Beautiful turqiose clear waters, white powdery sand, bright sunshine, and the occasion human being – taking a lengthy stroll along a couple of the Worlds most pristine beaches.

If you get the urge to embark on a lengthy stroll on a couple of the best beaches you’ll find anywhere in the World, and depending on whether you want to pass by a few warm bodies or not along the way, the Turks and Caicos Islands can provide both.

Just 575 miles southeast of Miami, it’s hard to comprehend that a place with unbelievably beautiful beaches does not attract more people. It takes less time to travel by plane to the Islands than it does to Atlanta.

Beach freaks who have visited the Turks and Caicos Islands have long since regarded Grace Bay as one of the best in the World. I am one of those, and having experienced the likes of Hawaii’s Waikiki, Sydney’s Bondi, Thailand’s Chaweng, Bali’s Legian, Rio’s Ipanema, and a number of the South Pacific Islands, Grace Bay ranks number one in my estimation. It’s all about the sand and the water, and as an added bonus, the sunsets are breathtaking.

Grace Bay stretches for 12 miles along the northern shoreline of Providenciales, the most populated island of the eight that are inhabited. It is protected by one of the World’s largest coral reef systems (65 miles across and 200 miles long), and as a result the turquoise blue waters are reduced to small waves that tamely lap the shoreline, a far cry from the intensity of the adjacent Atlantic Ocean.

My suggestion would be to start your walk at a central location, maybe close to the Sands Resort or Point Grace. On one day head east and on another head west. Take drinking water, and make sure you’ve plastered yourself with sun block.

Heading east, with one eye on the upscale resorts on the right and the other scanning the water with a distant view of the waves crashing over the reef that is situated inches below the surface, you’ll notice that it is surprisingly quiet. A couple of resorts, Ocean Club and Royal West Indies, will be relatively crowded for about 200 feet of beachfront, but apart from that, it’s unlikely that you will pass more than a dozen people over the first half mile. The further east you venture, past Club Med and the Tuscany resorts, the increased lack of human life and footprints in the sand, will put you in a Robinson Crusoe mindset. This can be a little unnerving, although the occasional beachfront residence is enough to ward off any feeling of complete isolation. It’s just you, the sound of the water and the occasional screeching bird. The further you venture east, the more challenging it becomes to navigate around the rocks. You will eventually realize when it makes sense to turnaround and head back. Remember that if it took 2 hours to get to where you are at, it will take the same time to get back. It is important to note that once you are out of site of the resorts when darkness falls you may be faced with finding a comfortable sand dune for the night and having to tolerate the night crabs nibbling at your toes.

Heading west will take you past Beaches, the popular family resort which stretches for about 500 feet of beachfront. Beyond that, human life becomes sparse. Further along, a few steps into the water outside the Coral Gardens Resort is a roped off area, protecting a very small marine park, home to fire coral, a couple of sea turtles and a barracuda or two. This would be a good excuse to cool off and snorkel a lap around the area, which will take about 20 minutes. The fish and turtles are human friendly, but the coral is not, so keep outside of the rope to avoid a nasty stinging sensation. Continuing westward, resorts become fewer in number resulting in less people on the beach. Mixing things up with walking a few hundred yards, swimming fifty or so, makes the adventure even more enjoyable. After about 2 miles, as Turtle Cove marina approaches, it’s time to turn around. Enjoy a cold beer on the way back. It’ll be happy hour somewhere.

Now if you really want to be by yourself, take a 15 minute cheap flights or a 40 minute boat ride to North Caicos. Take a short taxi ride to Pumpkin Bluff, but make sure to ask the driver to pick you up later. Don’t worry, he’ll be there.

If you take a boat, be sure to ask the captain to drop you off on the beach and ask him to pick you up from the same place. Pumpkin Bluff is the most northerly point of the Turks and Caicos Islands. A few acres have been partitioned and sold to private investors, primarily because it is sublime real estate – a perfect beach lapped by crystal clear turquoise water. There are small hotels in the area but not visible when you are on the beach. Head east and apart from two multi-million dollar residences close to the bluff, you will experience loneliness, isolation and tranquility in an area that has preserved its natural beauty for centuries. You’ll be wondering how such a place void of human life could exist so close to the congestion and fast paced way of life of the big North American cities. It is pretty much guaranteed that you will not see another human being during a 2 or 3 mile walk. You will however notice small schools of fish and the odd stingray cruising by in the very shallow water. You might see the occasional boat in the distance, but its occupants are unlikely to see you as they are probably not expecting anybody to be taking a stroll in such an out-of-the-way place, and if by chance they did, they might feel compelled to come and rescue you. Stranded on the reef, about half a mile from the shoreline is a very old rusted ship that ran aground decades ago. Its mere presence adds a touch of mystique to the area, and no one really knows whether it was a pirate ship or a drug trafficking vessel, as when it came to a halt on the reef, the entire crew fled. No one was on board when the authorities arrived at the scene.

On returning to the relative hustle and bustle of Provindenciales, you will feel contented that you are back in the company of strangers. At least you will have a better understanding of how Robinson Crusoe felt in his time of isolation.