Turks and Caicos Incredible Photos
The Turks and Caicos is one of the most spectacular destinations in the world, with exquisite turquoise ocean water, white-sand beaches, and amazing reefs. You can also find incredible mangrove wetlands, blue hole underwater caves, and inspiring coasts while exploring the archipelago.
While it’s hard for pictures to do justice to the environment of the Turks and Caicos, we've assembled a collection of our favorite photographs below. Several of the locations featured are included in our list of the country's best Instagram locations.
If you’re looking for great things to do and places to see during your vacation, see Best Beaches in Turks and Caicos, Top Things to Do, and Activities and Attractions.
A unique characteristic of the Turks and Caicos that places the country ahead of other tropical destinations is the sheer number of amazing beaches it offers. Other countries have a few great beaches, yet almost every coast in this archipelago is unforgettable.
Fine art photographs of the incredible oceanscapes of the Turks and Caicos can be found at many art galleries in the Grace Bay region of Providenciales, the country's main tourism island.
Your vacation can also be a great opportunity to get some outstanding portraits, wedding pictures, or family photos taken, with the backdrop of the Beautiful by Nature Turks and Caicos. See Turks and Caicos Photographers and Turks and Caicos Wedding Photographers.
For a constant feed of inspiring Turks and Caicos photos, follow our Instagram page.
Pictured here is the one and only Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales. This unrivaled beach has taken countless awards and accolades. It is home to a wide range of luxury hotels and resorts, from the expansive Beaches Turks & Caicos family all-inclusive to smaller boutique hotels.
The quiet Leeward Beach is adjacent to Grace Bay to the east, and vies with it in terms of sheer beauty. While a few low rock jetties and outcroppings break the white-sand beach in a few places, Leeward Beach definitely ranks among the top beaches in the Turks and Caicos.
The uninhabited paradise of Water Cay is a top destination for boat charters from Providenciales. This island offers an amazing beach, low white cliffs, and tranquil seclusion. There’s even a small shipwreck to snorkel on the north coast of the cay.
The Turks and Caicos archipelago is supported by an underwater plateau, and the edges of this plateau have quite dramatic transitions from shallow to deep. It’s typical for depths to go from 40–50 feet (12–15 m) into the thousands. This drop-off, known as the wall, features amazing scuba diving and freediving, with vibrant coral, schools of colorful fish, and cruising sharks.
Due to their sheltered leeward-side locations, the Malcolm’s Road area on Providenciales and the West Caicos Marine National Park off uninhabited West Caicos have amazing water clarity, and are some of the best spots in the country for underwater photography.
The breathtaking Mudjin Harbour on the sparsely populated island of Middle Caicos is characterized by high limestone cliffs that overlook the deep blue ocean off the Caicos Plateau. Mudjin Harbour is especially impressive when the ocean swell is high, and the spray from waves breaking over Dragon Cay can reach more than 100 feet (30 m) at times.
Long Bay Beach on Providenciales is one of the best kiteboarding locations in the region, with shallow clear water and a soft sandy ocean floor. This coast is also a popular spot for horseback riding, and Provo Ponies can be seen making the trek several times per day.
Pristine reefs surround the Turks and Caicos, and many are excellent snorkeling spots. This reef near Leeward on Providenciales offers exquisite coral arches and gullies, as well as yellow sea fan beds, and is a popular stopping point for snorkeling cruises.
This amazing spot is the far northeastern point of the island of Providenciales. Its proper name is Leeward Going Through Point, but many refer to it as Emerald Point. In the distance is the nature reserve island of Little Water Cay. There’s always something going on here, from opulent yachts cruising to and from Blue Haven Marina to kayakers and wakeboarders enjoying the vibrant turquoise water.
Half Moon Bay, which is a sandbar that connects Little Water Cay to Water Cay, features an amazing beach on its north coast and a crystal-clear sheltered lagoon to the south. The site is a favorite with boat charters and kiteboarders. The indigenous Turks and Caicos rock iguana can be seen scurrying across the dunes, and tiny lemon sharks swim through the shallows here.
The Turks and Caicos supports vast mangrove wetlands, including the extensive Ramsar Nature Reserve off the southern coasts of North Caicos, Middle Caicos, and East Caicos. Local water sports company Big Blue Collective has been pioneering eco-adventures into these verdant channels for decades. Due to its ease of access from Providenciales, Mangrove Cay in the Princess Alexandra Nature Reserve is the top paddleboarding and kayaking spot in the country.
Turks and Caicos is home to a large number of underwater caves and blue holes. Some, such as Cottage Pond on North Caicos and The Hole on Providenciales, are modest tourist attractions, while others go without recognition. This example is found inland on one of the uninhabited islands (and features a snorkeler in the center).
