Providenciales (Provo) was named the Traveler’s Choice #1 island in the Caribbean by TripAdvisor in 2014, and with miles of beautiful beaches, adventurous water activities of all kinds, and a plenitude of 5 star restaurants, it is easy to see why! Providenciales is the most populous island in the Turks and Caicos and the location of the main international airport (code PLS). Tip to tip, Provo stretches 23 miles from West to East, with world famous Grace Bay Beach extending along the North shore from the central Turtle Cove Marina to the Northeast for around 10 miles. Most of the island hotels and resorts are located on this stretch of beach, with many luxury villas located in the walk-friendly neighborhood of Turtle Cove.
Provo is what a lot of places used to be. These are the ‘good old days’ in Provo. In addition to the good living and good times awaiting you here, you will additionally be pleased to know there is no sales tax, no property tax, and no income tax, and although the country is a British Overseas Territory, the US dollar is the official currency. The topography too is just right. The island is not too flat nor too mountainous, but gently rolling with views of the sea from just about anywhere you go.
Go to a beach and you will find the sand to be white as sugar, typically with the only footprints in the sand being your own! Go snorkeling in gin clear waters and see fish and coral containing all the colors of a Provo sunset. Scuba diving too can provide underwater scenery like nowhere else, for here the diving is regarded as among the best in the world; likewise for bone fishing with flats, coves and holes almost certain to make your reel sing on the first cast. And there’s easy fishing inside the reef where you will bring back snapper and jack, or try your luck in the deep blue for wahoo, tuna, and marlin. By land there’s tennis, golf, shopping, sightseeing, exploring, and numerous good restaurants set in lush tropical surroundings.
There is no shortage of beauty by land or water in Provo. With a great variety of native seabirds and even birds of prey. You can also take a short boat ride to Little Water Cay, otherwise known as Iguana Island, which is maintained and protected by the National Trust. If you’re one of those people who always finds it a shame when the sun goes down on a beautiful day, you’ll find a beautiful Provo sunset more than adequate compensation!
The nights here are clear, so clear in fact, a quarter moon casts a shadow and a full moon lights up the entire landscape. Entertainment at night is mostly the person you are with; however, some of the restaurants and hotels now have live entertainment on certain nights. Provo has supermarkets, liquor stores, doctors, lawyers, car rentals, churches, sailboat excursions, restaurants, and a large jet runway. Of course, some other islands may have these amenities too, but few will have the friendly people and kindness found in these islands. Right now Provo is an unspoiled sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of today’s pace.