Beaches, Turks & Caicos

In the past, when we’ve travelled with the kids, they have felt like trips, adventures, explorations, and while they felt a little like a vacation, this was different.

We loved Beaches Turks & Caicos, here are some of my tips to make the most of your stay.

Before I get into the resort itself, a bit of heads-up: if you travel on the weekend, you can expect a very long wait if you do not have Fast Track. We didn’t, and we spent 2.5 hours clearing customs. Because our flight from home was delayed an hour, our entire first day was spent travelling. When I got there and saw people going through the Fast Track lane I wanted to purchase it too, but it cannot be bought on the spot, it must be purchased in advance. If you are travelling with kids, I would highly consider it even though it’s an extra cost. If there is one thing I wish I had known before going, it is definitely about this service because if we had, we would have gotten an extra half-day at the resort instead of waiting to clear customs.

Now, on to the resort.

For us, a big draw was the all-inclusive diving as part of the many amenities and services included at the resort. We pre-planned how we’d spend our days, and then we got there and realized how much there was to do and just went with the flow. The diving was great, but for our kids, the waterpark was the biggest hit.

The resort is large, with four villages, but it’s really easy to get around, and by the second morning, we knew our way around. You must 100% go check out the other villages. We stayed in Key West, one of the newer villages but daily explored the Pool in the Italian village where our 10-year-old loved swimming at night.

The waterpark in the Caribbean village is where your children will want to be for at least a few hours every day. My kids were often seen double fisting ice cream and cotton candy. The waterpark is great for kids of all ages. Bobby Dee’s restaurant for burgers & fries, cotton candy, ice cream and milkshakes plus a swim-up area for the kids right out of slides, was a huge hit.

The staff here are all simply wonderful! My 10-year-old was a little obsessed with surfing at the waterpark. It was such a treat to have this waterpark and all the amenities right on the property.

It was hard to pull the kids from the waterpark, but we wanted to end the day on the beach. The water feels warmer and absolutely delicious in the evenings. It became a routine to stop by the Jerk Shack, then swim at the beach while watching the sunset.

Beaches Resorts gets families. They just do, and little things like a kid’s table next to the adult’s table make such a big difference for those who need it.

It’s easy for couples to take a break and have some adult time through services like nannies and kids clubs. There are also adults-only restaurants for dinner and the most romantic of them all, romantic dinner on the beach. If you are looking for the ultimate in relaxation, a visit to Red Lane Spa is a treat, and not just for couples. My daughter & I did a mommy & me massage, which was lovely.

From all-inclusive diving for certified divers to the many watersport options, your days at the beach can be full of as much adventure or relaxation as you like. Included at the resort are snorkelling trips, excursions in a glass-bottom boat if you aren’t up to snorkelling, bobcat sailing, water bicycles and more.

The diving here is great; after a week of diving, the favourite dive spot was Highway to Heaven, where you can dive with reef sharks.

Since our 10-year-old isn’t yet certified, we tried out SNUBA so he could dive with us. SNUBA is an additional charge but a great way to experience diving as a family if you have kids who aren’t certified or want to try out diving to see if you like it. I like it because you don’t have to worry about managing the tank and air. If you want to try out diving the traditional way, you can also do the resort intro to the scuba course, but SNUBA was less time with only a bit of instruction, making it perfect for our 10-year-old.

With 21 restaurants to choose from, there is something for everyone. One of the things I loved the most is how seriously Beaches take food allergies. All you have to do is go to the culinary concierge office and fill out a form with your allergies and where you will be dining, and they will take care of the rest.

You’ll want to go to the French Village buffet for breakfast; it’s an open kitchen where you can have your omelette or eggs made just the way you like right in front of you. Cafe de Paris is also the best place for pastries and coffee, offering espresso beverages like lattes.

Another way Beaches Turks & Caicos makes your vacation worry-free is with your return test. Testing is done at the nurse’s station in the Caribbean village, so you don’t have to leave the resort.

We were surprised at how fast the week flew by and how much there was to do at the resort. We certainly did not do everything, and it was our first time going to a property where we didn’t get bored after a few days or feel the need to leave the resort to explore.

Another tip – the photoshop offers a 30-minute free photo session, and then you can purchase the images if you like them. I highly recommend this! We didn’t have many of the four of us outside of the ones the photographer took. I’m really glad we opted to do the session because I absolutely love how they came out.