Since Grace Bay in Turks & Caicos has been voted the world’s number one beach by readers of Conde Nast and users of TripAdvisor, it’s not surprising that beach-walking is one of the most popular things to do here.  Fortunately, the Alexandra Resort and Spa is located on a particularly beautiful and expansive stretch of the world-renown Grace Bay Beach.  So, this activity is a frequent occurrence for our guests and one we highly recommend.

The beach in front of the Alexandra Resort is part of the Princess Alexandra National Park, which runs along the north coast of the island of Providenciales and includes the turquoise blue waters, which are protected by a long reef and filled with vibrant sea life.  This means you are not allowed to remove anything from the national park such as live sea life, coral, etc.   

Taking a beach walk along Grace Bay Beach will always delight you.  The sand is silky smooth and soft beneath your feet and you can always find isolated patches that make you feel the beach is all your own. 

Depending on the time of day, the tide and how lucky you  are - your blissful beach walk will also treat you to a variety of neat things to see.   Here are five things you may see on your next stroll along Grace Bay Beach:

1)     Starfish.   Because of the clarity of the water and the tides- it is very possible to see starfish dotting the ocean floor.   These deep clay-orange colored creatures are alluring and almost look fake.  It’s tempting to pick one up and hold it in your hand - but you have to remember to put it back gently as it’s a living creature and part of the national park.

2)     The Green Flash.   Legend has it - and first-hand accounts concur - that when the temperatures are high and the sun is at a certain point in the sky - just before it descends over the horizon - a green flash appears for a split second.   You have to be looking at the horizon with an unobstructed view right at dusk.    The best place to see this green flash is on a beach walk.

3)     Sand dollars.   These “cousins” of the starfish are not easy to find along Grace Bay Beach but if you are walking around low-tide you have a good chance to do so.  The live ones will be partially buried in the sand or inching slowly along the water’s edge.   Sand dollars that are white in color are dead - the ones that have a grayish tint are not and are protected as part of the Princes Alexandra National Park, which means you cannot remove them and need to replace them back where you found them.  If you really want to see sand dollars it is a good idea to book an outing with Caicos Dream Tours - they can take you to Sand Dollar Point on one of their excursions.

4)     JoJo the dolphin!   JoJo is a unique Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin who has been living and playing in the shallow waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands since 1980. He is one of the few dolphins around the world that voluntarily interacts with humans in his own natural habitat.  JoJo has become something like the mascot of Turks and Caicos and is known for having an affinity for boat engines!    He also likes to swim up close to the shoreline, so it’s good to keep an eye out for him on your beach walk.   If you don’t happen to see him on a beach walk - your odds are greatly improved if you are out on the water.  Again by booking a boat trip with Caicos Dream Tours, your chances of a JoJo encounter increase exponentially.

5)     50 shades of blue.  “The shades of blue these waters possess are like a painter’s palette - azure, celeste, maya, sky, shifting and changing with the weather.”  These were the words Joe Belanger used in his feature story on Turks and Caicos from the Toronto Sun on April 25, 2012.   The New York Times said:  “The beach gently slopes into the ocean, which reveals bands of blue and green that are so brilliant no postcard could do them justice.”  The turquoise waters of Grace Bay Beach have been described and photographed countless times and make a remarkable impression.  However, photos and words don’t do them justice.  The waters surrounding the beaches of Turks and Caicos sparkle and glisten and change their hue, resulting in 50 shades of unforgettable, mesmerizing blue.  But, the only way to experience them is in person - on a beach walk or better yet a helicopter ride!

Whatever time of year you come to Turks and Caicos the beach will be an integral part of your trip.   You’ll find that simple beach walks can be the highlight of the trip.  As you walk along the beach look out for miniature conch shells that get washed up on sand.   They make a great decoration and serve as a reminder of the trip when you are back home.   Another good idea is to collect a little sand and put it in a glass bottle to keep it on your office desk or coffee table.   It will give you a daily reminder of when you walked the world’s best beach and bragging rights for your work colleagues and/or neighbors.

