Turks & Caicos is a group of tropical Islands next to the Bahamas and North of the Dominican Republic. The islands surround an area called the ‘Caicos Bank’ which is a huge plateau of shallow water with a white sand bed. The result is a water color so outstandingly bright that it can be seen from outer space! Just check google maps and see for yourself! Despite being a popular kite destination, most of the best kite spots are still empty as they are only accessible by boat.
To offer maximum sailing comfort, the Turks & Caicos trip is a downwinder from East to West following the wind and the current. Start the trip by riding the untouched atolls of the Turks islands before kitesurfing beside the catamaran through the spectacular Caicos Bank. The trip ends in the popular ‘Providenciales Island’ where we kitesurf between the mangroves and finish with a well deserved night out on the town!
Turks & Caicos is a great destination for riders of all levels. The flat water lagoons are great for progression and freestyle and the water is warm and crystal clear all year round. Add to this some downwinders and world class waves and you have an action packed kite cruise itinerary. The season is from December to August with 15-18 kts most days. Turks is also a great place to get into wing foiling!
Start your trip to the Turks & Caicos by discovering some of the local kite spots
White Sands lagoon is on the South West tip of Grand Turks Island. There are actually several spots here and one of our favorites is to launch at the Atoll on the coral reef and downwind back to the main beach. The water color is an impressive turquoise blue. Kite in flat water amongst the Turtles and Rays.
Sandy Island is a comfortable 2 hour sail from Gran Turks and you have the option to kite beside the catamaran along the way! This remote atoll is as good as it gets for kitesurfing. In the anchorage the wind is offshore so the water is ultra flat and great for freestyle. Its also possible to kite all round the island and play in the small waves on the windward side.
Columbus Marine park is a vast lagoon surrounded by reef in the Northeast of Grand Turks. Depending on the conditions we either anchor inside the lagoon or outside the lagoon closer to the waves. This spot is open to all levels. You can choose to ride flat water inside the lagoon or go out to play in the world class waves on the reef
The Caicos Bank is a vast shallow water platform sheltered from waves by a chain of islands along the Northern ridge. The white sand bottom and shallow depths give the Caicos Bank some of the most spectacular water colors in the world. One of the highlights of the trip is kitesurfing across the Bank beside the catamaran. The crossing of the Bank takes a whole day before arriving in Providenciales
Providenciales is the main tourist spot and all the kitesurfing schools are located in Long Bay, close to the Hotels. By boat however, we can escape the crowds and discover the super flat lagoons all around the Mangrove Cay area. On the windward side the knee deep lagoon goes on forever and you can explore the coastline for miles and miles. On the leeward side of the Cay is half moon bay which offers ultra flat glassy water for freestyle.
Turks & Caicos has a long season with trade winds from December through to the end of August. For wave riding the Northern swells are best between December and April.
All Turks trips are down winders starting in Grand Turks and finishing in Providenciales. For longer trips there is also the option to sail over from the Dominican Republic which takes from 12-14 hrs overnight.
Grand Turks is the easiest place to start your trip. After arriving at the airport it is only a short taxi ride to the boat and the first kite spot is just minutes away. To reach Grand Turks you will need to fly to Providenciales then get a quick connecting flight which takes about 25 minutes.
Airport code : GDT
Connections from : Providenciales (PLS)
Departure port : Grand Turks Harbour
Airport transfer : 5 minutes
Sail time to spots :15 minutes
Providenciales is the most well known island in Turks & Caicos and is also home to the international airport. There are direct flights to ‘Provo’ from North America, Europe and other Caribbean Islands. It is recommended to start your trip in one of the other ports. Provo is where we usually end our cruises.
Airport code : PLS
Connections from : USA, Canada, London
Arrival port : Grace Bay
Airport transfer : 15 minutes
Sail time to spots : 15 minutes
Departures from Cabarete are a great option for those with a little more time to spare. The sailing time over to Grand Turks is about 14 hours and we usually sail overnight. Choose to sail directly to Turks or spend the first few days enjoying some the kite spots in the Dominican Republic. The closest airport is Puerto Plata but Santo Domingo is also an option.
Airport code : POP
Connections from : USA, Canada, Europe
Departure port : Puerto Plata
Airport transfer : 25 minutes
Sail time to spots :5 minutes
Las Terrenas is another departure port in the Dominican Republic. This departure port is only for those joining the boat for at least 10 days and who want to enjoy kite spots in both the Dominican Republic and Turks and Caicos. Las Terrenas is the departure port with the longest sailing times and involves an overnight sail to get to the Turks Islands. The closest airport is Santo Domingo.
Airport code : SDQ
Connections from : Everywhere
Departure port : Punta Poppy
Airport transfer : 2 hours
Sail time to spots : 0 minutes
