Wheeland Beach

An access to Wheeland Beach along the old Northwest Point Trail.

Wheeland Beach is a remote and largely inaccessible coast, located to the west of the settlements of Blue Hills and Wheeland. The beach is essentially the continuation to the northwest of Blue Hills Beach.

Wheeland Beach is quite beautiful, yet due to being exposed to the typical eastern trade winds, the coast often has choppy water conditions, and flotsam and sea weed is typically present on the beach.

During atypically calm weather conditions, interesting snorkeling can be had at the many coral heads found off the beach.

The Sights and Scenery

As a windswept and remote coast, Wheeland Beach is scenic, yet not quite as conducive for general swimming as many of the other beaches on Providenciales are. The area however offers beautiful views and decent sightings of wildlife, with brown pelicans, ospreys, and shore birds being common.

Aerial view of Wheeland Beach and the sand quarry.

As a windward coast, it’s typically quite breezy, and the onshore winds create some good flotsam beachcombing opportunities.

The old Northwest Point Trail that leads along much of the beach is a fun and scenic drive for a 4x4, as it traverses dune, tropical dry forest, and marsh environments, eventually ending near Northwest Point Resort.

The Sand Quarry

Adjacent to Wheeland Beach is the Wheeland sand quarry, where sand for construction was mined in the 1980s and 1990s. Mining has ceased, yet extensive pits have been left, which are now ponds. The ponds now attract birds, primarily white-cheeked pintail ducks, stilts, and the occasional Caribbean flamingo.

Beach Accesses

The old Northwest Point Trail that leads parallel with Wheeland Beach.

There are no official accesses to Wheeland Beach. The coast is accessible from many spots along the historical Northwest Point and Mule Point trail, which has existed for more than a century, and once connected Blue Hills with Malcolm's Road Beach, and later led to the light tower at Northwest Point. Recently, the trail has been illegally blocked off on its eastern end, yet the western side is still open.

Wheeland Beach is easiest to access from the eastern side of the coast, past Froggies (a restaurant and ATV tour company), and prior to the Wheeland sand quarries. On its north-western end, tracks lead to the beach in the vicinity of Northwest Point Resort, yet are only suitable for high-clearance vehicles.

Dangers

As is the case with many secluded areas in the Turks and Caicos, remote areas such as Wheeland Beach may have an increased risk of crime.

Coral sumac (Metopium Toxiferum) can be found growing in the tropical dry forest in the dunes above Wheeland Beach. The sap from this tree can cause serious rashes and blisters, and persons with sensitive skin can experience the effects with only very light contact with the plant.