Explorers, 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 and Caicos has a substantial amount of fun activities for tourists that I’ll be going over along with the few that I got to enjoy.

Flying to Turks and Caicos

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. 

Checking In

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 for the guests to enjoy.

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 island’s 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.

Roaming the Beaches

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 formations. 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.

While we were able to go right in front of our resort and snorkel, Providenciales has so many reefs to explore. We took several days to explore other reefs around the island. We brought all of our gear and drove across the islands to other beaches. Each reef had its own unique formation so we never got bored. The waters around this island are also calm, so you can snorkel without the fear of getting slammed by waves. 

Parasailing

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 my first-time parasailing, and I was a little more nervous about this than I was snorkeling. There are always horror stories in the news about parasailing accidents so I was praying I wouldn’t end up on the headlines. 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 stunning 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 remarkable. I will say, if you’re an adrenaline junkie, I would recommend parasailing.

Foodie

Along with the amazing marine life, the cuisine is exceptional. Much of their food is shaped by the fusion of African, European, and indigenous influences. Obviously, the fish is some of the freshest fish I’ve had. This is because the waters that surround the island are some of the cleanest in the world and all of the local fish is caught and sold to markets and restaurants immediately. One night we went to a street food festival, and I got a whole fried fish. It had all the bones and eyeballs, but to this day I would say that’s the best fish I’ve ever had. We also had conch fritters at various restaurants, which are a staple for the island. Conch fritters are fried sea snails typically battered and breaded. Each restaurant prepared them a little differently, but each dish was delicious. Some other popular dishes there that I didn’t get to try are crab and rice, hominy grits, lionfish, jerk chicken, and coconut conch chowder.

Local culture

One of my favorite things about the island was the culture and hospitality of the locals. Turks and Caicos has a rich cultural heritage of African, European, and indigenous influences. They love sharing their culture and occupations with others by selling arts and crafts such as pottery, jewelry, and woven goods. There are so many shops around filled with these arts and knowing they’re all handmade rather than manufactured is refreshing. The island is also filled with a variety of musical genres such as reggae, soca, and gospel. I loved seeing how proud they were to play their music for everyone to hear. 

Environmental struggles 

While the majority of the trip was delightful and filled with so much love, the environmental struggles of the island were very prevalent. We had visited the island several months after a hurricane. So while much of the island had recovered, there were some areas that still had fallen infrastructures and debris. Marine life also demonstrated the effects of climate change. While many of the reefs we visited were surviving the warm temperatures of the water, some were completely bleached, with little marine life. Coral reef bleaching occurs when certain weather conditions such as temperature or light change and causes them stress. When this happens, they expel their symbiotic algae living in their tissues which causes them to turn completely white. 

While this isn’t permanent, it will continue to be a problem as long as we don’t fix the ongoing climate-change crisis. Much of this does have to do with travel, and ensuring that you travel as safely as possible and taking care of the planet, while having fun.