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Horseback Riding with Provo Ponies in Turks & Caicos

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15 Things to Do in the Turks and Caicos

caitylincoln — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:37:13 +0000

As a self proclaimed beach bum, I am forever searching for the whitest sand and bluest waters I can find…and more often than not, my eye is drawn to the Caribbean. My family was searching for the perfect spot to spend spring break (we wanted tropical without a “spring break” vibe) and Turks & Caicos seemed to fit the bill.

The chain of 40 something coral islands just southeast of the Bahamas has become a hotspot in the Caribbean (particularly for Europeans) without getting much cruise ship traffic. It’s known for stunning beaches, a 14-mile barrier island that boasts some of the best snorkeling in the Caribbean, plus luxury resorts that make the rich and famous swoon. But what really sold us was that we could get a quick non-stop flight from Dallas : )

While there are several different islands you can visit in TCI, most everyone ends up on Providenciales (Provo). It’s where the main airport is, it’s where most of the tourist amenities are built up, and it has world-class beaches (Grand Turk is the island where cruise ships dock). So to Provo we went!

*Queue visions of sugar white sand, dazzling turquoise water, and pink shade umbrellas.

Keep reading for a list of my favorite things to do in Turks and Caicos:

Things to Do in Turks and Caicos

Go snorkeling or scuba diving on the world’s third largest barrier reef. After Australia and Belize, Turks and Caicos has the third largest barrier reef in the world. You’ll have to head out on a boat to get there but there are plenty of snorkel tour operators that do pick-ups on Grace Bay. We did a half-day snorkeling trip with Island Vibes and it has ah-mazing! Most day trips will also combine snorkeling with a stop at Little Water Cay for a conch demonstration, iguana viewing, and lunch. Read more about the snorkeling excursion I did here.

Tour the world’s only conch farm. Conch (pronounced “conk”), the little creatures that lives in those big beautiful shells, is one of the most popular things to eat in the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas as well as being very in demand as an import to the US. To increase sustainability of the species and meet its demand, the Caicos Conch Farm became the world’s first (and only) conch farm and is a great place to get an ecology lesson on one of the island’s biggest staples.

Beach bum on the world’s finest. Grace Bay is where most of the resorts are located and for good reason. It’s easy to wile away an entire week under an umbrella here and while Grace Bay usually steals the thunder for best beach on the island, also check out Taylor Bay, Leeward Beach, Long Bay Beach, and Sapodilla Bay.

Paddleboard through mangroves. Mangroves are called the ocean’s nursery because this is the best place to find baby sharks, sea turtles, puffer fish, and stingrays. There are a few companies that lead guided tours through the mangroves of Provo, but we paddled with SUP Provo and not only did we have a great paddleboarding lesson and see plenty of marine life, but our guide Wes really taught us a lot about the mangrove ecosystem. Read more about the paddleboarding excursion I did here.

Try any watersport you can think of. Most of the resorts on Grace Bay offer endless watersport options including kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing, plus vendors that are more than willing to take you tubing, parasailing, or waterskiing right off the beach.

Get your hair braided. I just had to throw this one in here…if you’re staying on Grace Bay, there’ll be plenty of ladies walking up and down the beach offering to put some corn rows in your hair. When in Rome…

Drive out to Chalk Sound. Chalk Sound is a national park and it’s pretty unique terrain. If you’re sitting on the left side of the airplane when you’re flying in, you’ll be able to see the cluster of tiny islands in all their glory. If not, drive down Chalk Sound Drive and try to find a high viewing spot, as the aerial views are pretty spectacular.

Go to the Thursday Fish Fry. It’s a gathering place for tourists and locals alike at the end of Grace Bay (next to the Gansevoort Resort). The island’s best restaurants and chefs set up food booths serving local dishes while plenty of other vendors set up shop with jewelry, t shirts, and other souvenirs to buy. There’s also a live band and DJ. This is THE place to find a drink in a pineapple or coconut.

Horseback riding on the beach. I can gush about this all day. Horseback riding on the beach is probably one of the coolest things you can do in TCI and it was #1 on my bucket list. Think about it…white sand, turquoise water, gorgeous horses…how can you go wrong with that? We rode with Provo Ponies, and I can’t recommend them enough. It was pretty magical. Read more about it here.

Go island hopping to North Caicos and Middle Caicos. If you’re the adventurous type, take the ferry to North Caicos (about 20-30 minute ride) where you can rent a car and explore the two island’s beaches.

Visit Little Water Cay or “Iguana Island.” The iguanas that call this island home are the main attraction here. They’re a little skittish but if you bring food, you’ll be able to get them out and moving about. Most snorkeling tours include a stop here to see the iguanas and hike around the island.

