How to Spend Island Time in Turks & Caicos
As guests of numerous Sandals resorts since our honeymoon in 2013, we earned our free week last year during our stay in Negril. (Find out more about how to earn this free week in our travel tips.)
I had already had my heart set on Turks and Caicos, so we booked our free week to stay at the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort. It’s located along the amazing Grace Bay beach in Providenciales. The Beaches resort has 4 villages (soon to be 5 in March of 2026). Our room was located in the Veranda building of the beautiful Key West Village.
Even though there are families throughout the resort, this village is so peaceful and quiet. In addition to our own lobby and concierge in the Key West village, there are several restaurants along with a spa, a boutique, and several pools including an adults only pool.
The other villages are Caribbean, French, and Italian. Although we frequented these areas to dine or hop in a pool for a bit, we typically stayed in the Key West area. The beach in front of Key West is laid-back, and we never had an issue finding beach chairs.
We came for the crystalline turquoise water and pristine white sand beach, so we spent most of our days beach side.
There are multiple pools on the resort, along with a lazy river and waterpark. Later in the afternoons, the lazy river is primarily occupied with adults. We enjoyed a float around before returning back to the beach!
Excursion
During our week-long vacation in Turks, we took an excursion part of one day. The day started out at Blue Haven Marina, where we met our guide and were given instructions. We went out on a two-seater catamaran, following a guide in a separate catamaran. My husband was the captain in charge of driving the boat, while I monitored the route. Per our tour request, we began our journey out to the sandbar passing around Iguana Island.
Once out to the sandbar, we stopped to explore and take in the incredible views. Our guide told us that this part of Turks isn’t on a map because it’s where two currents meet, thus creating this sandbar. As you can see the water is so clear. Some other guests on a different tour found a sand dollar lying along the beach there. I was able to rest on the softest sand in just a few inches of water, and take-in the incredible view.
On our way back to the marina, the guide spotted a dolphin circling a sailboat. We watched the dolphin continue to circle the anchored-boat, as it occasionally bobbed up from the water. It was such a cool experience to witness!
Golf
The following day, we played golf at Royal Turks and Caicos Golf Course. Although this course doesn’t have sea views, the grounds are immaculately maintained with a number of tropical plants and palm trees throughout. In addition, the unique clubhouse has a ceiling lined with golf flags from around the world. And the pro-shop has a variety of clothing, golf supplies, and souvenirs.
Turks Head Brewery
After a round of golf, we called our taxi and ventured over to the local Turks Head Brewery. What’s better than a cold beer after a round of golf on island time?
The brewery has quite the selection of beer, along with a cocktail menu and a pizza oven. We were able to relax, cool off, and enjoy a cold beverage or two. Then, we stopped in gift shop before we had the taxi return for us.
Dining on Resort
We dined at most of the restaurants on property. I usually started the day walking down the beach then through the Italian Village to JoJo’s for a cup of coffee.
For breakfast, we enjoyed the variety of a la carte options. Sky and Neptune’s were both in the Key West village so we had breakfast at each of those several times. We also loved dining al fresco in the morning at Barefoot by the Sea. Breakfast at Schooner’s was also a great way to begin one of our beach days!
On the day we arrived, we enjoyed lunch at Neptune’s. The mahi mahi was delicious! Other mid-day lunch spots included a smashburger at Bobby D’s, the Mac-n-Cheese food truck for mac-n-cheese balls, pizza at Dino’s, and Barefoot by the Sea for seafood. The returning guest lunch was inside Mario’s and was served buffet style. It was very good!
For a late afternoon snack, we stopped in Arizona’s for some nachos and Jamaican meat patties!
YoYo’s had varities of frozen yogurt along with a selection of toppings. This was the perfect late afternoon treat!
Dining in the evening included the following restaurants: Sky, Neptune’s, Barefoot by the Sea, Sopadilla’s, Soy, Le Petit Chateau, and Schooners.
Prior to dinner, we often walked to the Key West beachfront restaurants and enjoyed live music along with a delightful cocktail.
The resort has a rich culinary scene, and the seafood options were plentiful! From salmon, snapper, swordfish, mahi mahi, corvina, and shrimp to sushi rolls – the food was absolutely delicious!
Some of our favorite appetizers included coconut shrimp, ahi tuna, tuna tartare, and conch fritters.
On our last evening, we dined outside at the Captain’s Table in the oceanfront gazebo at Schooner’s. This was a special moment for us as we celebrated our wedding anniversary with incredible sunset views!
Nightly Entertainment
From live music to shows, there is scheduled nightly entertainment throughout the resort. We always enjoy the silent headphone party, musicians, and performers!
Spa
Vacation is about relaxation. So of course we indulged in a couples massage on the beach. There’s something about hearing the waves crashing that provides the ultimate relaxing experience.
Photos
Complimentary photo sessions are provided by resort photographers via reservation. We couldn’t leave paradise without capturing some memories!
As you can see from our photos, the one-of-a-kind turquoise blue clear water and thick, powdery white sand on Grace Bay beach simply cannot be beat!
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