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Turks Caicos Information

5 Caribbean spring break vacation ideas on Provo

It’s that time of year: those of us destined to live on the North American continent have, for the most part, endured months and months of slate-grey skies, frigid temperatures, sleet, rain (or worse), and a landscape devoid of all color, save for dull, monochromatic variations on the basic hue of slush.

So, as winter prepares one last assault, why not make plans for a quick escape to Provo on the Turks and Caicos? The kids are out of school, to it’s a perfect time to enjoy clear blue skies, crystal-clear water and an island lifestyle that can’t be beat.

Here are 5 Caribbean spring break vacation ideas on Provo:

1. Visit a conch farm
Explore the only conch farm in the world, where Caribbean Queen conchs are raised. Here you can watch how the process is done, enjoy a show with the two trained and very friendly conchs, see conch pearls and even purchase fresh conch for a fabulous conch salad. offshore pasture, filled with circular pens to rear the conch until they are harvested, serves as the backdrop to the entire tour. The tour ends up with Sally and Jerry, the resident wild conch, who are brought out to give guests a good photo opportunity to take home to friends and family. Learn more here.

2. Visit the National Environmental Centre and Children’s Park
The National Environmental Centre (NEC), located on Lower Bight Road in Providenciales, opened its doors on April 21st,2007. The exhibits and displays within the Centre focus on the natural habitats and ecosystems of the Turks and Caicos Islands. There are also rotating exhibits, highlighting ongoing research activities in the Islands.

A Children’s Park is located nearby. Learn more here.

3. Visit Chalk Sound
The western half of Provo is mostly barren wilderness, home to the island’s best natural attraction, Chalk Sound National Park. The park is a three-mile-long (5km) bay a few miles southwest of downtown Providenciales. The color of the water is a uniform turquoise and studded with countless mushroom-like tiny islets. Also on the western part of the island is Northwest Point Marine National Park, which extends to nearby reefs and several saline lakes that attract breeding and migrant waterfowl. You’ll have to hike to get there.  Learn more here.

4. Go horseback riding
Enjoy horseback riding on the beach and into the shallow waters with a backdrop of white sand and turquoise water. Ride along quiet dirt roads, canals and secluded beaches of Long Bay Hills, Providenciales in the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands. Reserve well ahead during peak season (Dec-May) to ensure you don’t miss an unforgetable riding experience!  Learn more here.

5. Relax on Grace Bay Beach
Recognized as one of the top 1o beaches in the entire world,  Grace Bay Beach combines heavenly turquoise waters with powdery, soft sand, perfect for a romantic getaway, or a special retreat for your entire family.

For more Caribbean spring break vacation ideas on Provo, please contact our hotel!

 

Categories
Turks Caicos Information

Go on a snorkeling adventure right from our Turks & Caicos hotel

A popular Turks & Caicos hotel day trip that our guests really seem to enjoy is the half-day “Snorkeling Adventure Excursion” offered by Reef Peepers – that can be easily booked directly from our hotel.

On this tour you will embark on a power catamaran boat ride through the uninhabited cays and secluded beaches of Providenciales, with the opportunity to snorkel the barrier reef and experience firsthand the beauty of Provo’s underwater world. Our resort guests are first picked up by boat beachside, before embarking on this three and a half hour tour that includes use of top-quality snorkeling equipment and expert snorkel instruction, signature rum punch, bottled water and snacks as well as the opportunity to dive for conch and watch the crew prepare a fresh conch salad that will be enjoyed by all! Tour participants will also take a trip to Iguana Island for an up-close encounter with the island’s native rock iguanas.

Reef Peepers Offers A Snorkeling Adventure Tour

Situated alongside the world-famous Grace Bay Beach, our pristine Turks & Caicos hotel location offers guests the opportunity to experience a snorkeler’s paradise that is just a few fin-strokes away.  The beautiful coral reefs located just offshore are brimming with a multitude of vibrant coral, turtles, exotic sting rays and hundreds of dazzling fish including Peacock Flounders, Parrot Fish and Porcupine Fish to name a few. Grace Bay Beach is one of the few remaining unspoiled coral reef ecosystems in the world and the surrounding popular snorkel sites include the barrier reefs as well as two magnificent underwater snorkeling trails located at Smith Reef and Coral Gardens Reef.

This snorkeling adventure is guaranteed fun for the whole family! Even if you’d rather not get wet, there’s more than enough fun aboard the 40-foot catamaran that provides a protective canopy shade for getting out of the sun, plays Caribbean music to get you in the vacation spirit and provides a very comfortable ride so you can sit back and enjoy the stunning scenery and views of Providenciales from the ocean. The price of the tour is $90 for adults and $60 for children (ages 3-12). An additional fee of $5 per person is required to access Iguana Island – to help protect this endangered species site. Here’s a full list of snorkel, dive and outdoor adventure excursions offered by The Sands at Grace Bay.

