Visiting Iguana Island in Turks and Caicos
Have you ever seen a wild iguana up close? If you visit Iguana Island in Turks and Caicos, also known as Little Water Cay, you will see many! Iguana Island is home to the endangered Rock Iguana and part of the Princess Alexandra National Park. During our stay in Turks and Caicos, we decided to visit Iguana Island and explore part of the nature reserve and beaches. It was so impressive to see the iguanas in the wild and to hike (on the well-maintained boardwalks) to a gorgeous, natural beach.
Iguana Island is located very close (like 499 yards) to the island of Providenciales, but you do have to take some sort of boat to get to the island. There are kayaks and paddle boards to rent, but we opted for the easy way out and took a motor boat through Caribbean Cruisin’.
Once there, a guide met us on the dock and brought us up to the Visitor’s Center where we paid the entrance fee. We chose to have a guided tour and access to the extended trail, so it was $15 per person. You can choose to just take the guided tour which is $10. (You can read about admission costs here, it is best to check before you go in case it changes!) Once we paid, off we went with our tour guide!
Our tour guide helped us to spot many iguanas and gave us some interesting facts about the lizards, as well as information about Turks and Caicos.
After our tour, our guide showed us the way to the extended trail and off we went toward the beach!
L led the way and was on Iguana spotting duty! Luckily she has good eyes because we had to stop at one point to let one cross our path!
There weren’t really any water views as we walked the 15-20 mins to the other side of the island, however, there was plenty of flora and fauna to look at. It was an easy walk and everyone from L to her grandparents had no problem navigating the trail. Once you get to the end, it just suddenly opens up and WOW…
The beach is in its natural state; it’s not raked or cleared, but that adds to the beauty of the place. We were super lucky and had the entire beach to ourselves while we were there and we just soaked in the experience.
We knew that we wanted to explore the beach when we started this adventure, so I packed buckets, shovels, and some snorkel gear (in addition to the usual snacks, water, and sunscreen).
The untouched beach also allowed us to see iguana tracks; they are very cool because you can see the footprints and dragging tail!
At one point, a little mess (did you know that’s what a group of iguanas is called?) of iguanas walked across the sand!
After enjoying the peace and beauty of the beach for a few hours, we headed back down the trail to the boat dock. But, not before taking one last look at the view…
I did not edit that picture AT ALL!! That is exactly what it looks like. Amazing, right?!?
We went to Turks and Caicos before I started blogging, but it is such an amazing place to visit that I wanted to share part of it with you. We definitely plan on going back, so I will be sure to share more of the islands with you at that point! For now, I’m just going share a few more pictures…
The kiddos LOVED this trip, as did their grandparents! The water is gorgeous and warm and the sand is soft and fine.
If you are headed to Turks and Caicos, definitely think about visiting Iguana Island! Seeing the iguanas in their natural habitat is a unique experience and you can even sneak in a bit of education for the kiddos.
I hope your family enjoys this adventure as much as mine did!
40 Comments
Supal
Honestly, I’d have a heart attack if I saw them, but probably love them as much as my cat haha! I can’t get over the color of the water! It must have been insane in person!
Melissa
Hahaha! It was a little nerve wracking at first when they came close! The water is indescribable – I always thought the pictures of it were edited until I saw it in person!
Patti
Oh my gosh, the iguanas are so adorable!
Melissa
They are cute!!
Stacey
Turks and Caicos is on the list of places I’d like to go. How lucky that you had such a peaceful time at the beach
Melissa
We were so fortunate we had that beach to ourselves; we kept expecting other people to appear!
Allison
Iguana Island sounds like such a fun experience! I had no idea that a group of iguanas was called a mess.
Melissa
hahaha.. I didn’t either! 🙂
Cindy
The iguanas are my favorite!
Melissa
They are cute and fun to watch!
Holls
The colour of that water is amazing! Iguanas are so cute. Love it!
Melissa
I always thought the pictures I saw of the were edited… it’s so amazing how vibrant and beautiful it actually is!
Missy
Turks and Caicos has been on my list for years. Love seeing the beach.
Melissa
It’s on our list to go back! It is an amazing place!
kmf
I’m all about the beach so would love this!
Melissa
It was so amazing to be at a non-commercialized beach! Definitely a great experience for a beach lover!
Hera
Love Turks & Caicos! The sand and water is gorgeous. The iguanas are funny and huge, lol
Melissa
We can’t wait to go back at some point! They were really fun to watch, and definitely seemed bigger when they were walking towards us!
Kat Arriaga
So so blue! This is on my bucket list!
Melissa
The colors are unreal. It is breathtaking to see them in person!
Leeanne
What a beautiful island. We didn’t get to Iguana Island the last time we were in Turks and Caicos. I guess we’ll have to go back to see this wonderful island. When we were in Mexico the resort we stayed at had feeding time for the iguanas that were on the premises. The staff brought out fruit and any guest could feed the iguanas. The staff called my younger daughter an iguana whisperer because she was so calm and quiet with them. Every iguana ate off her stick it was amazing. She would love this island.
Melissa
Yes – it’s a great excuse to go back! 🙂 That’s so fun that you got to feed the iguanas in Mexico; my kids would love that! I can see my daughter being calm and quiet, but I think Little Man would scare them all away!
Brianna Creef
We saw our first wild iguana on our honeymoon in Mexico and it was so cool so I would love to visit this island! I love the phot of their tracks too! That’s so cool!
Melissa
It’s so interesting to see them in the wild! We hadn’t seen tracks like that before, so all of us adults were fascinated, as well as the kiddos!
heather J jandrue
When we were in Aruba, they were everywhere! They freaked me out at first.
Melissa
Yes! Especially when they start walking toward you!
Lisa Manderino
That sand looks so inviting. How cool to see a huge iguana!
Melissa
The sand was so soft and warm – definitely better than our coarse, cold, New England beach sand!
Jennifer
Looks like a lovely island for photography
Melissa
Absolutely!! There are so many beautiful sights and photographic opportunities!
Amanda
Oh my goodness, this would be my sons dream holiday! He is obsessed with iguanas. I’ll have to show him this post. We have never been, we need to go!
Melissa
Yes!! He would love it!! It’s so cool to see them in the wild!
Taci- Life Beyond Zebra
Omgosh this looks like the perfect day. I so want to go!
Melissa
It was amazing and we have some wonderful memories now!
Courtney
The iguana is so cute. The photographs are great!
Melissa
Thank you!! It’s so beautiful there that it’s hard to get a bad photo!
Michele
This looks awesome! I will keep it in mind when we visit Beaches Turks and Caicos at the end of April!
Melissa
Yes! It is definitely a fun day trip! I am so jealous you are going – have fun!!
Shirley
Wow! Your photos are stunning and make me want to visit as soon as possible!
Melissa
It is such a beautiful place! We can’t wait to go back!