Go on a dolphin or whale watching tour. If you visit TCI in January through March, you’ll be in season to see the humpback whale migration. Several boat charters will take you out on a combo snorkeling/whale-watching trip although if you keep your eyes peeled, you’ll be able to see them from the shore. If you want to dolphin spot on land, keep an eye out for Jojo who is often seen mingling with swimmers on Grace Bay.

Chill at Da Conch Shack. Provo’s best local dive beach bar has become somewhat of a tourist attraction. It gets crowded at night and when we were there they were taking reservation. Try the rum punch and the cracked conch/conch fritter combo platter. Go for sunset and stay for the live band.

Go on an ATV tour. Froggie Williams leads ATV tours through Provo’s undeveloped northwest part of the island. His tours begin in Blue Hills Settlement and include stops at Pelican Point and a ride down Northwest Point and Malcolm Beach.

Take an excursion to the Middle Caicos caves. Middle Caicos has some pretty neat cave formations. If you book a tour with Big Blue Unlimited, they’ll take care of transportation, lunch, the tour, and bike rentals.

More posts about this area:

Horseback Riding with Provo Ponies in Turks & Caicos

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Paddleboarding the Mangroves in Turks & Caicos with SUP Provo

caitylincoln — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:29:56 +0000

There are a couple of big ticket excursions/activities in the Turks and Caicos that get all the attention. Everybody wants to go horseback riding on the beach and snorkel the phenomenal barrier reef, but one of my favorite activities I did on my trip actually ended up being something that flies a little under the radar. Paddleboarding the island’s mangrove system!

Mangroves are called the ocean’s nursery because this is the best place to find baby sharks, sea turtles, puffer fish, and stingrays. There are a few companies that lead guided tours through the mangroves of Provo, but we chose to paddled with SUP Provo and not only did we have a great paddleboarding lesson and see plenty of marine life, but our guide Wes really taught us a lot about the mangrove ecosystem.

We met our guide Wes in the parking lot of the grocery store in Grace Bay and followed him to the east side of the island to a secluded launching spot. The tours can only happen during high tide, which is usually during the heat of the day (2-3 PM) and it’s HOT. Wear plenty of sunscreen (we wore rash guard shirts too) and bring along some water (either take a waterproof backpack with you or have some in the car for afterwards).

We all got a lesson on the beach before we got on our boards and paddled across a small channel to get to the mangrove islands. At its deepest point, the channel was 20-30 feet deep but we could see the bottom the whole time. Once we reached the mangroves, the water varied from 1-3 feet.

The scenery of the mangroves in the backcountry is a total departure from the tropicalness of Grace Bay, but make no mistake, it’s still the Caribbean. The water was calm and crystal clear which made for perfect viewing conditions as we paddled through the mangrove trails. We saw small lemon sharks right away and a couple of eagle rays at the mouth of the mangroves. As we paddled deeper into the mangroves, we saw plenty of snapper, puffer fish, and even a turtle!

At the deepest point in the mangroves, before we turned our boards around and paddled back out, we all sat down on our boards and Wes chatted with us about the ecosystem of the TCI mangroves which really made them come alive for us.

A few things we learned:

The mangroves are considered the ocean’s nursery, which is why it’s such a good spot to see so many of the species that we saw. Its protective nature keeps out bigger predators and acts as a safe haven for these sea creatures until they’re big enough to fend for themselves.

The mangroves are alive and actually one large organism.

The mangroves “walk” and so trails are constantly forming and closing as they move around.

The mangroves are only paddleable for a few hours a day at high tide.

We paddled out of the mangroves and back across the channel (be sure to save some energy for the paddle back-it’s challenging but the current helps!). Paddleboarding through the mangroves is the perfect way to see parts of the TCI that most tourists don’t see as well as gain an appreciation for the ecosystem of the islands and the role that the mangroves play, and it was an unexpected favorite part of our trip.

Book an excursion with SUP Provo here.

More posts about this area:

Horseback Riding with Provo Ponies in Turks & Caicos

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Horseback Riding in Turks & Caicos with Provo Ponies

caitylincoln — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:26:55 +0000

I can gush about this all day. Horseback riding on the beach is probably one of the coolest things you can do in TCI and it was #1 on my bucket list. Think about it…white sand, turquoise water, gorgeous horses…how can you go wrong with that?

Horseback Riding in Turks & Caicos

We rode with Provo Ponies on their hour-long morning group ride with a group of about 12. I rode Ike, a big sweetie with years of experience leading nervous riders on their once in a lifetime ride along the sea.

We had two guides on our trip, and we headed out of the corral single file along a road for about 10-15 minutes until we picked up the trail to Long Bay Beach. While obviously you come to ride on the beach, we actually thought the trail was pretty cool! It was a sand covered cut out through lush vegetation and it felt like we were headed to a secret place that nobody else knew about.

