The Leading Hotels of the World:
Spend A Day Exploring Uninhabited Islands In The Caribbean
The majestic Grace Bay Club captured its prime beachfront location in 1993 when it opened the first luxury resort on Providenciales in Turks & Caicos. Since then, the hotel has elevated offshore sophistication with handmade Caribbean experiences crafted by personal butlers assigned to each of its 82 oceanfront suites. One of the most exclusive adventures is a private day-trip via catamaran to any one of the more than 30 secluded islands in the surrounding Turks & Caicos archipelago. It’s here where the islands’ motto, “beautiful by nature” truly comes to life and visitors can disconnect, melting into breathtaking seclusion, surrounded by turquoise waters, abundant wildlife, and unspoiled Caribbean terrain.
Guests channel Robinson Crusoe for a day, boarding Grace Bay Club’s private catamaran helmed by capable captains who know the inlets and their pirate legends, and choose among eight uninhabited islands that captivate the imagination with their individual distinctions. Explorers will want to scour the beaches of Ft. George Cay—once a British outpost and cannon battery; now it is protected national park land—for seashells, while Half Moon Bay’s cerulean water is ideal for snorkeling. Little Water Cay, locally known as Iguana Island, received its nickname for the endangered rock iguanas who roam free in this protected eco-habitat.
But this is far from being marooned on a desert island. Guests feast on gourmet picnics packed by Grace Bay Club chef Christopher Meredith, while a beach butler is available to plant umbrellas, arrange beach chairs, and pour magnums of rosé. Active adventurers can snorkel amidst the 14-mile barrier reef, the third largest in the world, for close encounters with colorful sea life, including friendly reef fish. Then, it’s blissful peace as guests disengage from any signs of civilization and appreciate the unspoiled beauty that first captivated the indigenous Taino and Lucayan people centuries ago.
Guests may stay a few hours or an entire day before the private catamaran squires them back to Grace Bay Club, often in the company of JoJo, the friendly dolphin that frolics alongside local vessels. Days spent sublimely isolated on a remote island lead to evenings at Grace Bay Club’s 90-foot infinity bar, the longest bar in the Caribbean, which seemingly melds into nightly sunsets and is a sultry locale for champagne cocktails and Caribbean-inspired tapas. Post-dinner, stroll along the longest beach of any Turks and Caicos resort, be lulled by gentle waves crashing, summon the butler to indulge your every request, and reflect upon a day that turned into a bucket-list item well-checked.