9 Must-Visit Turks and Caicos Beach Bars

Visiting a beach bar is one of the best ways to soak up the 350 days of sunshine that Turks and Caicos typically enjoys each year.

Most of the country’s beach bars are located on the main island of Providenciales, which boasts award-winning Grace Bay Beach. Some are right on the beach (and a few are afloat in the ocean).

The following bars stand out for their ambiance, location, and value, and range from casual spots serving cold beers and reggae beats to upscale oceanfront lounges where guests tend to dress up a little.

Here are nine great beach bars to try on vacation whether you’ve got an hour to spare or an entire afternoon to unwind.

1. The Deck

Of the beach bars found on Grace Bay, The Deck at Seven Stars Resort & Spa offers one of the best views of the world-famous coast. This restaurant and bar is a stone's throw from the bay’s glittering turquoise waters, and is a great spot for travelers wanting a peaceful beach bar with a varied menu—there’s everything from local Turk's Head beer to Moët & Chandon champagne here, and a food menu that ranges from ceviche to classic burgers.

The Deck is conveniently located for guests of Seven Stars, as it sits squarely between the main resort pool and the beach. As with most resort bars on the island (and all those included in this list), you don’t need to be a resort guest to patronize the bar. The Deck is within walking distance of numerous Grace Bay resorts and many of the area’s shops and cafés.

2. Da Conch Shack

A laid-back Caribbean beach bar with great local seafood is what Da Conch Shack offers guests. This coastal restaurant is set right on Blue Hills Beach with a colorful bar that overlooks beautiful turquoise ocean water and dreamy beach picnic tables scattered amongst coconut palms.

Da Conch Shack has its very own rum bar and a drink menu focused on tropical cocktails (piña coladas, daiquiris, and rum punch made with Bambarra, a local rum brand, to name a few). This spot is also one of the best places to try the local delicacy of conch.

Da Conch Shack can get busy at peak times, especially on Wednesday nights when it hosts a junkanoo show. If you're after a quieter vibe, plan your visit mid-afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush.

3. Captain Oak’s Tiki Bar

You can’t get much closer to the water than at Captain Oak's Tiki Bar. This quaint floating bar anchored in the ocean off Provo’s south coast is surrounded by pristine turquoise water that is shallow enough to stand in. It offers an impressive selection of mixed drinks, beers, cocktails, and soft drinks for its location.

It's easy to spend an hour at Captain Oak's enjoying the water and its Caribbean music playlist (though if you're in the mood for something more mainstream, the bartenders often take requests).

The unique draw of Captain Oak's is feeling as though you're a million miles away without having to travel very far. The bar is only a five-minute boat ride from shore, and has its own water taxi that collects guests at a pickup point in Long Bay. Captain Oak’s also often runs special deals that combine your taxi fare, drinks, and lunch.

4. Cabana Bar

Cabana Bar & Grill has been a Grace Bay staple for years. This beach bar at Ocean Club Resort offers great food, friendly service, and drinks at a reasonable price. Plus, it overlooks a beautiful stretch of eastern Grace Bay Beach.

Cabana is the place to go if you want to enjoy quintessential frozen Caribbean cocktails like mudslides, piña coladas, frozen margaritas, and mango daiquiris (and for kids, nonalcoholic smoothies). It's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The atmosphere is casual and has a dress code that allows for swimwear, making it a convenient beach bar to try if you’re simply stopping by on your way to or from the beach. On some nights of the week, Cabana has live music.

5. The Ritz-Carlton Beach Buggy

The Beach Buggy at The Ritz-Carlton is a fun and quick-stop bar if you want a refreshing drink on your way to the beach (or a nice place for an Instagram photo). This pop-up bar retrofitted from a vintage Volkswagen van serves cold beers and cocktails right off Grace Bay Beach.

Particularly popular are their chilled coconuts with little cocktail umbrellas. You can order them virgin or with a dash of coconut rum.

There is no seating at the Beach Buggy, as the best seat on the island—Grace Bay’s sugar-soft white sand—is just steps away. While the Beach Buggy doesn't serve food, it's less than a two-minute walk from the Ritz-Carlton's beachfront lunch restaurant, Coralli.

6. Lua

For a bar that is both sophisticated and laid-back, try Lua. This restaurant and bar at the South Bank Resort near Long Bay is a great place for enjoying fancy cocktails on the beach of an idyllic lagoon.

This bar stands out for its amazing views, visible from whatever seating area you choose—pull up a seat at the bar, relax on a macramé hammock swing, or sit around one of their beachside fire tables.

Lua's mixologists can prepare the classics—dry martinis, cosmopolitans, and Manhattans, to name a few—creative signature cocktails with broad appeal, and refreshing mocktails. Cross the pedestrian bridge to the Lagoon Islands if you want a more Caribbean vibe. A wooden tiki bar surrounded by swaying palms is located in the center of the lagoon.

7. Cave Bar

About a 10-minute drive from Grace Bay is Cave Bar, an upscale alfresco cocktail bar located at Rock House Resort in the Blue Mountain area. Cave Bar's ambiance lends itself well to date nights, special occasions, or a spontaneous nightcap. The ambiance here is particularly magical in the evening and at sunset, when the sun casts a beautiful glow on the bar and the surrounding ocean.

Cave Bar is a nice place for drinks and small bites, and it offers a Mediterranean menu that matches its décor. It's located directly downstairs from Vita, the resort's onsite restaurant.

There’s a good chance you’ll spot a few sea turtles in the distance if you sit near the dock.

8. The DelMar

Offering an entirely different atmosphere than the beach bars of Grace Bay, The DelMar is perched on one of the quietest coasts on Providenciales: Cooper Jack Bay Beach. This beach sees far fewer visitors than most of the island’s beaches and has very little development.

Both a restaurant and bar, The DelMar's menu offers guests a fusion of Latin American, Asian, and Mediterranean tastes. It has an extensive list of wines served by the glass or bottle, and its cocktails range from delicate palomas to fresh mojitos. It also happens to be a lovely spot for a peaceful morning coffee.

The DelMar is part of The Strand, one of several new resort developments on Providenciales.

9. HangTime Beach Bar at H2O

If you’re looking for a great beach bar on Long Bay, try HangTime Beach Bar at H2O Resort. This quaint resort bar is in full view of Long Bay Beach, the mecca for kiteboarders in the Turks and Caicos.

HangTime Bar is a great spot for meeting other kiters and swapping stories over a cold local beer or refreshing cocktail (and for watching kiteboarders catch air offshore). It's also a convenient spot for visitors staying in the area who don't want to make the drive out to Grace Bay. Every once in a while, the bar hosts small concerts and an authentic Italian pizza pop-up event, where a chef prepares fresh Neapolitan pies.