The West Caicos Marine National Park protects some of the best wall diving in the Caribbean and clearest ocean water in the archipelago. Coastal cliffs line the edge of the park here, and the fascinating Yankee Town historical site and Lake Catherine Nature Reserve are nearby as well.
Grace Bay Beach is a great place to herald in the New Year. Many resorts put on a colorful fireworks displays, and explosions can be seen spanning from Parrot Cay to Northwest Point. Another great way to experience the fireworks is from the water, and several boat companies offer special New Year's cruises through Grace Bay.
Many of the channels between the Caicos Islands exhibit great vistas, with sandbars, turquoise and blue channels, and beautiful beaches. Parrot Cay shown here is one such site. In the background is the exclusive COMO Parrot Cay Resort, a retreat that is popular with celebrities.
The shallow Greenwich Creek channel leads into the turquoise lagoon of Bottle Creek at North Caicos. The island seen here is Bay Cay, which is part of the East Bay Islands National Park (where great kayaking can be found).
The Turks and Caicos offers a flourishing collection of rental villas, with vacation homes ranging from quiet cottages to expansive mansions. This rental is Villa La Koubba, an elegant Moroccan-style home at the beautiful Sapodilla Bay Beach.
Plandon Cay Cut Beach is located off the island of South Caicos, and is a picturesque collection of channels, cays, and shallows. This area has one of the most impressive ranges of water hues in the Turks and Caicos. A great way to experience it is by launching a kayak or paddleboard from Jerry Camp.
Providenciales has two popular beach snorkeling reefs: the Bight Reef and Smith’s Reef. These reefs are home to colorful fish, sea turtles, rays, and small creatures such as shrimp, snails, crabs, and lobsters. Eagle rays can often be seen cruising back and forth in the seagrass beds at these shore reefs.
These large 1700s-era cannons were once part of Fort Saint George, a defensive complex that has since completely succumbed to coastal erosion. The cannons are in very shallow water and make for an interesting snorkeling spot near Fort George Cay.
The south coast beaches of Sapodilla Bay and Taylor Bay are typically sheltered from the regular eastern trade winds, and the water at these beaches is very calm and shallow. Both locations are home to luxury vacation rentals.
The Grand Turk Lighthouse is the only lighthouse in the Turks and Caicos. This structure was commissioned after the sinking of the RMS Medina—the first British Royal Mail ship to be lost at sea—on North Reef.
The tiny and isolated island of French Cay was also considered as a lighthouse location. By the later 1700s, many vessels had sunk on the treacherous reefs in the area. The French controlled Haiti at the time, and sent an engineer to survey the cay. However, the Haitian Revolution occurred, and the project was abandoned.
The Caicos Banks is an extensive shallow marine bank that’s located off the south coasts of the Caicos Islands. Much of this area features shallow and clear ocean with a sandy bottom. On calm days the Caicos Banks is surreal, as it looks like the world’s largest swimming pool.
Parasailing offers a breathtaking view of the exquisite marine environment of the Turks and Caicos. Along with the crystal-clear ocean, you’ll see luxury resorts, boats, the odd dolphin or sea creature, and the fascinating spur and groove coral formations of the Caicos barrier reef. If there’s an ocean swell, the waves breaking over the reef look especially majestic.
Many of the shallow sections of the Caicos barrier reef support a serene environment of sea fans and soft corals. These Gorgonians are found in vibrant hues of yellow and purple, and it’s difficult for photos to do this underwater scene justice.
This small cay in the Turks and Caicos is shaped like a heart, though it's not possible to distinguish the shape at sea level. This little island is located between the sparsely populated island of Middle Caicos and the uninhabited island of East Caicos.
The exquisite sand and turquoise ocean water at Leeward Beach, Providenciales, never gets tiresome. The Turks and Caicos has a truly breathtaking spectrum of ocean hues, and several reasons account for this. See Why the Turks and Caicos has the Best Beaches in the World for a scientific explanation.
Another view of the amazing Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales. With soft white sand and crystal-clear water that's great for relaxing, wading, swimming, or trying several great water sports, it's no wonder why most visitors choose to visit this beach.
The La Famille Express off Long Bay Beach on Providenciales is a very popular boat charter stop. This eye-catching shipwreck was grounded on the shallow Caicos Banks during Hurricane Frances in 2004.
The Turks and Caicos is home to a wide array of birds, including the Caribbean flamingo, ospreys, many types of herons and egrets, spoonbills, brown pelicans, and more. The islands offer some great birdwatching locations.
