ONE COOL POOL: Relax in the Caribbean’s first ocean pool at Wymara Resort + Villas
Make this your Turks and Caicos destination spot
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The sun is shining on Sunset Cove Beach in Turks and Caicos, its heat soothing these Canadian bones but creating sweat on my glistening, over-heating pink skin.
The logical step for a gal in such a state? Time to cool off with a dip. The dilemma? Pool or the ocean.
Well, Wymara Resort + Villas resolved the conundrum by offering the best of both quenching options in building the Caribbean’s first ocean pool.
And yes, it’s OK to ask what that is — I had to!
Ocean pools are well known in Australia, where Wymara’s Canadian-born owner Bruce Maclaren lived for two decades and found inspiration before moving to Turks and Caicos in 2008. On Turtle Tail peninsula, a seven-minute drive from the main resort, Maclaren has developed Wymara Villas, a community of five-, four- and one-bedroom intimate villas, each with a private pool — and some with waterslides into the ocean (super fun!).
The west side of the property had been left unusable after the dredging of the marina years ago but was recently revitalized into Sunset Cove Beach — aptly named for the evening views — with the ocean-fed pool as the centerpiece.
More than 1,500 tonnes of coastal rock was carved out to create the newly opened 130-foot-long by 30-foot-wide pool. With a sandy bottom, its shallow end is — depending on the tide — three to five feet deep while the deep end is six to nine feet.
You descend stairs into the pool, which is surrounded on two sides by a large deck that once you’re in the water is a couple feet above your head, an effect that creates the feeling of both seclusion and privacy. We enjoyed swimming about while cooling down under a beautiful blue sky.
One important (and perhaps crucial!) design bonus we discovered: The configuration and location mean the ocean waves won’t crash into you as you sip on an umbrella drink from the tiki bar.
In addition to the unique in-ocean pool, Wymara Villas guests (and Resort guests who purchase a day pass) can also enjoy the sports club, a multi-purpose facility that includes pickleball and tennis courts, eucalyptus steam room, bocce ball, basketball, sauna, Jacuzzi, games, arcade, billiards, ping-pong and a 25-metre (82-foot) and a lap pool because one can never have too many water options! Eventually joining the mix at Sunset Cove Beach will be a beachside restaurant open to the public.
Not to be outdone, of course, is Wymara Resort itself, located in a prime spot on Grace Bay Beach, which is frequently — and deservedly — named the best beach in the world. Turks and Caicos is blessed with crystal clear water because it sits on a higher shelf so the sun reflects off the white sand at the bottom of the water to create the turquoise colour.
The intimate boutique resort is easily traversable, with 91 newly-renovated studios and suites. In our beautiful suite equipped with a kitchen, we marvelled at the view of the beach — and of the stand-alone tub in the bedroom. This was a first for me — the tub has no faucets and is filled by water flowing from the ceiling!
Wymara Resort also offers a 7,000-square-foot infinity edge pool (see note above about water options), a full-service spa (we enjoyed our deep tissue massage), 24-hour fitness centre, and boutique with local items.
The dining options are impressive. The resort recently opened its new Blue Water Bistro, one of two spots on the beach along with Pink Bar. Caribbean-inspired Indigo is the top-rated restaurant on Turks and Caicos with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and offering an extensive wellness menu too.
Be sure to have the resort concierge arrange a private boat charter so you can explore Turks and Caicos from the water. Our captain promised us we’d swim with turtles during our snorkeling excursion and delivered!
IF YOU GO
The Turks and Caicos Islands (commonly just referred to as Turks and Caicos) is a British Overseas Territory located in the North Atlantic between the Bahamas and Dominican Republic. English is the official language and the U.S. dollar is the only accepted currency. However, many businesses accept credit cards.
Vehicles drive on the left, like in the United Kingdom, but most are imported from the U.S. so the steering wheel is also on the left and we admit it looks confusing so we ‘left’ the driving to the local taxis.
We flew direct on an under four-hour flight from Pearson airport to Providenciales International Airport (PLS) via Air Canada. Turks and Caicos uses Eastern Standard Time, the same as Toronto.
Find out more at wymararesortandvillas.com and visittci.com.
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