When you have never been to a destination before, getting your head around "how far is everything" is pretty tough to do. We are often asked questions like "if I book a massage at the Palms, but I'm staying at the Veranda, do I have to take a taxi?" Absolutely not - you are a hop, skip and a jump away. Our favourite? "Can you make me dinner reservations at Seven at Seven Stars? I'm staying a Parrot Cay." Ummmm, no. Parrot Cay is on it's own little island. Once you are there, you are there.
But the majority of the hotels are located on Grace Bay Beach, and the funny (and great) thing about Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos is that it doesn't take too long to get from hotel to hotel. If you are used to beaches such as those in Mexico or Hawaii with those big, sprawling hotels and resorts, it can take forever to get to the hotel three doors down. Along Grace Bay Beach where most of the major hotels are, you can get from one end of the beach to the other in just over 30 minutes. The reason has to do with the size of the hotels. The largest resort on the beach is Beaches with just over 600 rooms. The other hotels are much smaller, more intimate and hover around the 80-100 room mark. This is also the reason why the awarded "World's Best Beach" still remains uncrowded. Even during peak times, the beaches look empty compared to Cancun or Waikiki Beach!
Back to walk times…..During my last trip to Turks I timed my nightly beach walk. I was staying at the Regent Palms hotel, a beautiful, hip, boutique style hotel, and had my heart set on an Infinity Martini at the Grace Bay Club at sunset. I was walking at a normal pace - not a speed walk, but faster than a stroll. Here are my results:
From the Regent Palms to The Sands: 7 minutes
From Sands to Point Grace Resort: 6 minutes
From Sands to Villa Renaissance: 7 minutes
From Villa Renaissance to Seven Stars: 7 minutes
From Seven Stars to Ocean Club West: 3 minutes
From Ocean Club West to Grace Bay Club: 2 minutes
Total Walk Time: 32 minutes
32 minutes is completely do-able! If you stay a bit too long at the bar (we recommend the Infinity Bar at Grace Bay Club or The Deck at Seven Stars), take a taxi back. Most trips within the Grace Bay area are only around $12. Staying in the Grace Bay area opens up so many options, whether it's beach bar hopping, dining out or shopping. Everything is so close. And because everything is so close (and there are very few all inclusives around), the hotel restaurants are EXCEPTIONAL. Parallel 23 at the Regent Palms is award winning. Hemmingway's at the Sands have the best burgers. Grace's Cottage at Point Grace is superb for a special occasion or romantic meal.
Explore, walk the beach and have fun!
Great tips! I am leaving Saturday for Seven Stars!