Best Surf Spots In The Carribean, Turks & Caicos

The Turks and Caicos – a land of sugar-white sands and waters of pure teal. These are honeymoon islands extraordinaire. They probably have more in the way of five-star hotels with infinity pools than they do surf breaks. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t surf breaks. There are. What’s more, given the rep for the island chain as a lux getaway for newlyweds and A-listers, crowds are kept to a minimum. The upshot? It’s a fairly decent place to come if you want to surf Caribbean waves alone, so long as you have the budget for it.

Like the rest of the region, surfing here is highly seasonal. It depends almost completely on the wintertime northerly swells that push down from the upper Atlantic. They’ll give clean groundswell days while there are ravaging the Eastern Seaboard with frothing storms and snow. The other impediments to surfing in Turks and Caicos is the presence of a barrier reef. It rings almost all of Providenciales and outer islands. Look for a break in that and you’ll usually happen upon the finest spots.

The Turks and Caicos are a group of 40 islands that spread through the northern Caribbean Sea. The Bahamas end on one side (to the west), bridging the gap with the Sunshine State. Cuba is to the south. As the name implies, the country is split into two main groups. There are the Turks, to the southwest. There are the Caicos islands, to the northeast. Most people arrive in the latter, onto the main isle of Providenciales, which hosts the key international airport of Providenciales International Airport.

There aren’t actually all that many surf spots in the Turks and Caicos. These islands are famed for their super-still seas, which are kept that way on account of a long barrier reef that rings many of the main island groups. There are some breaks in that, and other spots where the reefs bend close enough to the shore to offer some great waves. Those are the places you’ll want to chase if you came here to score.

As we’ve already mentioned, there are two individual island groups here. One of them – the Turks – are basically void of any surf. Go to those for your luxury escapes and all-inclusive trips. Stick to the more exposed Caicos if you want waves. Here’s a closer look at what’s on offer…

Grace Bay

Grace Bay is one of the most photographed runs of sand in the whole of the Caribbean. It’s a gorgeous stretch that’s talcum white and lapped by illustrious turquoise seas. You really can’t beat it for sunbathing. Surf wise, the region also presides over a rare break in the barrier reefs that encircle the TCI (as the Turks and Caicos are sometimes called for short). That results into two separate spots, both of which are a mile or so offshore and only really reachable if you have a boat – the paddle would be mind-numbing!

The first of the two is known as Sellars. It’s a shallow reef right that can be nice and hollow on N swells that are medium to high. The second is False Cuts, which runs in really direct over extremely shallow reef. It’s a nice wave on some days but loves to close out.

Northwest Point

The Northwest Point is the bent finger of land that juts out of the very top of Providenciales island. It’s the single most exposed location in the country because it pushes all the way through the reefs and sucks up all the direct N swells that get pumping in the winter months. When they come down at a direct N or NE angle the rocks here can create lovely long rights that flow into the bay. They can be big but will work past 5 foot.

The problem is that the coral is really shallow and the area is prone to super strong currents. Even staying up at the point is a chore with all the shiftiness that goes on. Many people return with grazes that need iodine treatment. You should be sure to know what you’re in for before paddling out here.

East Caicos

For us, East Caicos is the undiscovered gem of the TCI. It’s the easternmost of the Caicos group and one of the least-developed islands in the whole chain. It’s really tricky to explore by land since there aren’t many roads. A boat will be needed. The reward is an eastern shoreline that’s not protected by long shelves of reef. Reports of a decent left-hand river mouth and lots of frothy A-frames emerge from there from time to time.