12 ABSOLUTE Best Turks and Caicos Beaches (Stunning Beaches You’ll Love)

Imagine going to a place where you can feel silky soft sand beneath your feet and experience the most turquoise water you’ve ever seen in your life. In the heart of the Caribbean, this is truly a tropical paradise with amazing beaches you’ll love. Here are the absolute best Turks and Caicos beaches!

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Whether you’re looking for a perfect honeymoon location, a beach for your kids to enjoy, a romantic spot for couples or a beachy destination for a girls’ trip, Turks and Caicos is an amazing destination for a beach vacation.

After visiting Turks and Caicos multiple times, I can truly say these beaches are amongst some of the best in the world! And that’s after visiting the best beaches in Aruba, amazing beaches in Thailand and so many more destinations!

👉Don’t have time to read the whole article? Here’s the best snorkeling tour on Providenciales. A must-do for first-time visitors!

Here is my breakdown of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos. (Note: I saved my personal favorite for last!)

Map of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos

A set of islands in the Caribbean south of the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos is a place of fun and relaxation on the sand. Here’s a map of the best beaches in the archipelago.

Use this map as a visual to find beaches close to where you’re staying. Or download the offline map and use it as your travel guide as you’re beach-hopping!

Best beaches Turks and Caicos Islands

Here’s a preview of all the beaches on the list. Details about why each beach was chosen for this list is yet to come…

1. Grace Bay Beach
2. Sapodilla Bay Beach
3. Half Moon Bay
4. Malcolm’s Road Beach
5. Babalua Beach
6. Taylor Bay Beach
7. Hidden Beach (Turtle Tail)
8. Bight Beach
9. Beach at Smith’s Reef
10. Four Boys Beach
11. Long Bay Beach
12. Leeward Beach

What are the beaches like in Turks and Caicos?

There are a few things about the beaches on the island that make them so spectacular.

Turks and Caicos beaches are not overcrowded

Have you ever gone to a destination where the beaches are so full you can barely find a spot to set your towel and beach bag down? That’s not really my idea of a good time – at least not when there are places like Turks and Caicos to adventure to!

The review of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos below has the complete summary of the most and least popular spots. With miles of white sand beaches, there’s plenty of space on this island to enjoy.

Tons of variety

Another reason I love the beaches at Turks & Caicos is that there are a lot of options to choose from. Some beaches offer water so shallow you can walk for miles and miles from the shore and still be waist deep in water. Some have deeper blues and snorkeling.

Yet others were better for small children. It’s so much fun to explore the island and see what each type of beach had to offer.

Also, you’ll want a great pair of water shoes, mineral sunblock, sun hat and beach towel when headed to any beach destination.

Check out some more packing recommendations later on in the guide.

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Best Turks and Caicos beaches

Whether you’re seeking secluded coves with powdery white sand, vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life, or lively shores dotted with beach bars, this list of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos will reveal the hidden gems and popular spots for beach enthusiasts!

Note: the numbers below don’t necessarily rank the best beach at #1, but are simply a way to count the Turks and Caicos best beaches. The best beach for you is dependent on what you’re looking for in a beach!

1. Grace Bay Beach

Snorkeling: ❌
Swimming: 👍
Sunset: 👏
Amenities: Grace Bay Beach has it all!

First, I’m going to start off with the beach that is known around the world: Grace Bay Beach. There’s a reason Trip Advisor, Forbes, and countless others have named this one of the top beaches in the world!

Your toes are stepping into pure luxury on Grace Bay Beach with its silky soft sand. Looking out from the beach you’ll see the turquoise water turn to vivid blue. It’s no wonder this beach is so popular.

The award-winning Grace Bay Beach is the busiest of all of the beaches in Turks and Caicos because of its perfect sand, view and amenities. It’s also the home to most of the all inclusive resorts and luxury resorts on Providenciales.

