Deals in the Turks and Caicos

Ever wanted to walk a beach that seemed endless, with white sand that blinds like the snow and water so clear you would think you were in a swimming pool?

I am talking about the magnificent Turks & Caicos Islands. Situated only 575 miles southeast of Miami, this chain of small islands is a paradise for couples, families, divers and beach lovers of all kinds.

At one time the Turks and Caicos were a playground for the rich and famous. Just about the only other people who had ever heard of this group of islands were scuba divers. Having one of the longest continuous reefs in the world and very clear shallow water it is a diver’s paradise.

On Provo, the largest in the chain of islands, there are roughly 20,000 people on the entire island that encompasses 44 square miles. This makes for a great place to get away from the crowds.

If you want seclusion then you definitely will like these islands. Some of the outlying Island are so sparsely populated for there size you would think you were a castaway. In the slow season of tourism you can find places on the beaches where you wont see any one all day. Some like it that way.

Almost all of the activities on the Islands revolve around the beaches and the ocean, but if you are aching for a round of golf there is a championship golf course, but who has time for golf with water and beaches as gorgeous and these.

Also did I mention the world class diving and snorkeling? The reefs are very shallow around the Islands which allows for multitudes of undersea wild life. Just about any type of sea creature is present from lobsters the size of your forearm, to stingrays, and sharks and even Hump Back whales off of Salt Cay. The undersea life on the reefs is some of the best you will ever see, and if you like shallows there is place called sand dollar bay that is incredible.

The water is no deeper that four feet and teems with turtles, rays, spotted flounder, barracuda, lobster, conch and much more. This is where my wife enjoyed picking up sand dollars in the shallows on our snorkel cruise. On the lighter side for a strange day trip, venture out the far east end of Provo to the conch farm and meet Jerry and Sally, especially if you have never seen a live conch critter!

Once you think you are done for the day don’t think there isn’t anything to do other than sleep. There are great restaurants and there are some night clubs on the Island as well, and tourism board is trying to spark tourism by holding music festivals throughout the year. One of the other things to do is gamble, there is one casino on Provo if you like to leave with less money than you started with by trying to pay for your vacation. The thing I liked the most other than the outstanding water activities was that it was a place to get away relax and not be bothered.

If you are thinking going to Provo no that there are several very large resorts that cater to the all inclusive crowd, but there are a lot of very small quaint boutique hotels and small chain hotels that cater to the money conscious clientele.  (So yes, in spite of the economy, you can find deals in Turks and Caicos)  You might not believe it but there are some really good deals to be had on these gorgeous Islands. In the low season which is when I like to travel, some of the small chain hotels have rooms that are a very short walking distance to the beach for as little as $100-$150/ night, which is what you might expect to pay for a mid-grade hotel in the states.