Picture this - you, a good book, miles of pristine powder-like sand and brilliant turquoise waters lapping lightly on the shoreline.  This is what awaits you when you stay at the Alexandra Resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands.   

Located on world acclaimed Grace Bay Beach, the Alexandra Resort has a prime location on a stretch of coastline that has won many accolades for its natural beauty.

The Alexandra Resort’s location on Grace Bay Beach is one of its biggest assets and we take it seriously to make sure our guests get the full experience. 

First we start with our idyllic setting - 620 feet of sugar white sand framed by clear, sparkling waters.   Then we’ve added ample chaise lounge chairs and beach umbrellas so everyone can

easily find their own space to comfortably enjoy the surroundings.  Next we add a full-service restaurant - Mango Reef - serving gourmet food at affordable prices on the beach and/or on the expanded beach deck.    Almost every craving you can anticipate can be fulfilled without having to barely move a muscle.   Our beach attendants are ready to serve and ensure you are getting the full Grace Bay Experience.  Whether it is a cold bottle of water, a fresh towel or help arranging water sport activities, our staff is happy to help. 

For the more adventurous - we provide free beach toys and non motorized water sports equipment.   Maybe you want to spend the afternoon snorkeling face-down with the fish or skimming the surface aboard a hobie cat. Whatever your preferences are, we are here to meet and exceed them.   You can fill out our on-line Activities Planner before you arrive so we can have everything ready for you! http://www.alexandraresort.com/resort_experience/activities_planner.html.

It’s the perfect beginner’s alternative to surfing.

IN THE 1960S, surfing instructors in Hawaii discovered a great way to increase tips: While their tourist-students lay prone on boards trying to catch waves, the instructors would hang cameras on their necks, stand upright on surfboards, and use long canoe paddles to maneuver out to take photos of clients in the surf, creating the perfect souvenir. “Stand-up paddling,” as this mode of transit became known, remained a surf culture oddity until about 10 years ago, when a handful of professional surfers began using the technique to train. In the past few years, the sport has spread beyond surfers — and become wildly popular. “Everyone has a fantasy to be a surfer, [and] stand-up paddling makes it easier,” says Rob Casey, author of Stand Up Paddling: Flatwater to Surf and Rivers and an instructor in Washington state. “The learning curve is relatively easy and gear requirements are minimal.” And while stand-up boards are more expensive than kayaks — beginner boards, which are wider and heavier than traditional surfboards, start at around $700 — Casey says they’re easier to store and carry and provide better exercise, particularly for the core muscles.

To find out whether stand-up paddling is as easy as advertised, in mid-September I signed up for a private lesson. “I’ve given lessons to people from 4 years old to 70 years old, and I’ve never had someone not be able to stand up,” instructor Dan Cox told me, as he helped me into a life jacket. After a quick dockside intro to the equipment and basic techniques, Cox had me kneel on the board, paddle a few yards into the river, and creep up into a standing position. (Yes, it’s really that simple: Beginner boards are designed to be super stable.) For 90 minutes Cox showed me different stroke techniques. I’d worn a swimsuit and had dreaded the thought of plunging into the Charles on a cool fall day, but I stayed upright and dry through the lesson.

Part of the sport’s popularity comes from the fact that, unlike surfing, you can do it nearly anywhere: Rivers, lakes, and oceans all make suitable grounds for “SUP,” the acronym by which the sport has become known. But as fall gives way to winter and the Charles turns icy, it’s tempting to find a more hospitable climate for paddling. Here are five experts’ picks on the best places to stand-up paddle.

TURKS AND CAICOS

The big-wave surfing of Dave Kalama, a pro wind-surfer, was featured in the opening scenes of the James Bond film Die Another Day. Along with surfer Laird Hamilton, Kalama stand-up paddled the entire chain of the Hawaiian Islands, a distance he estimates at 250 miles.

WHERE TO PADDLE “I’ve been all over the world, and one place I really like for stand-up paddle boarding is Turks and Caicos. I run a paddle boarding school there on the island of Providenciales. The water is really clear, and the reefs are very alive. You’ll see stingrays and all kinds of fish. The island has trade winds, so you can do downwind paddling. It has mangroves, so you can get protection from the wind to do flat-water paddling. It’s a really versatile area.”

