Quick Facts

This island in the Turks and Caicos Islands is the largest in population and the third largest in area. Providenciales (Provo) has 19km of beach and immaculate coastline. This island is where the action is and is home to many hotels, restaurants, tour companies and entertainment acts. Provo is quieter than most of the Caribbean islands, but it is a charming island with beaches that are out of this world.

Getting There & Other Transportation

The Providenciales International Airport is the main airport serving the Turks and Caicos Islands. The airport is roughly a 10-15 minute drive from the main tourist area (Grace Bay). After your flight, some hotels arrange their own minibus transfers. If your hotel does not, you can expect about a $20 taxi ride from the airport to Grace Bay (the main hotel and resort area). Each extra person in that taxi costs $5.

A popular way to get around the island is by taxi. Often they take their time to come and pick you up after being called, so don’t plan on being in a rush. You can get tokens at your hotel for the Gecko Bus that runs (sporadically) to some of the settlements out of town. If you see one of the small vans, flag it down.

Hotels & Places to Stay

With a growing popularity of resort hotels in Provo, there has been a decline in moderately priced hotel options. This means, be sure to book well in advance if you are looking for a budget island getaway. Grace Bay is where is where the majority of the islands’ resorts and hotels are located. Northwest Point is an up and coming area for the country’s hospitality industry. Unlike Grace Bay’s long 19km stretch of beach, Northwest Point has coves with pockets of powdery white sand and turquoise seas. The area is also surrounded by the Northwest Point Marine National Park and has some of the world’s top wall and reef diving.

Here are some resort options:

Amanyara (Northwest Point)

Club Med Turkoise (Grace Bay)

Le Vele (Grace Bay)

Ocean Club Resorts (Grace Bay)

Point Grace (Grace Bay)

Royal West Indies Resort (Grace Bay)

Seven Stars Resort (Grace Bay)

Somerset (Grace Bay)

The Sands at Grace Bay (Grace Bay)

Villa Renaissance (Grace Bay)

Northwest Point Resort (Northwest Point)

Coral Gardens/Reef Residences on Grace Bay)

Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa (Grace Bay)

Here are some more moderately priced options:

Turtle Cove Inn (Turtle Cove)

The Alexandra (Grace Bay)

Miramar Resort (Grace Bay)

Comfort Suites (Grace Bay)

Caribbean Paradise Inn (Grace Bay)

Dining & Nightlife

Provo is known to have some of the best dining (and food choices in general) than anywhere in the Caribbean. Food is flown in daily, as the island needs to import nearly everything they serve, and this means that you will be paying for it. While in Provo, make sure you try their local specialties; peas ‘n’ rice; curry goat, fish and chicken; oxtail stew; conch chowder, conch fritters, conch ceviche; lobster; hominy grits; and banana bread. Many beach bar shacks in Blue Hills serve up local dishes. Try:

Horse-Eye Jack’s

Da Conch Shack

Smokey’s on Da Bay

Sailing Paradise

Three Queens

Provo has a wide variety of cuisine types and chefs will fuse imported dishes with local and Caribbean flavors to make a cuisine type of their own. Here are some restaurants to try on Grace Bay:

Anacaona (International cuisine)

Bay Bistro (Caribbean cuisine)

Bella Luna (Italian cuisine)

Caicos Café (Caribbean cuisine)

Coco Bistro (French cuisine)

Grace’s Cottage (Caribbean cuisine)

Coyabab Restaurant (Continental cuisine)

Parallel23 (International cuisine)

Hemingway’s on the Beach (Caribbean)

Mango Reef (Caribbean)

Matsuri Suchi Bar (Japanese cuisine)

O’soleil (International cuisine)
As far as nightlife goes, Provo is more of a laid back island and can’t compete with other Caribbean islands. However, there are a few options if you are looking to enjoy the night as much as you do the day.

Beach Shacks Along Blue Hills Beach
The beach shacks are a great place to drink beer or rum and listen to music on select evenings.

Casinos
Casablanca Casino and the Players Club are two new casinos on the island and are open from 1pm to 5am.

Bars & Pubs

• Lounge (at Grace Bay Club)
• Infinity Bar
• The Plunge pool bar
• Danny Buoy’s
• Gilley’s
• Club Sodax
• Bambooz Bar & Grill

Attractions

The main attractions in Provo (like the rest of the Turks and Caicos Islands) revolve around the pristine beaches and magnificently clear blue waters. Be sure you try snorkeling or even scuba diving while on the island. You can also visit The Caicos Conch Farm (the only place in the world where conch is commercially produced) and the Wades Green Plantation for some excursions away from the beach. You can also see the country-side by doing an excursion on horseback with Provo Ponies. You can also explore the Princess Alexandra National Park which has 13 miles of undeveloped, protected beach. Check with your hotel to participate in excursions and tours around the island.

Currency, Culture and Language

The official language of the Turks and Caicos Islands is English.

The official currency in the Turks and Caicos Islands is the US dollar (USD).