Turks and Caicos Providenciales

I traveled to Turks and Caicos Providenciales with my friend and her family in the spring of 2018. We visited this island for a week and had so many fun experiences. Turks has so many fun activities for tourists that I’ll be going over along with the few that I got to enjoy.

When flying into Turks we took a flight from Roanoke Virginia to Charlotte North Carolina. From Charlotte we flew straight into Turks and Caicos which is in the Caribbean in the Virgin British Islands. There are a total of 40 islands that make up the archipelago of Turks and Caicos. We were visiting one of the two main inhabited islands, the Providenciales. When flying in, I remember looking out the window and being so stunned by the crystal blue water that stretched for miles.

Once we were finished checking out of the airport, we rented a jeep and drove to our resort. The resort was beautiful and consisted of a bunch of little villas for each of the guests. Each villa had multiple rooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a porch. There was also a pool and a hot tub in the center of all the villas.

First Day

On our first day we drove to the grocery store to get everything we needed for the week. While we did plan on enjoying the islands cuisine, we also wanted to have some food items at home. There is minimal public transportation on this island, so it’s recommended to rent a car to drive around. The island is also approximately 166 square miles, so it’s easy to navigate around.

After getting all of our necessities we were finally able to go to the beaches. We spent most of our time either laying in the sun or exploring the ocean. Turks and Caicos is known for its marine life, so we made sure to take advantage of that. The barrier reef system is the largest in the world. Grace Bay is home to over 200 different species of fish and different coral formation. This was my first-time snorkeling, and it didn’t disappoint. We would be out in the ocean for hours swimming through schools of fish. My favorite moments were when I would find a sea turtle to swim with.

Excursions

 While we were able to go right in front our resort and snorkel, Providenciales has so many reefs to explore. So, one day, we drove across the island to snorkel in the Bight Reef known as the Coral Gardens. We brought all of our gear and dove in. While we were expecting bright and colorful reefs such as the ones out by our resort, these reefs had been affected by climate changed and bleached. While they were still beautiful there was a lack of wildlife due to the dead reefs.

After several days of swimming in the ocean, we decided we wanted to fly above it. We found a company to take us parasailing and boy was it worth it. This was also my first-time parasailing, and I was a little more nervous for this. There are always horror stories in the news about parasailing accidents. Though, I figured I would regret it if I didn’t at least try. We went out on a boat with a group of people and set out into the middle of the ocean. Once we were there, everything was kind of a blur until the moment we were released up into the sky. Looking down below as we floated higher into the sky made my stomach turn, but in excitement. The water below was beautiful and because of the clarity, we could still see the marine life swimming below. To compare the two activities, snorkeling and parasailing is difficult. Being immersed in the wildlife versus viewing it while flying are both pretty remarkable. I will say, if you’re an adrenaline junkie, I would recommend trying out parasailing.