The waves are typically gentle and the ocean floor isn’t filled with seashells or seaweed, swimming or wading in the water is really comfortable. Grace Bay Beach is also a great place for kids to build sandcastles on the beach or otherwise enjoy the water.

Overall, Grace Bay Beach is the picture-perfect beach! The only negative thing I could possibly say is that its popularity means it’s the most crowded beach on Providenciales.

Access and parking at Grace Bay Beach: There are several public beach access points with free parking to enjoy this gorgeous beach.

Grace Bay Beach amenities

This stunning beach is sooo worhty of a spot on this list of the best Turks and Caicos beaches, especially with so man amenities.

Grace Bay Beach is easily accessible and offers a lot of restaurants, bars and hotels right off the beach. It’s a great place to plan a hotel stay or to grab lunch with a view!

There’s even pop-up bars and restaurants right on the sand so you can keep those toes in luxury all day long. Rent beach chairs and an umbrella for the day and relax at gorgeous Grace Bay Beach.

You’ll also find plenty of water sports, snorkeling tours and tour boats leaving from Grace Bay Beach.

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2. Sapodilla Bay Beach

Snorkeling: ❌
Swimming: 🙌
Sunset: 👏
Amenities: Often vendors for water sports and food; no restrooms

Find entertainment and extra warm water at Sapodilla Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos Islands. This beach is small, but packs a punch! Music, food, drinks and activities are all right on the beach!

The opposite side of the island than Grace Bay, Sapodilla Bay Beach is a perfect spot to try a water sport while on the island. You can rent jetskis, paddle board or kayak right from the beach! Or, hang back and lounge on beach chairs and watch others as they make their way out on the water.

This beach might also be the perfect spot for young children, as the shallow waters go really far out. It’s also free of seaweed and has minimal shells! Although the water throughout the beaches on Turks and Caicos is warm, the Bay creates extra warm water for the kids.

Access and parking at Sapodilla Bay Beach: free parking is extremely limited with many beach-goers opting to park along the roadway. Parking is also available at Las Brisas restaurant between Sapodilla Bay Beach and Chalk Sound for a few bucks.

3. Half Moon Bay (a favorite on this list of Turks and Caicos best beaches)

Snorkeling: ❌
Swimming: ❌
Sunset: if you can get a sunset tour there, it’s a great spot
Amenities: none, but your boat tour will likely have some

One of the best Turks and Caicos beaches not on Providenciales, Half Moon Bay is located on Little Water Cay (AKA Iguana Island), and is a popular stop on a boat tour from Providenciales. It’s also part of the Princess Alexandra National Park.

Located less than a mile from the tip of Providenciales, you could also kayak to Half Moon Bay from Leeward Beach, although that would require you to rent a car, strap a rented kayak to the top, then paddle to Half Moon Bay. Or just take a boat tour to explore Half Moon Bay, okay? 😉

Half Moon Bay is on the northern side of the island, and is home to significant currents and waves. It’s not a great swimming beach, but is stunningly gorgeous! 

While you’re visiting Half Moon Bay, your boat tour will stop along the opposite side of the island where the currents are very mild and the conditions are much more suitable for swimming.

Of course, watch for the iguanas that call the island home, too! Just don’t feed them or attempt to touch them. 

Pro tip: you’ll want bug spray for this island. My husband and I were eaten alive walking across the island in just the few minutes we were away from the water.

4. Malcolm’s Road Beach

Snorkeling: 👍
Swimming: 🫤
Sunset: 🙌
Amenities: ❌

Bring on the adventure! Located on the very west end of Providenciales, Malcolm’s Road Beach is difficult to access, but oh so worth it! This beach is the furthest from the densely-popular tourist spots near Grace Bay Beach and Bight Beach, so the beach is likely to be less busy.

During especially windy days, beach-goers can find refuge at Malcolm’s Road Beach. It’s often sheltered from the island’s winds so it’s a perfect spot to enjoy the sand and water.

