My family had an amazing experience on our recent vacation. Here is my Beaches Turks and Caicos Review. I have not been compensated in any way by Beaches and all opinions are my own.
About Beaches Turks and Caicos
The Beaches Turks and Caicos resort is on Providenciales (“Provo”) and is the largest developed island in Turks and Caicos. The resort is situated along Grace Bay, a stunning 12-mile beach along which most tourism sits. The Beaches Turks and Caicos resort includes 770 rooms, with a total of 19 restaurants, 14 bars and 10 pools. The weather in Turks and Caicos is pleasant year-round, with the average high rarely dipping below 80 degrees. The peak season is from December-March and can get quite busy during school holidays. Better rates may be found April-May.
Getting There
The Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort is located about 5 miles east of Providenciales International Airport, or about a 20 min ride from the airport. Airport transfers from Providenciales International Airport covered in all-inclusive rate.
Accommodation
There are four villages at Beaches. Below is an overview of each one:
Carribbean Village
The Carribbean village is the oldest of the accommodations at the resort. It was originally part of another resort and then purchased and renovated by Beaches. The rooms are a bit smaller and some outdated. However, these accommodations are surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and are closest to Camp Sesame.
UPSIDE: Located beside the beach and Camp Sesame, generally more affordable rooms
DOWNSIDE: Smaller, outdated rooms, no ocean views, smaller pools
French Village
The French Village has a great location, being close to the giant waterpark. The pool here is expansive with a swim-up bar and has a similar (perhaps less noisy) vibe to the main pool in the Italian Village.
UPSIDE: Close to waterpark, large pool, generally more affordable rooms
DOWNSIDE: Farthest walk to the beach
Italian Village
Opened in 2009, the Italian Village is often referred to as the “heart” of the resort, this is a busy and bustling village in the center of the Beaches property. Every room in the Italian Village has a separate room for children with a bunk bed that includes a pull out trundle. We stayed in the Italian Village and were glad we did because it was central to many activities and restaurants.
UPSIDE: Center of many activities, great for parents with 2 children
DOWNSIDE: Noise can be loud at times, very busy pool, generally more expensive rooms
Key West Village
Opened in 2014, The Key West Village is the newest of the properties and includes a mix of suites and villas, generally catering to the highest-end vacationers. These accommodations have amenities such as kitchens and washer/dryers. This village is quiet, close to the beach and feels more private than the other villages. It also contains three of the newest and most popular restaurants: Sky, Bayside and Neptunes.
UPSIDE: quiet, smaller pools, amenities such as kitchens and washer/dryers, close to good restaurants
DOWNSIDE: Farther away from larger pools and activities, generally more expensive rooms
Activities
Camp Sesame
One of the main attractions for families with young kids is the Sesame Street Kids Club. Kids can bake cookies with Cookie Monster, go bird watching with Big Bird, and have a dance party on Elmo’s birthday (he’s 3!). In our experience, the Kids Club staff was eager to help, kind and fun loving. We did not hesitate to leave our children in their care. There is a weekly schedule of activities with start times that allow you to plan if and when you want to drop of your kids at the camp.
Our family also attended the brunch with all of the Sesame Street characters. And, we scheduled a night for Cookie Monster to read a special bedtime story to them.
Pirate’s Island Waterpark
Pirate’s Island is a 45,000 square foot waterpark. It as waterslides of all sizes, a lazy river, sprinkler areas and a pirate ship themed playground. We spent many afternoons here and there are plenty of options for all ages.
The Pools
In short, the pools are amazing. The biggest pool is in the Italian Village and hosts a lot of the action. The large pools are perfect for kids because they are zero entry. So, my 3-year old who was learning how to swim could easily stand up when she needed to.
The Beach
The beach is definitely a highlight at this resort. There are plenty of activities, including water sport rentals (i.e. kayaks) and guided tours. My girls loved just building beach castles on the sand. You can walk up and down the beach and see the other hotel properties located on the same Provo strip.
Food
Beaches is an all inclusive resort and food, drinks and alcohol are all included in the rate. There are 19 different restaurants at Beaches (and as of 2018 there are poolside food trucks). All restaurants are different in terms of food quality and offerings. We are food lovers (and my husband a wine connoisseur), so we had high expectations given the amazing reviews. Having dined in many five star restaurants around the world, we would certainly not consider the food world class by any means. Those who preferred beer and mixed drinks faired well. The wine was very average, which is okay because we ended up bringing a half case of wine with us on the airplane to enjoy at the resort. (Each visitor to Turks and Caicos can bring in up to 2 litres of wine).
This being said, below are our favorites and recommendations for whatever you fancy:
Best bets for lunch: Jerk Shack or Arizona’s (make-your-own-fajitas)
Best bet for a la carte family lunch and/or dinner: Neptune’s (seafood)
Best bets for adult-only dinner: Sapodilla’s or Le Petit Chateau
Best bets for poolside grub: Bella Napoli (…there are now food trucks in 2018)
Best bets for breakfast: Sky (a la carte)
Best bet for kids food: Bobby Dee’s (burgers, fries, cotton candy in the afternoon)
Best bet for a sweet treat: Le Cafe de Paris (warm cookies and coffee drinks)
One of the most popular restaurants is Kimono’s. Although we did not eat there, we were told to make reservations the day we arrived.
Before You Go
Passports
We actually booked our trip a little last minute so we had to expedite our children’s passports and it required signatures, notaries and taking the girls out of school. Plan ahead and save yourself some time and stress.
Reservations
If you wish to schedule brunch with the Sesame Street characters or have one of the characters read a book to your children in bed, it is best to book these experiences prior to your arrival.
Packing
There is a small shop that sells snacks, beach toys, sunscreen and other small necessities. We forgot to pack the girls’ goggles and were able to find some in the shop.
Tipping
Tipping is included at Beaches Resorts. Staff routinely wear buttons letting you know that you do not need to tip them.
Thanks for reading my Beaches Turks and Caicos Review. Let me know if you’ve been and have any other suggestions for travelers!