Once we cleared the trail and the beach was in sight, the horses seemed to get excited, as they knew what was coming next. We walked along the beach for a little ways before our guide led the group into the water. It’s hard to say who was more excited, the horses or the riders!

I’ll be honest…when I started planning this trip and initially booked the ride, I thought it would be epically fun and definitely the highlight of the trip. Then as it approached, I started telling myself that while I’m sure it would be fun, there was no way it would live up to the hype in my head. Let me tell you, when Ike started wading into the ocean and I felt the cool water on my feet, I was flying high! It honestly was as cool as I’d thought and it definitely didn’t disappoint!

What to Wear

Usually when you’re riding horses, you’d wear jeans and boots, but since you’re riding in the water (and it’s hot), that’s not the best option. But you also don’t want to just wear a swimsuit (umm have you ever been on a horse?). You definitely want something that will cover your thighs so I think leggings (or at least longer bike shorts) are the best option. You’ll also want shoes that are strapped onto your feet. A good water shoe/sandal is probably best. And I went with my colorful beach kimono over a tank top to give a little shade and add some color for photos.

What to Bring

You’ll want to bring as little as possible with you on the ride itself. It’s only an hour so you shouldn’t need too much. And since you’re parking right at the stables and there’s a lot of people around, it’s probably ok to leave stuff in the trunk of your car. Definitely put on your sunscreen before you go and I would make sure you have plenty of water in the car for when you get back.

The one thing you will want to take with you is a camera. You’ll either want a GoPro/waterproof camera or a waterproof case for your phone. And I would take a strap for it as well. If you have your phone/camera out (and it’s waterproof) the guides are VERY good about taking photos for you.

About Provo Ponies

Seriously, I cannot say enough good things about this experience with Provo Ponies. They’re not just a professional and ethically run stable…they’re actually a rescue mission as well. They got started with 7 abused horses and once they were nursed back to health and back up to strength, they were able to begin working to not only earn their keep, but give them a sense of purpose.

They currently have 30 horses and a few donkeys (some of which are retired) and are always willing to give a new friend a home. I initially started following Provo Ponies on Instagram because of the eye candy, but I’ve enjoyed keeping up to date on the progress and stories of their rescues even more.

Book a ride with Provo Ponies here.

More posts about this area:

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My Favorite Snorkeling Tour in Turks & Caicos

caitylincoln — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 20:19:28 +0000

After Australia and Belize, Turks and Caicos has the third largest barrier reef in the world so snorkeling trips are a pretty popular thing to do on Providenciales.

The reef isn’t accessible from the beach, so you’ll have to go by boat, but there are plenty of snorkel tour operators that do pick-ups from the hotels along Grace Bay.

We did a half-day snorkeling trip with Island Vibes and it was ah-mazing! Most day trips will also combine snorkeling with a stop at Little Water Cay for a conch demonstration, iguana viewing, and lunch.

With Island Vibes, we got picked up on the beach just down from our resort (there are breaks in the buoys every little bit where the boats come ashore). There were probably 15-20 people on board but it never felt too crowded.

Our first stop was our only snorkeling spot (I’ve been on other snorkeling trips where they’ll take you to 3-4 spots) but all of the snorkeling on Provo happens on this reef so it’s really the only (and best) spot to go.

Let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed by the snorkeling. We spent about 45 minutes to an hour on the reef (we stayed as long as we wanted to) and it was the best snorkeling I’ve yet to do anywhere (Hawaii and other spots in the Caribbean included). The reef was colorful and vibrant with a large variety of coral and we saw so many different kinds of fish. And it wasn’t crowded at all.

After we wrapped up snorkeling, we headed to Little Water Cay for a couple of hours. We were able to get off the boat and explore the island. We saw the iguanas and found a large starfish on the other side of the island.

They also did a conch demonstration on the beach and made us fresh conch ceviche to try once we were back on the boat.

After we left the island, we cruised around a little bit (the boat had plenty of room to spread out) and stopped for a while offshore to have lunch (sandwiches and rum punch) and a little ocean party. The boat had a slide plus you could jump off the top deck into the ocean.

What to Bring

You’ll want all the beach/water things: swimsuit, hat, sunglasses, coverup, sunscreen (reef safe!), sun shirt/rash guard

I think a camera is a must. If you have a waterproof camera or GoPro great, but I think a waterproof case on your phone works just as well. You’ll also want a strap as well.

Bring a towel and if you’re super sensitive to being cold like me, I like to bring a dry shirt and shorts to put on after I’m done snorkeling and a beach blanket to wrap up in if it gets cold in the wind.

Other posts about this area:

Horseback Riding with Provo Ponies in Turks & Caicos