WHERE TO RENT GEAR OR GET A LESSON “The company I work with is called Big Blue [649-946-5034, bigblueunlimited.com]. They have kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, and diving.”

By Daniel McGinn

The Turks and Caicos Islands, a string of 40 different islands and cays located in the West Indies, are an excellent vacation spot at any time of year. These islands have beautiful weather year-round, with temperature ranging from 85 to 90 degrees between June and October and 80 to 84 degrees from November to May, and 350 days of sunshine in an average year. If you’re in an area where fall is chilly and dreary, the Turks and Caicos Islands are just the place to enjoy some beautiful weather and get away from it all for awhile. When you get there, here are a few of the fun activities you’ll be able to enjoy.

• Snorkel, SCUBA, or SNUBA. The Turks and Caicos Islands are an excellent place for snorkeling and diving. Grand Turk Island in particular is well known among divers for the coral reef wall that runs parallel to the island. West Caicos also has spectacular coral reefs and underwater rock walls. Another fascinating dive opportunity is presented by the shipwrecks, some hundreds of years old, off the shores of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Snorkelers will enjoy the government established snorkeling trails that allow snorkelers to view coral gardens and come into close contact with the area’s amazing specimens of marine life. Want something more challenging than snorkeling, but you’re not quite ready for SCUBA diving? Try SNUBA (surface nexus underwater breathing apparatus) that allows you to explore the ocean at a depth of 20 feet. SNUBA is an exciting new sport that is appropriate for ages 8 and up.
• Take a glass bottom boat tour. If you can’t or don’t want to swim, you can still explore the undersea beauty in the waters around the Turks and Caicos Islands with a glass bottom boat tour. Several companies in the Turks and Caicos Islands now offer glass bottom boat tours. This is an activity that the entire family can participate in. Non-swimmers will be able to see the coral reefs and marine life through the clear bottom of the boat, and snorkelers can hop into the water and do some exploring of their own. The tour boats provide snorkeling equipment and drinks.
• Go windsurfing or kiteboarding. Want a thrill or a challenge? Try windsurfing or kiteboarding on Providenciales. Here you can find PASA certified instructors and rental equipment that will allow you to experience flying with the wind or water. The climate and water conditions on Providenciales are perfectly suited to these exciting sports.

Traveling to the Turks and Caicos Islands in the fall may also allow you to find special deals. For instance, the Alexandra Resort has several fall specials: the fourth night free offer and the Caribbean Wine and Food Festival package, but this must be booked before the end of October.  Also, Air Turks & Caicos is offering their Autumn-Matic fare sale: $20 off each way, for a total savings of $40, for any round trip ticket purchased between October 1st and November 30th.  With the great savings and the beautiful weather, fall is a perfect time to visit the Turks and Caicos Islands!

(Thank you to Ashley Bennett for the article)

Lobster season officially opened yesterday (August 15, 2012), which makes this favorite treat a part of the Turks and Caicos Islands menu again.

Last year, acting on advice from fishermen and the Fisheries Advisory Committee, the governor’s Advisory Council decided to postpone the beginning of lobster season by two weeks past the usual opening date of Aug. 1 in order to allow lobster stocks time to reproduce.  The season will through March 31, 2013.

The first day of the new season in the country is known as “the lobster grab,” when hundreds of fishermen rush out in an attempt to catch the bounty lobster population.

Lobster is considered a must have for fine dining in the islands and is largely used by restaurants. Local chefs are famous for their spiny lobster dishes — cooked in nearly every style imaginable. Economically, the lobster fishery is the most important marine resource in the country and has played an integral part in the community for generations.

It is an extremely important industry, centered mainly in South Caicos, although also largely available on all the other islands. The Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) grows to about 60 centimeters in length. Like the other 20 members of the genus Panulirus such as the Australian, California, and Chinese spiny lobsters, it lacks the large pinching claws of their Maine lobster relatives.

Its only defenses are the spines that cover its shell, which help protect the lobster from predators. The Caribbean spiny lobster uses a second pair of antennae in sensory perception, which are found folded along side the body when not in use.

