conditions for water sports such as kitesurfing and ideal for beginners and pros.

The water is extremely shallow and clear, and the sand soft, so if sports aren’t your thing, you can still sit back and watch the many kites in the air offshore.

On the horizon, you’ll see La Famille Express, the grounded wreck of a freighter ship that washed up in 2004, which you can visit on a boat trip.

The best way to enjoy the beach is by staying at one of the luxury vacation rentals on the southern end, as most include free kayaks and paddleboards, which are perfect for families and right on the water.

11- North Bay Beach

The best beach on Salt Cay, North Bay Beach, is a 1.9-mile (3km) stretch of soft, slightly pink-hued sand and turquoise waters.

There are no official access areas to the beach, but many coastal roads will lead you there.

If you go in the winter season, humpback whales can often be seen off this northern coast, and you can hop on an expert-led whale watching tour to see this up close, which is an unforgettable experience.

There are also several excellent snorkelling spots just off this coastline, the best of which is North West Point.

You can snorkel to these from the beach by looking out for darker patches of water, where you’ll find the likes of fire coral, parrotfish, angelfish, barracuda and spotted eagle rays.

12- South Creek

Also on Salt Cay, South Creek is a beautiful marine tidal wetland system that is not only a beach but has exposed sand flats and mangroves to explore.

As the water is extremely shallow, it isn’t suitable for snorkelling but the small water channels all over the area make it perfect for kayaking.

The mangroves provide excellent bird watching, and as the area is a wetland, you’ll be able to spot ospreys, herons and occasionally kestrels and cuckoos.

There is a complex and deep cave system in the lagoon underwater, although this can often be dangerous to explore due to tidal changes.

13- Pine Cay Beach

One of the few privately-owned cays in the region, Pine Cay is home to a stunning two-mile (3.2 km) beach which is one of the best in Turks and Caicos.

You’ll have to stay at the Meridian Club, a resort encompassing 40 private residences and vacation villas, to visit this beautiful location.

As there are no cars, the area is incredibly tranquil, and the hotel provides golf carts and bicycles to get around.

You’ll also be able to use the resort’s paddleboards, kayaks and sailboats and take advantage of their tours such as scuba diving and fishing.

On top of that, the island has some fantastic hiking trails to explore, so you can be sure you’ll always be occupied.

14- Cedar Point

Cedar Point is one of the most unusual and remote beaches in Turks and Caicos as conditions on the beach vary hugely depending on the time of year you visit.

Located on the far north-eastern end of Middle Caicos, the beach has a vast sandy white beach and very shallow waters.

In some seasons and at different tides, the water level lowers to reveal sandbars in the ocean and small lagoons that can be fun to explore.

If you explore any of the water channels in the area, you may spot some friendly tiger and lemon sharks swimming around.

Nearby you can explore a beautiful untouched palm forest, which houses tropical plant life and animals.

You can easily spend half a day sitting in the shade of the casuarinas or wading out into the shallow waters and enjoying the sunshine.

15- Wild Cow Run

Close by to Cedar Point, Wild Cow run is another windswept, remote yet popular beach on Middle Caicos.

Lined with casuarina trees and featuring high winds, it is one of Turks and Caicos’ safest areas for kiteboarding and is close to Dickish Cay and Grant Cay.

Whether or not you’re into kiting, you’re likely to spot various marine life, including turtles, stingrays and nurse sharks swimming around you.

Another fun thing to do here, especially with kids, is beachcombing.

The ocean washes up an impressive range of seashells, driftwood and even messages in bottles!

If you plan to stay here awhile, make sure to bring everything you need, as getting here is via a long stretch of unpaved road, which usually requires a 4×4, so you can’t access other facilities easily.

16- Big Sand Cay

Another of the beaches in Turks and Caicos on an uninhabited island, Big Sand Cay, is around 52 acres (21 ha) of beach, bluffs, rocky outcrops and coves.

It is an excellent location for birdwatching, as it is home to both tern and noddy bird species.

The main beach is one of the best in the archipelago due to the lack of seaweed, and the water is clear and reasonably shallow.

You’ll often see small cruising yachts moored here for this reason.

If you’re a diver, the HMS Endymion wreck, sunk in 1790, can be found offshore and often visited as a dive site from the previously mentioned Salt Cay.

Unfortunately, due to Big Sand Cay’s remoteness, there are no tours to get there.

The only way to visit the area is by private charter from either Salt Cay or Grand Turk, but it’s more than worth it for the tranquillity and views.

17- Parrot Cay Beach

The largest of the islands between Providenciales and North Cay, Parrot Cay is a privately owned cay home to the COMO Parrot Cay resort and some other rental villas.

Aside from these, there is no development, making it a uniquely beautiful place to visit.

The island itself is diverse, with the north side being a beach in its entirety, while the south side is a marine wetland with lots of tropical mangroves.

Relaxing is the order of the day here, but you can also go kayaking or rent a Hobie catboat from the resort.

You might be able to spot night herons, blue herons and kingfishers as the island is a popular birdwatching destination, and if you’re not into spotting birds, you might spot a celebrity or two who own most of the stunning private villas dotted around here.

You can also charter boats, go on snorkelling trips or go deep-sea sport fishing.

18- Cove Beach, South Caicos

Also known as Sailrock West Beach, Cove Beach is a beautiful gem of clear white sand in South Caicos.

It is part of the Bell Sound National Park area, which is stunning to explore, although it means fishing is prohibited due to the protected nature of the water.

Most visitors stay at Sailrock Resort, although it is not exclusively a private beach.

However, the hotel can provide you with Hobie cats, kayaks and paddleboards and show you the best spots.

If you prefer not to shell out a fortune to stay there, get a day pass for the resort to access the amenities.

Their in-house restaurant has sweeping views over the ocean and makes an excellent spot for a relaxing sundowner at the end of a day of sunshine and water sports.

19- Cockburn Town Beach

Cockburn Town Beach is part of Columbus Landfall National Park, the largest protected area on Grand Turk, which gets its name from the assumption that this is where Christopher Columbus first reached landfall upon arrival in the Americas.

The beach is divided into numerous smaller beaches by the seawalls and jetties along the way.

There is deep water and a barrier reef just offshore where you can often see vibrant coral and an array of small fish, although you won’t find many larger species here.

It is also in a perfect location on Grand Turk, near the area’s many bars, cafes, restaurants and gift shops.

The National Museum and Prison is a nearby attraction worth visiting.

20- Sandy Point Beach

Not many people visit Sandy Point Beach as it is mainly a waiting point for the boat to Providenciales.

A mixture of sand and rocky patches, the northern point features some beautiful sandbars and sapphire ocean channels that you can paddle through.

There’s a dune cliff to explore in the east.

Watch out for sandflies and mosquitoes, as they can be prevalent here, but if you’re waiting for a ferry or coming to the end of a day of exploring other beaches and cays, Sandy Point makes for an undisturbed and relaxing stopping off point before heading home.

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