barginhunter

Hi was wondering if anyone has stayed at these condos lately? If so is it out of the construction area? Also is the snorkeling at the beach there good? Looking for a quiet laid back spot for our family. Thanks

blamona

I have not stayed, but been through them a couple of times. Used to be called Crystal Bay, but company went bankrupt, then the condo owners took over for a while, now I think, but I'm not sure, that they have a management team.
Very pretty condos, no construction, but if you've never been to Turks and Caicos, it is isolated and not close to Grace Bay, restaurants or anything!!!! (And dark, dark roads to get there at night) However, if you like isolation, it could work for you.
The beach in front of it is grassy, there are better beaches.

barginhunter

Blamona, Thanks for you reply. It is very hard to determine where to stay not ever having been there. We know we do not want crowds and do not mind exploring, but there seem to be so many versions of how far everything is from each other. Really interested in great beaches for snorkeling with children. Without spending too much.. Thanks any suggestions are really appreciated.

shirleyk

If you are interested in a great beach with snorkeling for children you should stay on or near Grace Bay. The crowds are at Beaches. What month will you be traveling in? We were there the first two weeks of September, 2003 and the beaches were deserted. Then we returned for two weeks in June, 2005 and there were more people and more children. The "without spending too much" will be the problem. Grace Bay is lined with condos. There are some condos off the beach that are a little cheaper. What is your price range per night/week? Maybe I can suggest a few places once I know your price range and requirements.

barginhunter

We are looking for the end of June around $1200 wkly for 2 weeks. My only concern is you hear so much about the construction and noise around Grace Bay I just dont want to get stuck listening to that while trying to have fun with the kids. But we are looking for good beaches with good snorkeling. Thanks for your help and suggestions.

shirleyk

There is a lot of construction going on on Grace Bay, but you really don't hear any noise from it. Most of the places look like they are made out of cement blocks or something like cement blocks. Not hammer and nails pounding on wood as we would think of construction. I think the harder part will be finding a place for $1200 a week in June. Take a look at aquamarine beach houses at (www.aquamarinebeachhouses.com). They are located on a very quiet part of Grace Bay. There was no construction going on nearby when we were there June 3-June 17. Definitely quiet and laid back and close to your target price.

beachluver

I disagree with above poster reagarding "you really don't hear any noise from it." We were At Grace Bay Club in April and it was jackhammers and high pitched drills from early am til dusk. Remember Grace Bay is something like 12 miles long--how can you make a general statement that there is no noise? It is true that there are various stages of construction that will not be noisey, but this person is stating they don't want to get stuck hearing it. It will be hard(right now) to determine the end of next June which resorts/condos will be at a stage of construction which is or is not noisey. If they find a condo which has properties on both side that are completed, they would be fine. But where is that on GB? It is a gorgeous stretch of beach, no doubt.We walked the beach from OCEast to Coral Gardens.Even CGarden is going to have a construction project starting right beside it. Just wanting to give my 2 cents on the construction situation.

barginhunter

Did you see any of the places away from Grace Bay? We would rather travel to go there and stay were we would be truly happy. We are not looking to park ourselves on one beach for the two weeks. We want to get out and see all the island has to offer. Thanks everyone for your input it really helps.

beachluver

barginhunter,
No, we personally did not go beyond the beach from Coral Gardens all the way up to Ocean Club East, except for a boat excursion(which was awesome). Your idea of being a bit away from the"construction zone" would be more peaceful probably. I just feel I have to be honest when it comes to the construction noise. There are many on this board that say it is not bothersome. It is too long of a beach, with too many construction sites going on to make that general of a statement(especially if someone is concerned about it). I hope this helps you. Carol

barginhunter

Thanks Carol, I wish others would post there vacations when they returned, to give everyone the latest updates. Thanks