TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS
By Jenny Peters
GETTING THERE
UNITED AIRLINES OFFERS NONSTOP SEASONAL WEEKLY SERVICE TO PROVIDENCIALES( PCI) FROM WASHINGTON DULLES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT( IAD).
There are few places in the world that are more gorgeous than the Turks and Caicos Islands( TCI), the country that sits just below the southernmost island in the Bahamas archipelago. It’ s east of the southern tip of Cuba, north of Hispaniola( Haiti / Dominican Republic) and incredibly beautiful.
To experience its beauty, begin with a walk or jog on the spectacular 12-Mile Beach at Grace Bay, the country’ s justifiably worldfamous sugar-white sand beach located on the main island of Providenciales. It is a sight to behold as it curves around the bay, filled with incredibly hued turquoise-blue water, and a place to simply relax and enjoy the sun, sand and vast Atlantic Ocean that surrounds it.
Flying to TCI from Dulles International Airport is easy. United Airlines offers a weekly direct flight to Providenciales( with an airport code of PLS) through April 26, 2017. The trip will take about 3-4 hours, giving you plenty of time to map out all the different adventures you can have during your stay in this lovely tropical destination that uses the U. S. dollar as its currency.
Dolphins frolic in those warm, clear waters all year; and humpback whales migrate by from January to April, singing their eerie songs and happily breaching with breathtaking beauty. It is always warm enough for water skiing, kayaking, sailing, sport fishing, stand up paddling, parasailing and scuba diving. Start your adventurefilled trip under the water with Provo Turtle Divers for a top-notch diving experience to incredible, world-class coral walls just off the coast and if you’ re lucky, perhaps a few stingrays, sea turtles and reef sharks will wander past during your dive.
Out on Middle Caicos, the Conch Bar Caves Park awaits explorers. Commonly referred to as the Bat Caves, this protected area dates back to pre-Columbian times, and encompasses 15 miles of underground caverns filled with stalactites, stalagmites and bat colonies. Hire a local guide to show you the intricacies of the caves— and be sure to bring a powerful flashlight!
While still a somewhat off-the-beaten track kind of place, Turks and Caicos is growing up fast, with accommodations springing up all along the 12-Mile Beach. It’ s now dotted with elegant and welcoming hotels including the award-winning all-suite Grace Bay Club, the Somerset and the Point Grace, making it hard to go wrong choosing a place to call home the famed beach. What’ s much harder is leaving, once you’ ve spent any time in this welcoming slice of tropical heaven.
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