Shopping in new destinations is always a highlight. It’s a chance to browse all manner of unusual products, and to find unique, one-of-a-kind items to take home. By far the best goods to shop for in the Turks and Caicos are those that are only found here: arts and crafts by local artisans and food, drink and skincare products made on-island using local ingredients.
Buying island-made souvenirs is a wonderful way to support the local community, while guaranteeing that your purchases are truly unique and will not be found anywhere else. Some of our favourite TCI mementoes include:
Flavours of the TCI
If you enjoy the local tipples, or like to spice up a dish with hot sauce, why not take a taste of the islands home with you?
Turks Head Brewery produces the only locally brewed beer on the islands, with four main options – lager, amber ale, IPA and light ale. A brewery tour will give you an insight into the whole process, followed by a tasting and, of course, the option to purchase.
If you prefer something stronger, the local Bambarra rum is available in several flavours including coconut, dark rum, and an eight year reserve. Stop by FOTTAC (Flavours Of The Turks And Caicos) where you can sample a full range of Bambarra products, including rum cakes, jams and sauces.
Want to feel the heat of the tropics back home? A bottle of PeppaJoy hot sauce might do the trick. The gourmet sauce, made with peppers, guava and Salt Cay sea salt, has a distinctive sweet and tangy heat. A local staple, it’s available in grocery stores as well as at FOTTAC, Anna’s Gallery and other gift shops.
You can’t take the sea with you, but you can take some salt. Salt Cay Salt Works is a true cottage industry that uses the organic sea salt that forms naturally on Salt Cay to create prettily packaged culinary salts, bath salts and premium fleur de sel and sold on Provo by Art Provo and Maison Creole.
Island-made Skincare
Advocates of all-natural skincare products will not want to miss a visit to Wildflower Skincare Lab, a small family-operated enterprise that uses flowers grown in their own botanical gardens and blends them with powerful oils to create luxurious, heavenly-smelling serums, moisturisers, sun care, and baby products.
Rejouvenance Spa is another ethical skincare brand producing organic, vegan, chemical free face and body oils, which are hand-crafted in small batches in TCI.
TCI Clothing
The Okaicos brand is all about sunshine, good vibes and happy places and their cheery clothing line reflects that. Vibrant colourful and comfortable swim shorts with distinctive patterned waistbands are their flagship product, but the island brand also produces T-shirts, sweatshirts and baseball caps, sold in their branded store at the Ritz-Carlton.
Artisanal and hand crafted jewellery
Why not capture vacation memories in a locally designed and crafted piece of jewellery? A number of island artisans are creating unique designs, inspired by the colours of TCI’s sky, sand and sea.
Designers to look out for include:
- Atelys, whose beautiful silver, sea glass and larimar bracelet, necklace and ring designs with stamped inscriptions, are famed across the TCI, and well worth the indulgence.
- Wellington Williams, the creator of the Wellington Collection, who uses sand, larimar and conch to recreate miniature beach scenes in his collection of pendants, rings and earrings.
- Beach Kandi, a collection of fun and funky necklaces and stud earrings that capture the saturated tones of the tropics.
Arts and Crafts
Many an artist has been inspired to capture the pristine beauty of these islands, whether in oils, acrylics or photography. Original artwork, prints, cards and more by numerous artists are showcased primarily in two local galleries, Anna’s Gallery and Art Provo. Both also stock a wide variety of local, handmade crafts, including baskets, dolls, glassware and jewellery, as well as cosmetics and edible items, so both are a must-stop on any Provo shopping spree.
The majority of the shops in TCI are on Provo, in the Grace Bay area, with two shopping plazas – Saltmills and Regent Village – being the retail hub. If you go shopping on a Thursday, you’ll be in the right area to stop for a snack and a drink at the weekly Fish Fry afterwards.