Make sure to grab your water shoes as the sand is pretty rocky at Malcolm’s Road Beach. Bring your chairs, beach towels, snorkel gear and food and drinks too since there’s no amenities at this remote part of Providenciales.

This is also a location to pack bug spray because the area surrounding the beach is thick brush and home to lots of mosquitoes.

Because of the treacherous drive, the hours are minimized at Malcolm’s Road Beach. The road is closed from sunset to sunrise, so if you head to the beach for a view of the sunset, be sure to leave promptly afterward.

Access and parking at Malcolm’s Road Beach: The drive is extremely difficult to get to the beach. The road is unpaved and very rough. It’s recommended to have 4×4 to make it to the beach.

However, our economy sized rental car made it just fine with some precautionary driving. Once you make the drive, there’s plenty of parking. Malcolm’s Road Beach is a unique location on the island of Providenciales, and certainly one of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos not to miss!

5. Babalua Beach

Snorkeling: 👍
Swimming: 👏
Sunset: 👍
Amenities: ❌

Babalua Beach is a gem on Providenciales! If you’re looking for a hidden escape from crowds, then your mission is to enjoy an afternoon on Babalua Beach! It’s a perfect destination for nature lovoers hoping to find some peace.

It’s a little tricky to find through a neighborhood, but when you find the small road and entrance to the beach, you’ll be so happy you did. The very limited parking means the beach stays relatively empty.

Every time I’ve visited, it feels more like a local’s beach, with just a few people enjoying the quiet ocean waves. The rocky area is a fun spot that breaks up the waves hitting the shore and creates a great swimming area.

Babalua Beach is also a fantastic spot for snorkeling, if you bring your own snorkel gear to the island. It makes for a great beach to lounge, snorkel and swim at too!

Just keep in mind there are no amenities at Babalua Beach, so plan accordingly.

6. Taylor Bay Beach (perfect calm waters on this list of best Turks and Caicos Beaches)

Snorkeling: 🫤
Swimming: 🙌
Sunset: 🙌
Amenities: ❌

Another amazing beach, Taylor Bay Beach is special based on its extremely shallow water and residential location. Lining this beach are private villas and homes, but the public access does have some parking for visitors.

The shallow bay is large with plenty of space to spread out. This is a perfect beach for young kids to play in the water because it’s so shallow. Bring the sand toys and have a fun afternoon!

Note: this is another beach in Turks and Caicos without amenities, so plan accordingly.

My favorite part of visiting Taylor Bay Beach was the ability to find shade on the beach. There’s a few trees and the further you walk down the cove, the more shade there is right on the beach. Less worrying about sunburn is always a good thing in my opinion!

If you can, stay at Taylor Bay Beach for the sunset. It’s a perfect position to watch the sun setting right into the water. Taylor Bay Beach is so deserving of a spot on this list of the best Turks and Caicos beaches!

Best beaches Turks and Caicos, continued

Can you believe this list?! Discover more hidden gems, vibrant coral reefs, and lively beaches. My favorite beach is still coming up!

7. Hidden Beach (Turtle Tail Beach)

Snorkeling: 🫤
Swimming: excellent with water shoes
Sunset: ❌
Amenities: ❌

Turtle Tail Beach, also referred to as Hidden Beach, is in a residential area of Providenciales. Finding this beach is tricky, but worth it for the seclusion. It’s easy to be the only one on the sand at a Turtle Tail Beach!

The beach is unique in that you can actually walk out to mini islands from the coast, because of the shallow water. Hidden Beach is rocky and full of shells in certain spots, so water shoes are highly recommended! There’s also a fair amount of seaweed in the area.

There are no amenities, so be sure to grab your gear if you plan to make a day of it!

Access and parking at Hidden Beach: considering the beach is so remote, parking and access can be hard to find. That’s part of the allure, though! Use the map in this guide to find the location; the walking path to the beach is just before the pinpoint along the road.

