Stay & Play
Wymara Resort & Villas, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands
A sleek and stylish stay on Grace Bay Beach
by Jennifer Bain, photos: Wymara Resort & Villas
location is everything and so if you’re a luxury resort on Providenciales (better known as Provo) on Turks & Caicos Islands, you absolutely must be on world-famous Grace Bay Beach.
The resort side of Wymara Resort & Villas is here where clear and warm turquoise waters meet soft white sand, and where the water is relatively calm and seaweed-free thanks to a barrier reef that protects swimmers and snorkelers from the Atlantic Ocean swells.
The four-acre property has 97 rooms and suites in two buildings near a 7,000-square-foot, mosaic-tiled infinity edge pool with floating island pods and chaise lounges. The music is mostly American pop and the minimalist vibe is all white with pops of colour.
“The room, when you walk in, is a clean canvas,” Canadian-born owner/developer Bruce Maclaren likes to say. “The focal point being the blue, turquoise water. As soon as they arrive, guests feel like it’s their space, their holiday has begun.”
From my oceanfront studio, I can indeed catch glimpses of the electric blue sea. There’s a king-sized bed, sitting area, bathroom with Frette robes, Dyson Supersonic hairdryer and rain shower, and kitchenette with Nespresso coffee. Since I’m on the ground floor, there’s also a walk-out terrace.
The resort formerly known as Gansevoort Turks & Caicos (it opened in 2009 and rebranded in 2019) is just 10 minutes from Providenciales International Airport. It’s an equally quick drive to Provo’s beloved Thursday night fish fry.
Executive chef Andrew Mirosch oversees three dining venues at the resort. Indigo hosts the breakfast buffet and Caribbean-inspired dinners. Blue Water Bistro and Pink Bar are down by the beach. Seafood — like lobster and conch — is the star but there are some options for vegetarians, vegans and those like me who have shellfish allergies and avoid fried food.
My favourite dish? Steamed toffee and date sticky pudding with hot caramel sauce, almond praline and Biscoff ice cream. Remember that even though you’re paying for everything in USD, this is a British Overseas Territory.
There’s one more place to eat lunch and dinner — Land + Sea over at the ultra-exclusive Forbes Five-Star Wymara Villas. This sister property is about 10 minutes away by resort shuttle.
Fifteen villas — each with a private pool and private manager — are scattered on a hillside over Sunset Cove.
This 15-acre side of things is home to the Sunset Cove Beach Club, where a $75 USD day pass lets you use tennis and pickleball courts, a gym, sauna and steam room, jacuzzi and lap pool plus open-air game room with arcade games, billiards and ping-pong.
The star of this property is what Wymara calls the Caribbean’s first “ocean pool” — a seawall-enclosed, tidal-fed swimming area that’s flanked by a timber deck. Expect a sandy bottom since it’s not actually a man-made pool.
It’s worth noting that Wymara shuns single-use plastics so expect wooden key cards and bring reusable bottles for the water refill stations. And when you check out, you’ll be asked to donate $5 USD a night to the Turks and Caicos Reef Fund to advance coral reef conservation in a country that’s home to the world’s third-largest coral reef system.
Don’t leave without borrowing snorkelling gear and strolling 10 minutes down the beach to the Bight (Coral Gardens) Reef to see fish and marine life. Remember to stay out of the area enclosed by buoys since that’s a designated conservation area for preserving fragile corals.
https://turksandcaicostourism.com/
