Turks and Caicos Family Resorts for the Best Tropical Vacation Ever

Looking for a Turks and Caicos stay with the comforts and conveniences of home? There’s a cozy, residential vibe to The Somerset on Grace Bay resort  that families love. The 53 villa-style units were originally constructed as part of a gated and residential-style community. Depending on the size of your family, you’ll find the perfect configuration to accommodate everyone with one to five-bedroom pool and ocean villas, multi-story residences and more.

It will be hard to drag the kids away from the complimentary Caicos Kids Club, where there’s always a treasure hunt, sandcastle competition or movie night on tap. A dip in the oceanfront pool is also always inviting, and while the property fronts a powdery beach, a lush croquet lawn acts as a buffer between the rooms and the water, serving as a fun place for kids to run around and play.

All those impossible shades of blue are within eyeshot at every turn when you stay at The Sands at Grace Bay. Spacious suites have screened-in balconies that will tempt you to spend most of your vacation outdoors—that is, when you’re not swaying in a hammock with the kids or playing on the postcard perfect beach just out front.

Most units have amenities like modern kitchens and washers and dryers that make it easy to settle in and stay a while without missing the conveniences of home.

Is your family an active one on the water? You’ll love the complimentary snorkeling gear, SUPs, kayaks and Hobie Cats available throughout the day down on the sand.

Swimming with the family at the resort’s three pools takes on an adventurous slant here—they’re all connected by canals and flow through a tropical garden. Go ahead, channel your Robinson Crusoe spirit and dive in.

Le vele is the Italian word for sail. And there is, indeed, a breezy appeal to Le Vele Resort on Providenciales. Washed in white and with minimalist stylings, the design of the property conjures both Miami Beach and the modern day Caribbean.

The condo-style suites (with one, two and three bedrooms available, in addition to studios) are inherently soothing in their minimalism, which serves to focus your attention where it belongs anyway—outside on Grace Bay Beach, with all those soothing blues and aquas.

Families can pedal off on the house bicycles to explore nearby restaurants and shops, all of which are also within easy walking distance. And with full kitchens or kitchenettes in all suites, it’s just as easy to dine in with the gang when you prefer to prepare meals in.

The everyday T&C highlight, of course, is private beach access from the hotel onto world famous Grace Bay Beach, where your lounge chair and umbrella humbly await.

How does escaping to a private island sound as a way to brush off the family’s winter blahs? Parrot Cay Resort and Como Shambhala Retreat is an indulgent property accessed by a 30-minute boat ride from Providenciales that occupies a pristine 1,000-acre private island. Come here to do the Swiss Family Robinson thing—but in the utmost of luxury, of course—along a mile-long beach.

Play by COMO is the resort’s included kids program, complete with a dedicated facility where little travelers can indulge their creativity with arts and crafts, train sets, board games and more. Parents, meanwhile, will likely be off enjoying some down time at the spa, free yoga and pilates classes—or perhaps just lounging with a book and something frosty and refreshing at the pool or beach.

The property has a range of rooms and suites inside a plantation-style house as well as more private and extravagant oceanfront villas. The latter are a splurge but come with perks such as their own private pools and direct beach access onto one of the most blissful stretches of sand you’ll find anywhere.

Get set to relax. The children are off enjoying a day of beachy adventures—perhaps snorkeling, sailing or making crafts from recycled items and natural materials—with the complimentary Kids Town. And the sounds of the waves rolling onto Grace Bay Beach are the only soundtrack you need as you indulge in a lunch of oysters and shrimp at the Raw Bar, one of several fabulous restaurants at Grace Bay Club.

With a dedicated family area—a collection of 38 ocean view rooms that range from junior suites to penthouse accommodations—this classic Turks and Caicos resort has long lured families in search of that elusive balance of together time and relaxation.

Let the concierge arrange an idyllic sailing trip for your gang during which you can drop anchor on Little Water Cay to spot indigenous iguanas, hunt for sand dollars and enjoy another sunset in paradise together.

Self-care and wellness are easy to come by when you’re staying on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world along Grace Bay. But The Palms Turks and Caicos ups the wellness ante all the more with its indulgent 25,000 square foot spa, considered among the very best in the Caribbean (trust us, parents, you’ve earned this).

After your treatment—perhaps a Mother of Pearl Scrub or a Balinese Massage—you’ll be properly de-stressed to segue to an umbrella-shaded chaise lounge and umbrella poolside or down on the serene beachfront.

Feeling hungry? Gather the gang around the firepits at 72°West restaurant for coconut fried shrimp, Caicos lobster tail and decadent desserts.

Complimentary half and full-day programs are offered for kids between the ages of 4 and 12 at the Conch Kritters Club, with its dedicated club house and beach toys and watersports at the ready. And the resort’s onsite tennis courts as well as free watersports (sailing, kayaking, snorkeling) are among the many ways to enjoy the Caribbean good life as a family.

Purple sea fans, parrot fish and sergeant majors—oh my! With one of the best snorkeling reefs along Grace Bay Beach just 20 yards offshore from this property, your biggest vacation challenge when you stay at Windsong on the Reef might be getting the kids to towel off for the day.

All-inclusive rates are available here, too, in case you want to wrap all your meals into one tidy package. Whatever you choose, make time for a family repas poolside at Jojo’s Cafe, named for a famously friendly dolphin that frequents Grace Bay. On the menu are a range of delicious salads, jerk chicken sandwiches, fish tacos and more.

Active families stay busy day into evening time with complimentary bicycles for exploring on land and all sorts of included water fun—Hobie Cats, paddleboards, kayaks and more—for living your best ocean life.

The Seven Stars Resort impresses from the get-go with its incredible sea views along Grace Bay Beach. Those many shades of blue, after all, are likely a large part of the reason you’ve ventured to Turks and Caicos with your family.

And when you add in watermelon margaritas at The Deck—the property’s breezy outdoor bar overlooking the sea—it’s a tropical recipe for letting the good times roll.

Fun for all ages is the name of the game here, with the hotel’s fleet of free-to-guests bikes at the ready for family explorations, complimentary kids club and water sports that include windsurfers, Hobie Cats paddleboards and more.

Decorated with artful mosaic tiles, the hotel’s family pool happens to be the only heated saltwater pool on the island. Wade in and let the family fun begin.