Elite Traveler Fall 2024

EXPLORE TURKS AND CAICOS

GUIDETO TURKS AND CAICOS

“I call it the magic mirror e ff ect,” my driver Denzel says, as we make our way from the airport in Providenciales to Beach Enclave Long Bay on my inaugural visit to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) this past spring. True to Denzel’s words, over the course of the week I spent there, I found it nearly impossible to tear my eyes away from the crystalline turquoise water; on a clear day, it can be hard to tell where the sea ends and the sky begins. TCI is comprised of eight main islands, and 40 smaller islands and uninhabited cays; Providenciales — referred to by locals simply as Provo — is easily the Caribbean’s most awe-inspiring. It doesn’t hurt that the powdery white sand found along world-famous Grace Bay Beach has been well-documented by a laundry list of celebrities and in fl uencers on social media, whose photos can almost always be counted on to include some variation of the caption: “No fi lter necessary.” But if you dig slightly beneath the surface, you’ll fi nd the real magic of this beguiling island just about everywhere you look, from the warmth and generosity of the locals to an extraordinary and ever-evolving culinary scene, as well as some of the most stunning hotels and private villas o ff ering an abundance of barefoot luxury experiences at every turn.

By Michelle Gross