Turks Two Ways: Resort Or Villa, You Can’t Go Wrong With Wymara

Set on Grace Bay, which was named the world’s best beach in 2022 by Tripadvisor, Wymara Resort and Villas Turks and Caicos is the tropical escape you’ve been searching for. The best part? You can do it two ways. —Noa Nichol

The Resort

From a variety of accommodations to choose from around the island, we think Wymara Resort should be your go-to. This gorgeously appointed (and recently renovated) hotel considers sun, shade and breeze in its design, so that there are always multiple areas to enjoy the outdoors on property—plus, multiple amenity areas to keep everyone in the group engaged and content. “We strive to have our guests keep coming back for more, while constantly improving each experience,” says owner Bruce Maclaren. “We want to wow our guests from the moment they arrive until they depart.”

Indeed, Maclaren has made good on his vision is to create the perfect home away from home. A place where guests can get an emotional high from the beautiful turquoise waters and perfect weather Turks and Caicos is renowned for. A place to recharge their batteries and enjoy quality time with loved ones. “We want everyone who visits to feel part of our Wymara family with our wonderful staff and caring and attentive personalized service,” he says.

Truly, Wymara Resort is an oasis for all—and countless details make it so. Among our favourite below-the-radar features: genuinely friendly service from each and every staff member encountered, Dyson hairdryers in every room, an organic-certified spa offering luxe treatments and an on-site restaurant, Indigo, where every meal, made by executive chef Andrew Mirosch, is magic (Mirosch’s World’s Best Ice Cream lives up to its name. Insider tip: check the hotel schedule to join in on lively, weekly, al fresco beach barbecues, featuring live music and a bountiful buffet served up on the white sands of Grace Bay.

The Villas

Looking for something even more luxe? A short drive away, Maclaren has developed a collection of private and secluded luxury villas that are nothing short of spectacular—and when their owners are away, they’re available to rent. “Wymara Villas offers guests the best of both worlds, total privacy and seclusion in a very luxurious setting with high-service and easy access to all of the amenities and services of the resort,” he explains. “Our villa guests enjoy exclusive enjoyment of Sunset Cove Beach Club with its private and pristine beach, the Caribbean’s first in-ocean swimming pool, lap pool and world-class fitness facilities. It’s a very special vacation experience.”

It’s a sentiment we can’t argue with: the villas include full, beautiful kitchens (you can cook, or order meals and snacks throughout the day delivered to your door), stunning amenities, entertainment technologies, multiple private pools and, at three of the seven multi-bedroom, multimillion-dollar properties, a salt-water slide that shoots you directly into a must-be-seen-to-be-believed crystal-clear Caribbean Sea. For the enjoyment of all villa owners and guests, the new ocean pool, spanning nearly 3,900 square feet, is a stunning swimming spot with a soft, sandy bottom. It gets replenished with fresh seawater from the Atlantic, is carved out of the coastal rock and lined by an expansive timber deck that spans the entire length. Featuring a tiki bar and stylish sun loungers and umbrellas for shade, take breaks from sipping spritzes to dip in and out of the refreshing, salty sea while soaking in the serene views. The vibrant, rich colours of the pool’s sea-fed waters are the perfect spot to cool down, minus the need to worry about waves crashing into you.

Anchored by the iconic coastline, Maclaren’s ocean pool is a true labor of love. It’s been built to facilitate an intimate encounter with the landscape while offering safe, sublime waters with boundless sea-and-sky views. And there are more villa plans in the works: “Looking ahead, we’re excited to introduce new five- and six-bedroom villas this summer,” he reveals. “These will be among the most stunning on the island and offer unbeatable views over the turquoise waters that Turks & Caicos is best known for. Next, we’re launching a new dining concept at our villa beach … conceived by Wymara’s acclaimed executive chef, Andrew Mirosch. Watch for its debut in fall 2024.”