During our Xmas / New Year’s Vacation in Miami, Eric, his sister and I decided we wanted to explore one of the acclaimed “Most Beautiful Beaches in the World.” Let us be one of the many travelers to tell you, Grace Bay in Turks & Caicos did not disappoint! On our itinerary: Rum punch, gorgeous white-sand beaches, snorkeling , boat cruising around the island and conch shells!

Day 1

• 1:30pm: Take the JetBlue flight from Ft. Lauderdale (FLL) to Providenciales (PLC) – (~$190 p/p round trip)
• 4:45pm: You’ve arrived in paradise! Go through immigration and pick up your rental car through rentalcars.com ($112 for two days)
• 5:00pm: Check into Peridot Place II (modern house) we rented through Booking.com ($200 per night). It’s equipped with a full kitchen, outdoor barbeque, modern appliances, and parking.
• 5:30pm: Take the car ASAP to Grace Bay for a stroll along the beach. You’ll feel your toes sink into the floury sand and see fishes swimming in the crystal clear waters that you’ve only seen in your screensaver at the office!

• 5:45pm: It’s time for Happy Hour. Head the Infinity Bar at the Grace Bay Club hotel and grab a seat in the lounge area or the sexy fireplace by the pool and grab a rum cocktail! This will be pricy, as is everything in Turks & Caicos, but let’s not forget this is one of the most beautiful ambiences in the Caribbean 

• 7:45pm: Head to Danny Buoy’s for a small appetizer of chicken wings. We do NOT recommend the Spicy Wing Challenge. Despite the free T-shirt my sister won, you’ll pay for this one!
• 9:00pm: Head to the upstairs outdoor dining area at Somewhere Bar & Lounge. Incredibly romantic atmosphere as you hear the calm waves enjoying some fish tacos and a smoothie (they also have great nachos and salsas)
• 10:30pm: Head home, need some rest for snorkeling tomorrow – we can’t have a hangover tomorrow…

Day 2

• 8:00am: Organize shuttle pickup for an amazing half-day boat and snorkeling tour. This trip is encapsulated by bottomless rum punch or Caribbean beer, an hour of snorkeling if you wish, Caribbean Reggae music, and the nicest island staff ever! 

• 9:30pm: Checkout some of the pictures we took with our GoPro underwater! I think we found Nemo!

• 12:00pm: The boat sets anchor at the infamous Iguana Island which is apparently inhabited 25,000 iguanas (we didn’t see any, but apparently the more rum punch you drink, the more iguanas you see!) Check out this photo!
• 12:30pm: The tour guide stops and shows you how to prepare a famous conch salad, a staple in the diet of Turks & Caicos residents. With fresh lime juice, tomato, and onions added, the conch salad is an absolute delicacy!
• 1:00pm: Time to explore iguana island 

• 1:30pm: Boat takes you back to the Alexandra Hotel
• 3:00pm: Head to Bugaloo’s Conch Crawl — great place for drinks on the other side of the island. It’s a much more local / less “resort” feel that you get in Grace Bay. The waiter shakes your hand and introduces himself when you arrive, and you can see fisherman preparing fresh conch!
• 7:45pm: Head to Coco Bistro for dinner, the most up-scale Caribbean restaurant in Providenciales (it’s essentially in a tree!). Make sure you make reservations (typically they are booked out 1-3 months in advance!)

Day 3

• 9:00am: Time for a run along the famous Caicos Conch Farm. The run  along Governors Road lends itself to some of the most fantastic houses on the island!
• 11:00am: Brunch at Bay Bistro (the outdoor restaurant at the Alexandra Resort in Grace Bay). The view is incredible, and you don’t even need to stay at the hotel to grab a paddle board or a canoe and work off some of those calories!

• • 12:30pm: Head back to the hotel, pack-up and take the flight back to Miami!