8. Bight Beach (perfect snorkeling spot on this list of best Turks and Caicos beaches)

Snorkeling: 👍
Swimming: 🙌
Sunset: 🙌
Amenities: restaurants, water sports, restrooms

Another popular beach destination, Bight Beach is just a short distance down the coast from Grace Bay Beach and is such an amazing spot in Providenciales.

Bight Beach hosts the Bight Reef, which is a popular snorkeling destination in Turks and Caicos. The reef is right off the beach so you can find a spot for your towels and hit the clear waters, perfect for snorkeling, without anything getting in your way.

Bight Beach is also next to Bight Park, so there are more amenities like restrooms and picnic tables here than the other beaches I visited. There are a few restaurants along the beach as well.

The quality of the sand is slightly rougher than Grace Bay Beach, with little sea shells and a small amount of seaweed. Water shoes aren’t needed on Bight Beach.

Access and parking at Bight Beach: the parking lot is easy to find and there’s plenty of it near the Bight Reef or Bight Park.

9. Beach at Smith’s Reef

Snorkeling: 🙌
Swimming: ❌
Sunset: ❌
Amenities: ❌

The beach at Smith’s Reef is really all about the snorkeling. With an absolutely incredible snorkeling experience right off the shore, most everyone on the beach at Smith’s Reef is there to snorkel.

The coral reef is protected by buoys from boats, so that’s where you know the good snorkeling is! The reef comes high in the water at some points, so be diligent not to touch it with your fins or any other part of your body.

Note: the current can be strong here, and the reef is located about 250 yards off shore. Snorkel gear with fins are strongly recommended!

The beach has soft sand but as you enter the water it’s mostly large, flat rocks. Water shoes are highly encouraged for this location when not snorkeling.

Be sure to pack your beach towels, snorkel gear, mineral sunblock, sun hat and rash guard as there are no amenities and very little shade at Smith’s Reef.

Access and parking at the beach at Smith’s Reef: the beach has three access points and plenty of parking.

Note: it’s imperative to wear reef-safe sunscreen when you’re in the ocean, and especially when snorkeling over a reef! Chemicals in traditional sunscreen kill the reef and marine life, leaving them bleached and lifeless. This is the sunscreen I wore in Turks and Caicos (and many other beach destinations) and love it.

10. Four Boys Beach

Snorkeling: ❌
Swimming: 👍
Sunset: 👍
Amenities: ❌

Down the island from Grace Bay Beach, nestled before Smith’s Reef is Four Boys Beach. This is another sleepy beach that’s perfect for escaping the crowds.

Truly a slice of paradise, the vivid blue water from Grace Bay is complimented by beautifully soft  white sands. The sand is somewhat steep and not as flat and the water is gets deeper faster than some of the other locations on this list of the best beaches Turks and Caicos.

Set up your beach chairs, grab a drink and enjoy the sound of the ocean waves crashing on the shore here. Makes for a pretty spectacular afternoon!

Lining this beach are private residences so there’s no hotels, restaurants or amenities at Four Boys Beach.

Note: getting to Four Boys Beach is tricky. Be respectful of private property and don’t park or walk on it. We found a public entrance by Delancy Lane; the pathway to the right of the green fence.

Four Boys Beach is another great spot to catch a famous beachy sunset, too!

11. Long Bay Beach (amazing beach for water sports)

Snorkeling: 👍
Swimming: 👍
Sunset: ❌
Amenities: ❌

Long Bay Beach is a kiteboarder’s paradise when it comes to water activities. It’s the main beach to learn to kite board because it’s on the windy side of the island and has really shallow water. Beginner kiteboarders can simply stand up when they fall off their board!

On calm days without wind, the beach is practically empty, so Long Bay Beach is a perfect spot for solitude! Grab your water shoes and wade out into the ocean as far as the eye can see. You will still only be waist deep!

Long Bay Beach has more seaweed than I saw on any other beach, which also makes it perfect for hunting for conch shells and other marine life! Turks and Caicos is known for their conch and this beach has a lot of them because the beach is not picked over by tourists.

