10 Best Beaches in Turks and Caicos

Grace Bay Beach is world-famous and has been ranked by travel sites as amongst the best in the world, with outstanding scuba diving and endless stretches of white sand. The turquoise-blue water here is so clear and bright that it seems to glow in the sunlight. It's part of Princess Alexandra National Park along the north coast of Providenciales. Here you can go snorkelling and scuba diving amongst a massive lively barrier reef, or you can simply lie back and relax on the powder-soft sand in the Caribbean sun.

This is a beach that's great for couples, adults, and kids alike. Whether you're building sandcastles, catching some rays, swimming, or playing water sports, Grace Bay Beach has it all.

Governor's Beach on Grand Turk Island offers some of the clearest water around the islands and is steps away from historic sites as well as important cruise centers. The beach was once the home of a major shipwreck, but today it's popular amongst visitors mainly for the nearby governor's mansion and cruise ships that visit the bay.

Here you will find waters so clear that you may not even need to snorkel to see the colourful sea life beneath the waves. Whether you come to check out the mansion or you just want to swim in the Caribbean waters and get a tan in the sand, you'll find a superb getaway on Governor's Beach.

Taylor Bay Beach on the southern coast of Providenciales is a small, scenic beach offering sheltered and calm waters that are shallow and ideal for swimming. It's also famed for the intricate patterns that are exposed in the sand during low tide. Because of the calm and shallow waters, this beach is very popular with families, and while you can find a lot of villa rentals nearby, the beach rarely draws crowds.

Because of the low sea cliffs that shelter the beach, it's not ideal for snorkelling, scuba diving, or water sports. It is, however, a hidden gem amongst the beaches here if you're looking for a calm and serene space to just relax and be.

The Bight Beach offers just about everything you could want from a beach, including fantastic reef snorkelling, a kids' play park, stunning views, and brilliant white sand. Just about 75 feet offshore, seagrass grows on the ocean floor, making it a destination for snorkellers looking to catch sight of stingrays, nurse sharks, hawksbill turtles, starfish, and other amazing sea life. The central stretch of the beach is also wider than many of the other island beaches, offering more room to stretch out and relax.

The beach is adjacent to the Bight Reef where you can see even more brilliant Caribbean Sea life. Water sports here include boating, kayaking, and paddleboarding.

Sapodilla Bay Beach on the southwest side of Providenciales offers spectacular sunset views, calm waters, and the historic Sapodilla Hill as well as nearby national parks and restaurants. After a day relaxing and swimming in the bright azure Caribbean waters, you can head for Sapodilla Hill where you can not only see gorgeous panoramic views of the beaches and port, but you can also witness ancient rock carvings from early indigenous peoples.

Just steps away from the beach you can find excellent seafood dining and kayak rentals, and even book a sightseeing boat cruise on the lagoon. On this tour you can check out Chalk Sound National Park and its hundreds of limestone islets.

Mudjin Harbour offers breathtaking coastal views from limestone cliffs, nearby caves to spelunk, and astounding photo opportunities of the power of nature. This is not a beach you come to for swimming, as the surf is exceptionally rough and the waters are dotted with sharp rocks and populated by reef sharks, but the nature views are astounding. If you can climb the limestone cliffs, you'll get unbelievable views of the sea. You can also head into the largest dry cave system in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

This 3-mile-long coastline on the northern shore of Middle Caicos offers an unforgettable landscape. You can capture incredible sunrise and sunset vistas over the sea and island.

Half Moon Bay is a beach and sandbar lagoon that's a destination for boat excursions with the opportunity to see rare endangered rock iguanas scurrying around. This beach is a fantastic place for nature lovers and offers the chance to spot tiny lemon sharks in the lagoon and see groves of thatch palm trees along the shores. This is an uninhabited, undeveloped island accessible by boat cruise or charter yacht, though you can also grab a kayak rental from Providenciales to get here and explore independently.

Because Half Moon Bay is on an undeveloped island, you won't find any amenities here. It's simply a place to come, explore nature, and get away from the hustle and bustle.

Leeward Beach offers powdery white sand, brilliant turquoise waters, and a quiet, secluded atmosphere with nearby luxury rentals and plenty of beachfront adventure. It has a tranquil, secluded atmosphere with sheltered channels that are perfect for kayaking, wakeboarding, and stand-up paddleboarding. The area is also popular amongst beachcombers and seashell hunters. The swimming conditions on this 7-mile stretch are outstanding. It's also a scenic area that offers easy access to uninhabited offshore cays where you can see endangered animal life.

You'll see tour boats along the shores all day, as well as ecotours passing through the area. At dawn and dusk, you can catch spectacular sunrise and sunset views.

Malcolm's Road Beach offers a fantastic stretch of coastline with white sand and clear turquoise waters plus snorkelling, exclusive resorts, and scuba diving. The sand here is coarse and new, with gorgeous peach-toned colours, but feels very soft underfoot. It's also close to a sheer drop-off seawall that offers astounding snorkelling and scuba diving along the offshore coral reef. You can also catch photos of stunning limestone rock formations jutting out of the water at places.

It's important to note that diving here is only for experienced, skilled divers and can be dangerous for novices. If you are experienced, however, this is one of the better free-diving areas in the entire archipelago.

Long Bay Beach is the place to go for water sports, with ideal wind conditions for experienced kiteboarders or those who want to learn how to do it. The beach offers brilliant waters, fine white sand, and shallow depths that make the conditions as good for beginner kiteboarders as they are for seasoned ones. You can also head for the offshore location of a Soviet oil rig that grounded during Hurricane Frances in 2004, or take a horseback riding tour of the shoreline.

A luxury resort can be found just steps away from the beach if you want to be pampered during your stay. This is a beach that offers thrills, relaxation, and luxury all in one.