Renowned for their gleaming beaches and vast coral reefs, the Turks and Caicos are just a two-hour flight from Miami, located south of the Bahamas and 140 miles north of the Dominican Republic. Their terrain is dry and scrubby, but the surrounding turquoise water is dazzling. Much of the archipelago is sparsely populated: The largest island, 56-square-mile Middle Caicos, has around only 170 inhabitants, while Grand Turk, the location of the island’s capital, Cockburn Town, has fewer than 5,000 residents. The most populous island is Providenciales, universally known as Provo, with around 24,000 people, plus the international airport and a majority of the islands’ hotels. Cruise ships have been steered to a new terminal on Grand Turk, while elsewhere, the government has prioritized the development of upscale tourism as a mainstay of the economy.

On this trip, I decided to revisit two long-established resorts and also try two much newer hotels. Alas, there was not enough time for me to return to Amanyara or the private island of Pine Cay, both of which receive regular accolades from Andrew Harper members.

Grace Bay Club

Opened in 1993, Grace Bay Club was the first luxury resort in the Turks and Caicos. Back then, the surrounding area was undeveloped. Now, nearly 30 years later, the 11-acre complex extends along 1,000 feet of Grace Bay Beach, a wide expanse of powdery sand with calm water ideal for swimming. It is backed by a web of restaurants, shops and residences, while the beach itself is overlooked by several high-rise towers, including a 147-room Ritz-Carlton hotel. The Grace Bay Club has many merits, but a hideaway it is not.