Grace Bay

The stunning and pristine shores of Grace Bay, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos. 

Turtle Cove | Turks & Caicos

Happy New Years Eve from the picturesque Magnolia Restaurant + Wine Bar! Above is their uncompromised views over Turtle Cove Marina at dusk. Below is the cavernous wine bar that beckons anyone without toddlers. Mind the photos, we are ever the travel weary family who landed hours earlier and are trying to keep it together at a nice holiday dinner. Camden has already lost two trucks over the balcony and Ryder is draping spaghetti over himself. I look crazy tired in that dirty martini selfie. It's fine. We're fine. Thank goodness for dirty martinis. 

The staff were so kind and thankfully our 5pm reservation had us out of there before we spoiled anyone's new years eve. My sesame crusted rare tuna with soy ginger sauce, jasmine rice + sautéed snow peas (combined with the atmosphere + views) was drive-over-from-your-resort at Grace Bay worthy. From ours at Vista Azul it was a pleasant ten minute stroll down the street.

Mango Reef

Mango Reef was a NIGHT. Maybe we expect too much from our 3 almost 4 year old to behave at a dinner where there's no wifi and the phone can't help entertain him? After playing in the sun all day? These kids are fun but it certainly is a challenge sometimes. My lobster ravioli was heaven sent, a dish that blew me away. Mango Reef Restaurant is located in Turtle Cove Marina and it was packed. A hot spot in this gem of a neighborhood. 

Things turned around the next night at Baci Ristorante. We sat Camden down earlier that day for a little chat about how he should behave at dinner. He did awesome! He was polite! Ryder was pretty tired but managed to hang. Baci serves Italian cuisine on a dockside terrace along Turtle Cove Marina. I can't remember what I ate so it definitely didn't blow me away like Magnolia or Mango Reef but I know it was good. I'm glad we got to check out Baci with well behaved kids. 

Sharkbite Bar + Grill

Sharkbite Bar + Grill is a beloved Turtle Cove hangout perched over the marina waterway (right next to Baci). We ventured here directly from a day on The Bight Beach. Sharkbite was rowdy and fun, the ideal atmosphere to watch football and eat conch fritters. Our waiter kept the local beers flowing while Camden napped in the stroller. Ryder had his nap on the walk to the beach earlier, he was well rested and enjoyed himself! 

Baci and Sharkbite were just down the road from Turks Wave Cafe, our essential morning iced coffee and breakfast spot. The food is good but service is painfully slow (one girl working the counter, one cook). As we waited for our breakfast one day Ryder was fussy so I took him on a walk and we discovered this neighborhood is chock full of private villas and, well, $$$. All the villas are waterfront or close to it so until I explored the roads winding back into the cove I had no idea. Turtle Cove is uniquely residential and I wonder if it is still up and coming in the name of more resorts. Time will tell!

Hotel La Vista Azul

We booked our trip to T+C super last minute (merely 2 weeks prior), and it was the new years holiday, so the ever popular stretch of resorts on Grace Bay were fully booked. (The affordable ones, at least!) We stayed at Hotel La Vista Azul in an area called Turtle Cove in The Bight Settlement. We absolutely loved discovering this area of the island, slightly off the beaten tourist path and yet very nice/safe/walkable. 

The tranquil grounds at La Vista Azul host well-maintained fountains and hot pink flora. We booked a 1 bedroom suite which was technically a one bedroom studio since there was no door separating the bed from the main living area, just a hallway. Our suite had laundry, a full kitchen, and daily housekeeping. The crown jewel was our sprawling kid friendly high-walled patio. A perfect space for us to chill and them to play. In all my photographs I managed to miss a shot of the dueling rooftop pools - one cold, one heated!  Local restaurants and the gorgeous Bight Beach are accessible via paved sidewalks. We had our stroller so, walking to the beach was an easy win! 

So our last minute booking didn't plop us directly in the sands of Grace Bay; but we could drive there in seven minutes! I was uniquely content staying at this serene property in fun-to-explore Turtle Cove. If the double rainbow that greeted us minutes upon arrival was any indication, it is where we were meant to be!

Hotel La Vista Azul

Turtle Cove, The Bight Settlement 

TKCA 1ZZ, Turks & Caicos Islands