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Traveling to an new destination is always exciting; it’s also a great opportunity to learn a little more about the geography, culture, cuisine, currency and language of your host nation. While we have attempted to provide a general overview about our resort, Providenciales, and the Turks & Caicos Islands below, please feel free to contact us if you have specific questions about our Caribbean holiday destination.

Turks & Caicos Islands

The Turks & Caicos Islands are an archipelago of 40 cays and islets located about an hour by air from Miami, and about 3 hours by air from New York. Click here to see where the resort is located..

The Sands at Grace Bay is located directly on beautiful Grace Bay on the island of Providenciales. We are a short 15 minute drive from Provo airport.

The population of the Turks and Caicos Islands is approximately 38,400 people dispersed over the eight islands. To see a visualization of the population change on the islands, click here

The island relies on tourism, including resorts and eco-tours – this means a lot of effort is made to preserve the islands’ natural beauty. Visitors enjoy many water-based activities including diving, snorkeling, parasailing, and kayaking. Golfing, horseback riding, and excursions between islands via boat, helicopter or plane are also enjoyable diversions.

The islands boast many financial and legal services firms, and Providenciales is home to the world’s only Conch (pronouced “conk”) farm, a large mollusk farmed for its meat and shell, and intrinsic to the culture and cuisine of the Turks and Caicos.

Local cuisine on Providenciales features variations of Conch such as chowders, spicy fritters and fingers.

You can also sample a variety of grilled fish dishes such as wahoo and tuna. And no trip to the Caribbean would be complete without some spicy jerk marinade on grilled meats and fish.

The Turks and Caicos Islands follow Eastern Standard Time (same as New York, Washington and Miami).

Casual dress is most common on the island. For example, summer dresses for ladies and for men short sleeve shirts and casual pants or dress shorts are perfectly acceptable attire for dining out.

No trip to a tropical paradise would be complete without swimsuits, as well as, healthy amounts of sunscreen. Bring wash and wear cotton and cotton blend clothing, which includes shorts and t-shirts, short sleeve button-down shirts, casual pants for men and summer dresses for ladies.

Wide brim hats, baseball caps and sunglasses are a must to keep the sun out of your eyes.

Remember your walking shoes and sandals to keep your feet aired. A light cardigan may be necessary for night walks on the beach depending on the season. Beach towels are provided by the resort and each suite is equipped with a washer and dryer (not available in Studio Courtyards).

The international telephone code is 649 and no city codes are needed. If you want to place an international call from Providenciales, dial 01, plus the country code and number. For local and international directory assistance, dial 118. Dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Temperatures range from 75° to 85° F (24° to 29° C) from November to May, spiraling up to the high 90°s F (30°s C) in June through October. The average year-round temperature is 83° F (28° C).

The Islands’ currency is U.S. Dollars. Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Travellers Cheques are widely accepted on the Island and the banks will accept all forms of currency for conversion.

Services & Amenities

Each suite at The Sands at Grace Bay includes luxury air conditioning, television with cable, clock radio, telephone, internet access, ceiling fans, in-room safe, iron and ironing board, washer and dryer (except Junior Suite Courtyards), hair dryer, and amenity basket.

Renting a vehicle is recommended, particularly if you would like to enjoy sightseeing, dining out, and shopping. With a valid drivers license you may rent a car at a car rental shop, or directly at the airport upon arrival. You may also rent scooters on the island. Visit this listing for car rental and taxi services.

All rooms at The Sands at Grace Bay have wireless internet.

No. It is customary to tip restaurant servers approximately 15 percent.

Hemingway’s is popular with locals and tourists alike, particularly on nights when live music is featured, and we recommend dinner reservations to avoid disappointment.

Providenciales is renowned for its world class diving and snorkeling, and there are many points of cultural and historical interest for the sightseer.

Watersports abound with choices such as waterskiing, jet skiing, boating adventures, and parasailing. These can be arranged directly at the poolside desk or by contacting the resort.

Then again, a leisurely stroll along the powdery white beach at Grace Bay watching the sunset at the end of another beautiful Caribbean day maybe just what the doctor ordered. Read more here.

For resort information, including on-site amenities, see our Fact Sheet. For additional information about local events, great ideas about things to do on Providenciales, and special promotions which we may have running at this time, visit the blog.