By the time I got home from Beaches Turks and Caicos I was regretting not doing more research before our trip. Now don’t get me wrong, we had an amazing trip. But just imagine how much more amazing it would have been if I had been armed with more information. I do not normally call myself out for being ill-prepared, but this is not a cheap vacation and I want you to get as much as possible out of your own visit here. With that in mind, here are the specific things I wish I had known before we arrived.
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Table of Contents
Pick out which part of the resort you want to stay in.
Before you book your room you need to know which part of the resort is best for your family. There are four different sections to choose from at Beaches Turk and Caicos and when you are booking you have the chance to pick out the best location for you.
- French Riviera: French Riviera is the furthest from the beach, but close to the kid’s club, teen club, and water park. From our room, it was just a few steps to the water park. This section of the resort is quiet and also the cheapest.
- Key West: Key West is the most expensive area and is much quieter than the other three areas.
- Italian Village: From what I observed, this is the heart of the resort and has the most going on at any given time. This is where we would stay next time.
- Caribbean: Beach views over here and way nicer rooms.
Utilize Pre Check-In
You can check-in before you arrive to save time. I really wish I had known this. When we checked in there was a man in there throwing an adult size fit over something minor. He went on and on and on. I watched as the staff member calmly helped him, but it took a long time. That guy cost us half an hour.
Know-How the Teen and Tween Club Work
Sadly, we didn’t figure the teen and tween programs until the last day and it would have made a massive difference to have known this from the beginning. I knew there was a kid’s club and I knew there was some type of tween program, but neither were explained to me. I did have to sign Jonah up for the tween program and show his passport to prove his age. I assumed this was so he could go into the tween/teen building, but apparently, there was more. I should have asked for some information signing him up. There is a bulletin board right outside the tween/teen hangout building with a schedule of activities.
Speaking of teens, find out what my teenage daughter thought of the resort visit!
Know Where to Eat
All the food here is pretty good, but I definitely have a few places you must eat at for certain meals. Keep in mind, I didn’t even come close to eating at all 21 restaurants, since I didn’t even know there were 21 restaurants. I just found out that they have an Indian restaurant and two buffets I missed. (Did I mention this resort is massive?)
- Neptunes: Best breakfast at the resort is found at Neptunes. We ended up eating here every morning for breakfast because it was that good! Plus, the views of the ocean are wonderful. That’s the food pictured about.
- Soy: Sushi at Soy is one of the best places for dinner at Beaches. Try to go as soon as you get there that way if you love it you can eat there again.
- Sky Restaurant: Open for breakfast for anyone and for dinner for those 16 and older. If you have an evening without kids or your kids are older have dinner here. It is a lovely place to eat in the evening. If you are single like me that means you can really eat here cause your kids can’t eat with you. (I can neither confirm nor deny that I lied about one of the kid’s ages to eat here.)
- Kimonos: This is a Japanese steakhouse where they cook the food right in front of you. They will let you try and catch shrimp in your mouth. It’s quite fun and I consider it a must while staying here. I believe this is the only restaurant on the property that requires a reservation.
- Bobby Dee’s: This is where you can get cotton candy. You will see kids with cotton candy and your child will be begging for it, so that’s my best tip! My youngest son ate almost every meal here. Kids can just walk up and get whatever they need like burgers and fries. It’s close to the waterpark, so if your kid is hanging out over here you will likely end up eating here.
- Bella Napoli: The pizza is excellent, but it takes forever! Be sure to have something to do while you wait or get it to go.
- Jerk Shack: Located pretty far to the end of the resort it’s more than worth venturing over to. It may not look or sound like much but it is so GOOD! The best jerk chicken sandwich I’ve ever had was here. There are some great hammocks located down here in the shade.
- Curls N Swirls – An ice cream truck next to the water park.
- Mac N Cheese Truck – A mac n cheese food truck also next to the water park.
No Kid Restaurants
A big issue for me was the no kids allowed restaurants like Sapodilla’s. I’m a single mom traveling with my kids, which meant that there were some restaurants I couldn’t eat at unless I went by myself. I personally am not into dining alone while on a family vacation.
Restaurants close early
Almost all the restaurants close by 9:30 P.M. so you need to make sure you plan accordingly. The last thing you want to happen is missing dinner.
