Happy Friday, friends, and cheers to the weekend!! Little Miss leaves for camp this afternoon, so Mr. SP and I are headed to the lake to work on a few projects and see Mr. College. He’s living and working at the lake this Summer, so it will be fun to hang with him. I honestly don’t remember the last time it was just the three of us!
Today I’m excited to share some snapshots from our trip to Turks & Caicos, and the scoop on Pine Cay… the little slice of heaven where we stayed last month!
Sanctuary Maxi Dress (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10%) | All-Weather Bangles | Straw Hat (Color: A01-Beige)
When we realized we had airline credits set to expire last month, I went straight to my ‘Travel‘ file on Instagram… and no surprise I had Pine Cay saved more than any other! So we booked our flight to Providenciales, I threw a few sundresses and swimsuits in a bag, and away we went!
This was our first time to Turks & Caicos, which is a string of 40 low-lying islands in the Caribbean, with Grand Turk being the main (and most popular) spot. Pine Cay is an 800-acre privately owned island, with just 36 homes, and the Pine Cay hotel (formerly known as The Meridian Club). That’s it!
Literally nothing else. No grocery stores, no shops, no markets, no clubs, no gas stations… no cars! Just the hotel and a handful of small homes. And since it’s an island, and there are no cars (or real roads, for that matter!), the only way on is by boat or small plane (the tiny landing strip is the only piece of pavement on the island!).
The first thing we noticed about Pine Cay island was the water! It’s jaw-droppingly clear blue, with powdery soft white sand that never seems to get hot! And with not a stick of seaweed or grass, it’s the most pristine beach I’ve ever seen! As soon as we arrived at the bouganvilla-covered main house (by golf cart), we knew Pine Cay was something special!
Floral One Piece Suit | Flounce Skirt (Color: T6) | Slim Flip Flops | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Layered Heart Necklace | Woven Tote Bag | Aviators
Pine Cay Hotel consists of just 12 beachfront rooms, an open-air clubhouse, swimming pool, and tiki beach bar. There’s no cell phones allowed outside the rooms, and no TVs or music anywhere on the property, so it’s pure peace and quiet. People even speak in hushed tones! Truthfully, for the first 24 hours, it felt uncomfortably quiet!
But by the second day, when all you hear is the breeze blowing through the palms and the frogs at night, we were in love!
It’s all-inclusive, served menu-style at the tables scattered around the pool. But forget everything you know about all-inclusive hotel food!! Pine Cay has hands-down the best food we’ve had on any travel!
Not fussy or overly fancy, just really delicious, thoughtful food! They employ a full-time chef and pastry chef, so our days literally revolved around meal times. (Coffee, tea and water are included, but all other drinks and alcohol are extra, and on the pricey side.)
And just like the food, while the property itself is beautiful, it’s not fussy or fancy, but rather has a casual, laidback vibe. In fact, I was barefoot with wet hair to most every meal, and Mr. SP never wore more than a t-shirt and shorts.
Other than eating, we spent our days walking the beach, snorkeling, and exploring the island. The all-inclusive rate at Pine Cay also includes bikes, golf carts, snorkeling, kayaks, Hobie cats, paddle boards and boat trips to nearby reefs.
And since there’s only 12 rooms, we only ever saw a handful of people.
Tie Waist Dress | Slide Sandals (size up half) | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Oversized Sunglasses | Gold Hoop Earrings | All-Weather Bangles
Floral One Piece Suit | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Layered Heart Necklace | All-Weather Bangles
The rooms are newly-renovated, and so chic and comfortable. They include an indoor and private outdoor shower, screened porch, and dedicated beach palapa.
Housekeeping comes twice daily, and the small staff is incredibly friendly.
Sanctuary Maxi Dress | Decked Out Day Dress | Bahia Beach Cover-Up (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10% on all)
Two-Piece Swimsuit (Color: Coral)| Flounce Skirt (Color: T6) | Slim Flip Flops | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Aviators | Woven Tote Bag | Removable Tassel | Layered Heart Necklace | All-Weather Bangles
Bahia Beach Cover-Up (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10%) | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Aviators | All-Weather Bangles
Decked Out Day Dress (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10%) | Slide Sandals (size up half) | All-Weather Bangles | Woven Headband | Oversized Sunglasses
Boca Chica Halter Bodysuit| Bungalow Cropped Pant (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10% on both) | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Oversized Sunglasses | Gold Hoop Earrings | Layered Heart Necklace | All-Weather Bangles
Ruffle Two-Piece Set | Slide Sandals (size up half) | Square Sunglasses | Layered Heart Necklace | All-Weather Bangles
Tie Waist Dress | Slide Sandals (size up half) | Straw Hat (A01: Beige) | Oversized Sunglasses | Gold Hoop Earrings | All-Weather Bangles
Isla Maxi Dress (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10%) | Oversized Sunglasses | Gold Hoop Earrings | All-Weather Bangles
After a few days, it was back to civilization! Pine Cay provides transportation back to the main island by boat, where a taxi waits to drive you to the airport.
Sugarplum Travel Tips for Turks & Caicos:
- Fly to Providenciales (PLS), and have the Pine Cay staff arrange your taxi (20 mins) and boat transfer (20 minutes). It’s included in the rate, and so easy! Small planes are available, but doesn’t save you much time, and not worth the added cost.
- Apparently in peak travel season, the lines for customs at the PLS airport can stretch for hours. We purchased the Fast Track pass HERE, which expedites you through, but it was totally unneeded for weekdays in May.
- Turks requires full Covid vaccination for entry, but we never had anyone check our cards.
- Negative Covid tests are still needed for traveling back to the US, and they were arranged through Pine Cay.
- The entire Pine Cay property is outside, so it felt completely safe.
- Pack a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen…the sun is hot and intense! Pack lightweight clothes, too, all meals are eaten outside.
- The wifi is strong, but prepare to disconnect! There are no phones or TVs. Not even music at the pool or bar!
Scoopneck Tank | Bungalow Cropped Pant (code SUGARPLUM10 to save 10%) | Jean Jacket | Soft Miller Sandals | Rattan Circle Bag | Layered Heart Necklace | All-Weather Bangles | Rolling Spinner Suitcase | Carry-On Duffle Bag | Straw Hat (Color: A01-Beige) | Hat Holder Clip
Ruffle Swimsuit | Layered Heart Necklace | Aviators
If you’re looking for splashy or fancy, adventuring or socializing, Pine Cay is not your place. If you want to be completely alone, in pure peace and quiet, while connecting with your person and nature, then there’s no question you’ll love Pine Cay!
It’s definitely a special spot, far removed from every day life as we know it. And after what this year has thrown at us, it was exactly what we needed.
Have you been to Turks & Caicos? Do have a secret property like Pine Cay? Share it with us…we won’t tell anyone else! Happy weekend, lovebugs!
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