Bottle Creek Lagoon North Caicos
Bottle Creek Lagoon is a shallow and sheltered marine body of water near North Caicos, and is one of the most scenic locations in the Turks and Caicos. The lagoon fronts the settlement of Bottle Creek, which is the largest community on North Caicos.
This tidal creek and flat is a five-square-mile (13 km²) lagoon located between the northeastern coast of North Caicos and the East Bay Islands National Park. Bottle Creek connects to the expansive Caicos Banks to the south via the 5-mile-long (8 km) Bottle Creek Mouth channel, and to the ocean to the north by several small channels between the cays.
The majority of Bottle Creek is quite shallow with a sandy and silty bottom, allowing only for kayaks, paddleboards, and small power vessels with shallow draft. Most visitors to North Caicos will experience the incredible view over the picturesque area from the Bottle Creek community. The road (Kings Road) that leads through the area offers some great vantage points.
Several vacation villas are found along the coast of Bottle Creek, and these accommodations often include complimentary kayak (and sometimes stand-up paddleboard) use for guests. If trying these water sports is important to you, consider staying at one of these locations instead of at Sandy Point or Whitby.
Another scenic and accessible place to see Bottle Creek is simply off the road causeway that connects North Caicos and Middle Caicos.
Things to Do at Bottle Creek Lagoon
Bottle Creek is an exceptional destination for several water sports, including kayaking, paddleboarding, and kiteboarding. It's also one of the top Turks and Caicos bonefishing locations, as large schools of bonefish have been known to gather in the area.
North Caicos has far fewer water sports businesses than Providenciales, although a few boutique tour companies cater to bonefishing and kayaking. Big Blue Collective, the largest and oldest eco-tour company in the Turks and Caicos, has a fleet of equipment on North Caicos and organizes excursions.
East Bay Islands National Park
The exquisite East Bay Islands National Park, which includes Bay Cay, East Bay Cay, and Major Hill Cay, also includes a portion of the water in Bottle Creek.
As is the case with all nature reserves and national parks, fishing (with the sole exception of harvesting lionfish) and the collection of conch and lobster are prohibited in East Bay Islands National Park.
What Makes the Water so Brilliantly Turquoise?
Vying with the equally turquoise Chalk Sound National Park on Providenciales in terms of spectacular neon water shades, Bottle Creek gets its signature color from light reflecting off fine suspended limestone particles in the otherwise clear water.
On the northwestern end of Bottle Creek, the abruptly changing depths, sandbars, and narrow channels of Greenwich Creek are an excellent place to see these hues.
The point here, which is across from Bay Cay, is a very beautiful coastal area, and a spectacular secluded beach.
