Why not head off the beaten track with Big Blue Collective during your next visit to the TCI archipelago? Experience the clear blue Caribbean waters of near-untouched West Caicos for yourself, enjoy a wealth of water sports adventures perfect for the whole family, and feel the thrill of discovery tingle your spine at every turn. We highly recommend this unique area of the TCI archipelago for the adventurous at heart and anyone who wants to take a ‘no-holds-barred’ peak at the true heart of the Turks and Caicos for themselves.
Where in the world is West Caicos, anyway?
Don’t worry if this much underrated area of the TCI archipelago has escaped your radar so far! When many imagine the TCI, it’s usually the tourist ‘hot spots’ of Provo and Grand Turk and their idyllic beaches, so this exquisite jewel in the TCI crown often goes without too much thought. Fortunately, Big Blue Collective is here to help you redress this!
Unsurprisingly, West Caicos is the name for the most westerly isle in the TCI archipelago, offering seven miles of pristine, unspoilt and unique ironshore coastline for you to explore. Ironshore coastline offer something truly spectacular to see, being a form of hard, fossil-rich rock ‘pads’ that can be thought of as a form of fossil reef. This unique shoreline rolls easily into unsurpassed calm, clear blue water at an easy 6-8 foot depth that’s perfect for snorkelling and freediving experiences alike. It isn’t all easy, however! A few hundred feet later the bottom hits 40-50 foot before plunging into an adrenaline-pumping wall.
Legendary diving on West Caicos
Those in the know when it comes to diving in the TCI and her clear blue Caribbean waters will whisper to you of her legendary sites, with evocative names like Spanish Anchor, Highway to Heaven and Magic Mushroom. These famous sites all lie along West Caicos herself, running south to north. We’ve been diving the TCI archipelago since our inception in 1997, so you can rest assured our dive team offers you a wealth of experience and knowledge to help you make the most of your experiences here. None of the dive team are transient to the area, either, so they come marinated in local knowledge, customs and secrets. We dive only in small groups, allowing you a flexible and intimate dive experience every time, and are one of very few operators in the area who dive in all 5 of the TCI’s best dive spots- West Caicos included.
This is the perfect excuse to combine your dive adventure with our ‘edges of the banks’ snorkelling adventure, which typically visits the shores of West Caicos too. There’s no other public trip like this available in the TCI, so we take particular pride in being able to offer this experience of a lifetime to you. Explore TCI’s secret spots, enjoy an open ocean encounter which could bring you face to face with dolphins, whale sharks or whales, and snorkel the stunning virgin reefs of the territory undisturbed by man or other boats.
What else can I do on West Caicos?
While the diving alone is enough to bring you to this spectacular part of the islands, there’s a whole lot more waiting for you on arrival! Both the Northern and Southern tips of West Caicos, as well as her entire Eastern shore, offers stunning beaches for you to enjoy, all with far less traffic than those on the better-known islands too. They’re the perfect spot for a beachside picnic before heading back into the water, or to celebrate a romantic moment together as the sun falls into the water.
If you’re keen to explore on land a little, Lake Catherine and Yankeetown offer not only a wealth of historical sights iconic to the TCI, all relating to the salt farming and plantation industries that once thrived here, but also some of the most picturesque and undisturbed locations in the TCI archipelago. This is only a small part of what makes West Caicos the perfect location for a full day charter exploration, to allow you to fully experience the magic of this area for yourself.
Big Blue Collective’s adventures to West Caicos are a firm favourite among the team as well as our guests, simply because of the wealth of beauty and fun the area offers. West Caicos’ uniquely rocky ironshore coastline offers excellent diving and snorkelling, with the deep wall drop-off lying conveniently close to the island and offering a perfect ‘free diving’ experience to our snorkelers too. Her protected coves offer the ultimate swimming adventure, while her picturesque ruined plantations [and the stunning sights of Lake Catherine] make the perfect frame to simply amble and enjoy the beauty of this island. You can even access some of Provo’s typically inaccessible western beaches and creeks easily from West Caicos, too.
Take a leisurely kayaking trip our into the water to explore, or challenge your skills on a stand up paddle board in the flatter water immediately off of West Caicos. West Caicos also offers a perfect perch to spot Humpback Whales on migration during the whale season in the area. Big Blue has an impeccable track record for whale watching in the area, with an enviable record of soft in-water encounters. If you’re planning to use one of Provo’s private villas as your home base for your TCI experience, we can even arrange pickup and drop off for you.
Ensure you get the full TCI experience, and be sure to schedule a dive or a full day charter with Big Blue Collective to the wonders of West Caicos- you won’t be sorry you did.