The Sands at Grace Bay is a Turks & Caicos hotel.

 

 

 

 

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Beach Weddings Turks Caicos

Planning a beach wedding, Turks & Caicos

When planning a beach wedding on Turks & Caicos, it’s important to remember that anyone can get married on this British Protectorate, but is some red tape that must be negotiated; it’s probably better to leave it up to a your hotel to help you manage everything.

First, you will need to stay on this islands for at least 72 hours before getting married. You’ll also be required to purchase a wedding license, and you’ll have to find a certified officiant to marry you. Combined with the planning required to create a truly memorable destination wedding, it’s probably best to let the hotel do everything for you.

A Turks and Caicos resort is well equipped to help out in any situation. For example, divorce papers or death certificates, if originally in a different language, must be translated into English, as should passports.
There are other things you can leave for the hotel to take care of:- Choosing the best venue, as well as decorations
– Choosing the menu
– Selecting entertainment
– Providing activities for guests to do
– Makeup and dress fitting
– Coordinating pickup of guests from the airport (and getting them back there again as well)
– planning the ceremony itself, and conducting a dress rehearsal
– finding and arranging for an officiant who will conduct the wedding.

The hotel will do most of the work for you, and will do it in style. This means you have more time to think about what to do during your honeymoon!

And there’s lots to do here.

Provo, the hub of the Turks and Caicos, a British Protectorate floating in the Caribbean Sea, has grown over the past 15 years, but in a good way. Thanks to an international airport that offers quick and easy access to the American mainland, there are enough tourists to support a rich and vibrant hotel cluster with enough choices for every taste. While there are many reasons to visit the islands, Turks and Caicos weddings are gaining a reputation as the world’s best.

Most people head to Grace Bay, but others opt for a sunset cruise on Chalk Sound or Sapodilla Bay, or Turtle Tail and Long Bay.
Whatever you choose to do here, planning a beach wedding, Turks & Caicos means you will end up having a very romantic time!

 

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Turks Caicos Information

Tips For Planning Romantic Island Activities in Turks & Caicos

With Valentine’s day soon approaching, we wanted to take some time to provide you with tips for planning some romantic excursions on your next vacation at our Turks & Caicos

resort. From our breathtaking oceanfront location alongside Grace Bay Beach coupled with our spacious suites and luxurious amenities, The Sands at Grace Bay is a simply a blissful setting for a romantic Turks & Caicos vacation. What kind of romantic escape are you looking for?…exotic, luxurious, adventurous, relaxing…your ultimate vacation is here for the taking.

Not only does the resort offer several affordable and customizable Romance packages that feature alluring inclusions like a chilled bottle of champagne in your room, a Swedish massage for two , and a Couples Sunset Beach Cruise, but there are also many lesser known ways that couples can enhance their romantic stay at The Sands at Grace Bay. Here are just a few tips for making your next couple’s vacation in
Providenciales more memorable, based on previous guest experiences and our insight into some of the most romantic island activities:

  1.   Go Horseback Riding Along A Secluded Beach – Provo Ponies on the southeast end of Providenciales offers a charming horseback riding experience along a four-mile secluded stretch of Long Bay Beach.  Provo Ponies offers small group guided horseback riding tours as well as private rides that are ideal for beginners to advanced riders, where you’ll have the chance to leisurely ride a horse along quiet paths and on the pristine white sands of Long Bay Beach. Riders can even take the horses into the crystal clear turquoise ocean waters for a truly unique experience.
  2. Take a self-guided Tour of Providenciales & the Island Beaches by Bike – Come explore the idyllic splendors around The Sands with your loved one at your own pace.  You can take advantage of our free bicycle rentals for a fun day trip. On this bicycle ride you’ll experience some of the most captivating beaches in the world. If you’re craving privacy, seek out Malcolm Beach,   situated away from the mainstream resort beach stretches.
  3. Arrange A Glow Worm Cruise For A Magnificent Evening Ocean Encounter – for three to six nights each month after a full moon, there is a natural display of underwater bioluminescence produced by Turks & Caicos “glow worms” that can be seen about an hour after sunset in the ebbing tides of the Caicos banks.  There are several local charter boat companies that offer tours and cruises to enjoy this amazing bioluminescent experience where you will set sail and take-in a beautiful, island sunset at sea. Once the sun is down,  a magnificent underwater display of glowing dances make the waters aglow as part of  the monthly mating ritual for the Turks & Caicos glow worms. The sparkling stars that you will see both in the sky and underwater on this fascinating sailing excursion make it a once-in-a-lifetime, romantic and memorable night.

For more information on planning a romantic Turks & Caicos vacation or for details on our Romance and Wedding Packages, visit http://thesandstc.flywheelstaging.com/rates-and-reservations/packages/.