Despite the seaweed, Long Bay Beach is still quite pretty with a green color and more naturally growing palm trees than I saw anywhere else in Turks and Caicos.

Long Bay Beach has more private residences and vacation rentals than most other beaches I explored, so be sure to respectfully enjoy the beach. Also note there aren’t many amenities along the beach with minimal hotels and restaurants.

Long Bay Beach is also where you can go horseback riding in Turks and Caicos, which I’d highly recommend! This unique location on this list of best Turks and Caicos beaches is an underrated spot on the island for sure.

Access and parking at Long Bay Beach: parking is somewhat limited, but considering this isn’t a hugely popular destination for beach lounging it doesn’t seem problematic.

12. Leeward Beach

Snorkeling: ❌
Swimming: 🙌
Sunset: 👍
Amenities: ❌

I saved my personal favorite for last! Leeward Beach is just up the coast from the famous Grace Bay Beach, so it has a lot of similar qualities and amazing ocean views.

It’s a fabulous swimming beach and far less busy than Grace Bay Beach or Bight Beach. So you get the luxury of the popular spots but the seclusion Taylor Bay Beach or Malcolm’s Road Beach.

The sand isn’t quite as perfect as Grace Bay, although you can still skip the water shoes. There’s not seaweed but are slightly more shells throughout the beach (which can be quite fun to hunt). The sand is still very soft but just not the silky smooth texture of Grace Bay Beach.

The beach gets deeper faster right off Leeward Beach, and waves are a little bigger than some other spots, so I don’t think this beach is the perfect spot for young children. It’s a great beach for older children and adults.

Be sure to grab your beach towels, beach gear and drinks as the amenities are sparse at Leeward Beach. Remember less amenities often means fewer people and more privacy!

Access and parking at Leeward Beach: the parking is a little hard to find and is through a residential area. However the beach isn’t overcrowded so it isn’t an issue.

What to pack

Before wrapping up this guide, here are a few packing recommendations for a vacation to Turks and Caicos and these gorgeous beaches. These items will help your trip go smoothly!

• Reef safe sunblock – protect those ocean creatures while you enjoy the water!
  
• Water shoes. Some beaches you won’t need these, and others you’ll definitely want them.
  
• Dry bag. Keep your phone or other electronics dry while you’re on the beach! I have this dry bag in orange.

• Beach hat. Protect your face from the harsh Caribbean sun.
  
• Rash guard. Perfect for snorkeling or protecting your shoulders and back from the sun. They even make cute rash guards in one-piece suits now, too.

• Beach towel with hidden pocket. Perfect for keys or money, this quick-drying beach towel has a zipper pocket that’s just the right size for your valuables. (pictured above)
  
• Snorkel gear. Previously mentioned, if you want ultimate flexibility for snorkeling the best beaches in Turks and Caicos, bring your own snorkel gear.
  
• Underwater GoPro. Snap photos of yourself, fish, sting rays and more as you explore the underwater world around Providenciales. Don’t forget the float strap. 🙂 This GoPro has gone with me to Kihei Hawaii, the best beaches in Thailand and so many more destinations!

Best Turks and Caicos beaches – that’s a wrap

I hope you’ve enjoyed this review of the best beaches in Turks and Caicos! You have so many options for great beaches on the island of Providenciales, you truly cannot make a wrong decision!

Get ready for a sun-soaked adventure as you explore the beauty and diversity of these stunning beaches.

I just want to leave with one final thought. Don’t be surprised if you are literally making the shocked emoji expression 😳 your first few days on the island. The color of water is truly breathtaking!

So, which beach will you choose first? Enjoy!!

Related content to read next:
28 Amazing and Unexpected Things to Do in Turks and Caicos
How to Do Turks and Caicos on a Budget
21 Cheapest Island Vacations that are Surprisingly Affordable

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