Consistently ranked as one of the top beaches in the world, Grace Bay is a 3 mile stretch of coastline located on the north shore of Providenciales. The sand is white, soft, and always cool to the touch. The water is warm, clean, calm and an impossibly turquoise blue. If there is a nicer beach in the world, I certainly haven’t seen it.
The barrier reef that is found about a mile offshore is the world’s third largest and typically keeps the waters of Grace Bay very calm. From a slightly elevated vantage point, you can see where the waves break out at the reef, and the water beyond is rougher and a much deeper blue. The reef provides a natural barrier, keeping the waters inside clean, clear and calm. When we were there it was unusually windy so the water was not as calm as usual, which was a little disappointing. I had been looking forward to grabbing a floaty and a fruity drink with an umbrella and relaxing the day away, but that wasn’t meant to be on this trip. So instead we channeled our inner child and played in the waves… and then floated in the pool with fruity drinks.
We walked basically the full length of the beach during our time there, heading southwest one day and northeast the other. Like all beaches in Turks and Caicos, Grace Bay is public. There are several public access points that you can use if you are staying on another part of the island, and then you can walk along the beach and settle down anywhere you want. The catch is that the umbrellas and chairs that are set up on the beach are owned by the different resorts along Grace Bay and are for their guests’ use only. But you can swim anywhere you want and sit and relax in your own chairs or on a towel anywhere you want.
Aside from its incredible beach, Grace Bay also has a cute downtown area with lots of shopping and restaurants. We loved our location at Seven Stars Resort & Spa because we could easily walk to town for dinner or shopping. There are tons of great restaurants and lots of really unique shops (in addition to your typical souvenir stores). As a group of 5 women, we walked there every night for dinner and always felt completely safe.
Few people seem to dispute that Grace Bay is the ultimate place to stay in Turks and Caicos. It has incredible beaches, luxurious resorts, and world-class restaurants. Of course, all of that comes with a hefty price tag. If you can swing it, staying in Grace Bay is ideal because of its stunning scenery and convenient location. We absolutely loved staying there. That being said, it is one thing to stay there when you are one person splitting things 5 ways with friends. It is another thing entirely to foot the entire bill for a family of four. But don’t despair – there are so many other fabulous locations on Provo that are close enough by that you can still enjoy the beach and amenities of the Grace Bay area without quite as high of a price tag.