The Caribbean Spiny lobster is also a healthy treat, with only 143 calories and 1.9 grams of fat per 3.5-ounce cooked serving. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Come learn about the life cycle of the Queen conch, from egg mass to harvested adult. You will see first hand the processes and technology the only commercial conch farm in the world has developed over the past 20 years. The tour will start in the gift shop with a quick biology lesson and a description of our hatchery technology, from there the tour takes the guests through the Metamorphosis buildings and the Post Larval facilities. Guests are then able to bend over and pick up one of the farms 2 million conch housed in the onshore ponds. The offshore pasture, filled with circular pens to rear the conch until they are harvested, serves as the backdrop to the entire tour. The tour ends up with Sally and Jerry, the resident wild conch, who are brought out to give guests a good photo opportunity to take home to friends and family.

All tour leaders are local Turks Islanders who can provide wonderful insights to local culture as well as recommendations for dining or leisure spots on the island.

FAQs

1. How do you pronounce conch?
   Conk
2. Is conch a snail?
   It is a marine snail, also known as a gastropod mollusk. The conch is classified in the phylum Mollusca , class Gastropoda, order Mesogastropoda.
3. Can you eat conch?
   Yes, the Queen conch has been, and continues to be on of the major protein sources in the Caribbean diet as well as being exported internationally.
4. Where are you located?
   At Heaving Down Rock, at the end of the Leeward Highway, on the island of Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, BWI
5. How many conch farms are there?
   One, The Caicos Conch Farm is the only one on the world.

Farm History

Trade Wind Industries, Ltd was incorporated in 1984 with a vision of pioneering a pan-Caribbean conch mariculture industry that would benefit the region by providing jobs, stimulating economic growth, supplying a low-cost source of protein, and protecting wild conch stocks from exploitation. The queen conch, scientifically Strombus gigas, has been a staple of the Caribbean for at least a thousand years. Its meat provides a major source of protein for the region, while its shell has been used for tools, weapons, jewelry, ceremonial objects, and as a construction material. Over-fishing has depleted wild stocks of conch; today it is now listed on the CITES Appendix II, as a commercially endangered species. Despite Caribbean-wide country quotas on harvesting wild conch, the remaining conch population continues to decline rapidly as over-fishing continues. Conch harvests are a major source of food and income for many local people, and without a source of replacement income they continue to harvest conch. Twenty years ago sixteen Caribbean/Latin American countries exported conch to the world market place; today only three still have commercial quantities of wild conch to offer to the market place.

In 1984, Chuck Hesse, TWI's founder and CEO, realized the potential to simultaneously help the environment, employ local fishermen, and generate profitable returns by farming conch.

TWI's goals are to expand conch production at its farm in the Turks & Caicos and to license grow-out farms throughout the Caribbean. Achieving these goals will increase supply and reduce production and shipping costs. Once adequate supply is established, TWI will expand its marketing into Asia, where conch is in high demand, both for its nutritional benefits and acknowledged cultural and aphrodisiac properties.

While achieving its goals, TWI will continue research to lower the cost to produce farmed conch below that of harvesting it from the wild. History has shown that once farmed product is in the marketplace at prices lower than that of wild conch, the wild stocks will be able to recover.

The Alexandra Resort, located on world famous Grace Bay Beach in Turks & Caicos Islands, recently published a "Top 15 Things to do with Kids in the Turks & Caicos Islands" list for their guests.

The list included the following activities:

1.      Go to the children’s park at The Bight.  Located right on Grace Bay Beach, there are swings, a jungle gym, teeter totters and more.

2.      After playing at the park, head across the street to the National Environmental Centre and view exhibits on the coral reef and ecosystem s in Turks & Caicos.

3.      Enjoy a glass bottom semi submarine ride, which departs with Caicos Tours from Turtle Cove.  You might see sharks and turtles, and you’ll definitely see lots of tropical fish and beautiful coral.

