Turks and Caicos is known mostly to travelers from “up north” as an easy place to get to for a beachy resort vacation—the sort of family vacation where you might not even leave the resort.
But the islands have plenty of activities, food and culture to offer families with tweens and teens. So so many, in fact, that my wife Susan and I relocated our family from Canada to the island of Providenciales a few years ago and have never looked back (especially in winter).
Here are some of our five favorite things to do with our tween and teen boys on “Provo,” the island where you’re most likely to start your visit.
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5 Turks and Caicos Activities Your Teens Will Love
1. Go to Grace Bay Beach
The big all-inclusive resorts have their own beaches, of course. But if you’re staying someplace that isn’t on the water, or you just want a change of pace, head to Grace Bay Beach. It’s routinely ranked as the best beach in the world, and is our favorite local beach.
If you don’t have the opportunity to take a boat trip for snorkeling, no worries. The Coral Gardens Reef at the west end of the beach is a great location for snorkeling right off the beach. Our boys have been snorkeling there since they were 3 and 5 but still enjoy exploring the area, and, of course, venture out on their own now.
Floating around in waist-deep water, we can usually follow turtles around and watch them eat the turtle grass (what else). We can also spot stingrays (they’re as docile as sheep) and listen to the parrot fish chomp on the coral.
Despite this beach’s renown, it’s pretty easy to find a swath of empty sand where we can kick a soccer ball around or toss a Frisbee. We also take our boogie boards and ride in the surf or try keeping our balance on skim boards in the shallows.
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2. Go paddling
We like water sports that keep us active. Among them, we love to go stand-up paddle-boarding up and down Grace Bay Beach, where the water is usually pretty calm. “Falling” off when we need a break is half the fun.
It’s also easy to rent kayaks and go through the mangroves just off the eastern tip of Provo by Mangrove Cay. We often see cool fish and baby lemon sharks from inside our kayaks. We also hop off in the shallow parts around the point to look for iguanas.
If your resort doesn’t have equipment for you to borrow, it’s fairly easy to find stores to rent SUP boards and kayaks. A guided paddle will help you find all the best spots for seeing the local wildlife.
3. Hit the waves…when you can find them.
Now that the boys are older, we’re trying out surfing and let me tell you, it is cool!
If you’re thinking of bringing your board to the islands, be warned, our waters are pretty calm. But on a day when you can manage to catch a wave, it’s awesome.
Some resorts lend surfboards and there are a handful of surf shops in town.
4. Take a puppy for a walk
Potcake Place is a local dog-rescue charity that is a favorite spot with our sons. Potcakes are mixed-breed dogs found throughout the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.
The dogs get their name from the congealed peas-and-rice mixture that dogs are often fed from the bottom of cooking pots.
Potcake Place wants to educate people about how to love and care for island strays on Turks and Caicos, so anyone can come and take their dogs for a walk and give them some love and attention.
It’s right in the heart of the “downtown Grace Bay” area. It’s easy to fit in a visit to the shelter if you head into town for some eating and shopping.
5. Visit amazing caves
Susan and I have taken our sons a few times to the massive Conch Bar Caves, near the village of Conch Bar on Middle Caicos, and they absolutely love it.
This is the largest above-ground cave system in the Caribbean. It served as a home for the island’s early native inhabitants and was mined for guano in the 19th century. In the caves you can spot signs of this history, like initials and dates carved into the rocks.
This adventure starts with a ferry to Middle Caicos, almost 25 miles from Grace Bay. The cave entrance is at the end of a short dirt road.
The cavernous entrance is like something out of an Indiana Jones movie. The caves themselves—a mix of tunnels and stalactite-filled chambers—have continued to fascinate our kids over several visits.
There is a map at the entrance of the cave system, but hiring a guide is an option if you’d like some help navigating the caves. They can also tell you about the area’s geology and history.
Tip: While some of the chambers are roomy, this is not an excursion for the claustrophobic.
And Then…Enjoy Authentic Caribbean Cooking
When we need a break from the tourist center that Grace Bay can be, we head clear across the island to the Five Cays Settlement on the south shore of Provo.
Once there, we settle in at the pastel-painted Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl, named for Berlie “Bugaloo” Williams, the first person on Provo to start a “conch shack.”
Bugaloo was known for wading into the water to snatch up some fresh conch and cook it for customers in a tiny plywood shed in Blue Hills.
This place is an actual restaurant with some tables right under coconut trees. Locals go for the various conch dishes, coconut shrimp and fish sandwich. On the weekends, you might catch live music.
If you’ve never had conch, start with the crispy fritters and then venture into the chowder or cracked conch, right out of the shell.
You’ll find burgers and chicken, too, for any family members who don’t like seafood.
When we hit the crowd and the tide the right way, we plant chairs right in the shallow water and sip cocktails while we wait for our order.
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Val Kalliecharan and his family relocated to Provo in 2008. There, he and his wife started Turks and Caicos vacation planning, an agency that helps families plan and book vacations to the Turks and Caicos Islands. You can read his Turks and Caicos Blog.