Providenciales has a few different types of things to do on land, but most
things to do are water-related. Land activities are mostly various
sports such as horseback riding or golf. Sights include ruins and natural beauty
areas, but there are few tourist attractions apart from the world's only
conch farm.
For those interested in history, Providenciales has
a few ruins from the
1800s scattered around the island. Cheshire Hall is the main area
and the only one easily accessible for tourists. At Sapodilla Bay Hill
there are rock carvings left by sailors in the 1800s, but these aren't
easily accessible. Note, however, that all these historic sights are
rather insignificant and the average tourist will probably not find them
worthwhile.
Natural beauty areas exist, but these
are usually not 'developed' for tourists (rough unpaved roads and no guided trails),
and thus only suitable for the adventurous. If you like exploring, be sure
to visit some of the remote areas of the island such as Northwest Point or
the Pirates Cave at West Harbour Bluff.
At the eastern end of the island is the world's only conch farm, with tours
available plotting the life of this large and unusual marine snail that
features in many local dishes.
Land sports include golf (both a professional 18 course and miniature golf),
horseback riding, and tennis. There are two sports centres with indoor
basketball courts, and the National Stadium, which hosted the 2007 CARICOM
Games.
Golfers
will appreciate the beautiful 18-hole course designed by Karl Litton, which
is ranked as on the 10 ten in the Caribbean and is the only 18-hole course in
the country.
The Turks and Caicos are one of the few places where you can ride a horse on
the beach and in the ocean. This is a highly recommended activity, both for
those who've never ridden a horse and professional equestrians.
The geographical layout of Providenciales lends itself perfectly for all types of water activities. The huge Caicos Banks, which extend for miles south of Providenciales and about a mile north, provide calm shallow water that's just the right depth for boating, snorkeling and swimming. Divers can go beyond to the barrier reefs which sink into the abyss.
The main attraction is our truly beautiful beaches, the main and best one
being Grace Bay Beach. Once you get tired of laying on the beach or
splashing about in the water, try out our water activities, which include
parasailing, Hobi Cats, kayaking, paddleboarding, and much more.
Fishing is one activity that takes a bit more planning and can cost a lot
more than the others. Three main types of fishing exist: sport
fishing, bone fishing, and bottom fishing. Bottom fishing is for
edible fish, and there are several restaurants that will clean, prepare, and
cook any fish you've caught for your dinner.
Several
taxi
operators provide general tours of the island, and there is another off-road
style tour that takes visitors to the remote parts of the islands, mostly
down rough, unpaved roads.
Providenciales is just one of the eight main
islands in the Turks and Caicos. We recommend the short ride or paddle to
the nearby Little Water Cay, also known as Iguana Island. Iguanas used to
cover all the islands in the country, but the introduction of dogs and cats
by humans has wiped them out on the islands populated by people and as a
result small cays are their only homes now.
More adventurous visitors staying a bit longer might be interested in day
trips to North and Middle Caicos, and also Grand Turk or Salt Cay. These
will take the entire day and are more expensive, especially Grand Turk and
Salt Cay (as they are part of the further away Turks Islands and only
accessible by plane), but they do have an entirely different feel and
history to Providenciales.