4.      Go horseback riding with Provo Ponies on beautiful Long Bay Beach.

5.      Spending the morning at Taylor Bay or Sapodilla Beach then head over to Neptune Villas where you can enjoy a tasty lunch at Las Brisas, followed by either a 2 hour pontoon boat cruise or some kayaking on Chalk Sound.  Make arrangements with the owners of Las Brisas.

6.      Arrange a boating excursion with Caicos Dream Tours to visit some other cays and do some snorkeling.  Caicos Dream Tours' excursions depart from the beach in front of the Alexandra Resort.

7.      Visit Fun World, which offers mini golf, rock climbing and go-karts.

8.      Try out snuba, which allows you to try the experience on scuba diving by going a little deeper than snorkeling without deep sea diving.

9.      Learn a new sport!  The Turks and Caicos is a great place to try out kite boarding, paddle boarding, tennis, golf and more.  There are great facilities and qualified instructors on the island.

10.  Take a day trip to another island.  With fast speed ferry service available to North Caicos and South Caicos, your family can enjoy some time on the water and then the opportunity to discover other islands in this beautiful country.

11.  See the glow worms!  On the third and fourth night after the full moon, take a cruise on the Atebayra and witness the amazing glow worm show.

12.  Digicel TCI Cinemas offers at least three shows daily and is the perfect spot to visit if the weather is not conducive to outdoor activities.

13.  Enjoy a Mommy and me trip to the spa.  Some of the spas on the island offer manis, pedis, and facials for kids.

14.  Even kids enjoy a bit of retail therapy.  Head to Regent Village and Salt Mills for tourist boutique shops, and if you are looking for toys, visit the Do It Center, Kischo or Business Solutions.  The Unicorn Bookstore is also a fantastic place to buy books for children and adults, as well as a nice selection of toys and arts and crafts supplies.

15.  Visit the only conch farm in the world.  Children and parents alike will enjoy the educational tour that tells the story about the local delicacy from the sea.

The Alexandra Resort features family-friendly suites, all equipped with housekeeping facilities, flat screen TV's and large decks or patios.  In addition, there is a brand new kids club, The Pelican Club, a large free form swimming pool, complimentary non-motorized water sports, tennis courts, a fitness room and the popular Mango Reef Restaurant.  The resort occupies over 600 feet of frontage on one of the top ranked beaches in the world.  

Great spring specials are now available, including a very family friendly Easter Getaway, available to book until March 15, 2013.

Tourists and visitors alike converge each year at Children’s Park along Provo’s renowned Grace Bay Beach for a day of family fun at the annual Fool’s Regatta. Initially an April Fool’s Day event, the regatta is now held each year in June. This year it’s scheduled for June 16.

The Fool’s Regatta is a fantastical display of sailing, an important legacy in the Turks & Caicos. The day’s highlight is undoubtedly the Great Raft Race, where teams paddle furiously aboard hilariously patched-together vessels in hopes of claiming victory. There’s also a Hobie Cat race, and iconic island sloops compete in the Caicos Sloop races.

Even if you aren’t a boatie, there’s plenty of land-based fun at this regatta, including entertainment like live steel pan performances, tug-o-war, and plenty of local food and drink. If you’re thinking about planning a trip to Provo, this is the time to be there, and The Alexandra Resort is just minutes away from all the action.

Mango Reef is a proud sponsor of this year's Annual Dog Show held by The TCSPCA, the oldest and most established Animal Welfare Organization in the Turks & Caicos Islands.

There are some great spas in Turks and Caicos, and a few of them definitely top our favourites list!  Spa Sanay, located at Alexandra Resort, offers great treatments at affordable prices.  Spa facilities are quite basic and the spa itself is small, but if you are looking for a great massage or a precision pedicure, go to Spa Sanay.  Next door at the Regent Palms, there is a very lavish spa that has consistently been ranked as one of the top spas in the Caribbean.  When it's time to indulge, go to the spa at the Regent Palms.  If you need relief from overdoing it on the golf course or kiteboarding, one of the best massage therapists on the island is Mercy.  She works at Maxime's Hair Salon, which is located in Petite Place in Grace Bay.  Mercy is very popular, so be sure to call ahead to avoid disappointment.