Pelican Beach North Caicos
Pelican Beach is a beautiful white sand beach found on the north coast near the community of Whitby on North Caicos. The beach is also known as Whitby Beach and Whitby Cove. The area is home to the Pelican Beach Hotel and a number of rental villas and private homes. Despite the properties, the beach is typically tranquil and deserted.
Pelican Beach is bordered on its west by Hollywood Beach, and on the east by Horsestable Beach. Casuarina trees line much of the beach and provide welcome shade.
The Caicos Barrier Reef, found about .62 miles (1 km) off the beach, provides some protection against the open ocean swell, so waves at Pelican Beach tend to be small wind chop. The ocean water is typically a breathtaking turquoise, with shallow ocean depths.
The Weather and Ocean Conditions
More so than some of the other beaches on the island, Pelican Beach does sometimes experience seaweed floating on the water and on the beach. If such are the conditions during your stay, we recommend checking out the nearby Pumpkin Bluff Beach or Greenwich Creek.
When weather conditions are choppy, much of the linear north coast of North Caicos, where most of the island’s beaches are found, will be affected. The only exception typically is the west sides of Sandy Point Beach, as these sites will typically be sheltered from the constant eastern trade winds.
Due to its larger and more varying coasts, there’s almost always a calm beach to be found on Middle Caicos.
Pelican Point and Snorkeling
Pelican Point is found on the eastern end of the beach. Here, a low rock headland emerges from the beach, and a small snorkeling shoal leads off the beach. The site doesn’t offer an exceptional snorkeling experience, yet it can be interesting to explore. The area supports a number of soft corals, and fish, southern stingrays, and turtles can be seen.
Barracuda Bar
The only beachfront restaurant on North Caicos, Barracuda Bar is found at the Pelican Beach Hotel. This casual eatery has been operating for decades, and serves a range of cold drinks and grill fare.
Beach Accesses
During calm conditions, the Central and Whitby Cove offer tranquil beach settings with limited parking.