No Room Service
Most all-inclusive resorts offer room service, but this is not the case at Beaches. They do replenish drinks in the mini-fridge every day and when you check in you can select a bottle of wine to be brought to your room.
Ask for a resort tour
When you arrive, ask for a tour. I was in a hurry to make a water activity when I checked in, so I didn’t get any kind of tour, nor did I ask for a tour. I think if I had not been in a hurry, they would have given me way more information.
Sign up in advance for included water activities.
It can be difficult to get signed up for the water activities. You have to sign up in person. They take sign-ups for the next day starting each morning at 7 AM. This means you need to get up early and head down to the scuba area and sign up for the glass bottom boat and snorkeling the day before you want to go. I never managed to get us signed up for the glass bottom boat, but I stood nearby to see if we could get a spot if someone was a no show and we managed to get one.
Walk up water activities
There are other activities that do not require advance registration, including kayaks, windsurfing, paddle-boarding, Hobie cats, and water bikes. You do not need to know how to use the Hobie cat, a worker will take you out and back.
Good snorkeling nearby
If you do not get on a snorkel tour you can still check out a snorkel set and life jackets. Head to the end of the beach past the Jerk Shack where you will find really good snorkeling.
Water trampoline not included
Out in front of the resort is a water trampoline. Myself and my friend let our boys swim out there to play on it. They played for a while until a boat pulled up and told them they had to pay $80 to use it. Because of the location, I assumed this was part of Beaches, but it is not.
Snuba also not included
Snuba is a super cool experience and we all love it, but here it isn’t free. I cannot remember how much it costs, I just recall it was going to be around $300 for the three of us to do. Needless to say, we skipped it this trip.
There’s a nurse on-site
I had no idea there was a nurse on-site. I threw my back out the day after we arrived and there was not a whole lot I could do about it. Had I known there was a nurse, I would have headed there immediately.
Ask for a golf cart to take you somewhere
The resort is massive, much bigger than Beaches Negril. There were times when I didn’t want to walk all the way across the resort. If you go to the lobby of the section you are staying in they will call a golf cart over to take you where you want to be.
Tennis Clinics
Apparently, they offer tennis clinics for adults and teens. Had I known this Eden and I would have done this at least once.
Bring a Floatie
Okay, I should have known better than to not show up with my own floatie. I always bring one, but this time I did not.
Autism Friendly
IBCCES Advisory Board: They address lots of issues, not just autism. They address all types of cognitive disorders like ADHD, dementia, and more. Beaches reached out to them to help them create a program/environment that is autism-friendly. They made sure that everyone on their staff is trained, from the employees that answer booking calls to the employees that actually work with kids. They have also incorporated Julia, the Sesame Character with autism.
Sesame Street Characters
Beaches has 12 Sesame Street characters on property interacting with guests including all the favorites like Elmo, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, and more. Now you may be thinking who cares about meeting Sesame characters, but let me tell you, it’s exciting. I mean think about, who hasn’t seen Sesame Street?
Beaches Turks and Caicos FAQs
Which island is Beaches Turks and Caicos on?
Providenciales, which is the main centrally-located gateway island. This means this is where the airport is. You will not have to take a boat to another island. The airport is Providenciales International Airport and it’s about 9 kilometers from the resort.
Do I need a passport for Turks and Caicos?
What is included in a Beaches vacation?
What is the drinking age at Beaches Turks and Caicos?
Are my kids too old for Beaches?
Packing List for Beaches Turks and Caicos
- t-shirts
- camisoles
- sarong
- shorts
- sunscreen
- Bronzing lotion
- Sunglasses
- Towel (optional, not needed)
- Beach Blanket
- Waterproof Camera
- Bathing suits
- Bathing suit cover-up
- Sun-shirt with built-in SPF
- Flip flops
- Wide-brimmed hats
- Water shoes
- Beach bag
- detangler
- Wide-tooth comb
Check out Beaches current specials.
Have you been to Beaches Turks and Caicos with your family? If you have I would love to hear any tips and suggestions you have in the comments below. I often feel like word-a-mouth is so much better than what you can figure out on your own on a resort’s website.
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A trip to Turks and Caicos is on my wishlist. We have never stayed at a Beaches Resort before, good to know about the activities that are included. My teenagers will enjoy this.
We are on our way to this resort in two weeks and this was so helpful to read. Thank you!