Villa del Mar Turks and Caicos Islands

A picture tells a thousand words: VDM on Flickr

There’s no better way to get a sense of the luxury and comfort of a suite at Villa del Mar than the amazing pictures we’ve assembled on our new Flickr account (OK, there is a better way – plan a trip to Turks and Caicos and come see for yourself). For those of you not familiar with Flickr, it’s a cool photo sharing site where you can post pictures and share them with friends.

You’ll see the spacious rooms we have in studio, one- and two-bedroom configurations, the finely appointed living and dining areas, our amazing views, and of course the spectacular beach just a few steps away (along with the dedicated beach services we offer right on Grace Bay Beach). See for yourself why it’s been voted the “best beach in the world.”

And please don’t keep the beauty of Villa del Mar to yourself. Share the images from our Flickr page with all your friends and get this best-kept secret out! That’s why they call this social media, after all!

Kiteboarding is great in TCI

Kiteboarding in TCI

Kiteboarding is a fun, fast-growing and exhilarating sport that has found a home in Turks and Caicos. Our calm, clear waters and perfect wind conditions make it an ideal place to practice this port, whether you are a novice or an expert.

Guests at Villa del Mar are often thrilled to see kiteboarders skimming quicky across the surf right in front of our beach. Kite boarding combines skills form surfing, wind surfing and sailing into a unique activity that has a loyal and growing following.

There are a number of operators here in TCI that can offer lessons, rental equipment and excellent local knowledge on this sport. Our friend at Big Blue are particularly proficient at it, and recently hosted some pros. Check out their blog post on this topic for more info.

Kiteboarding is just another fun water sport available in Turks and Caicos, joining scuba, snorkeling, wind surfing, sailing, fishing, kayaking, and other aquatic activities readily available here.

Race for the Conch!

On July 10 there will be a really unique and fun event happening right in front of the beach by Villa del Mar. It’s the “Race for the Conch’ a one-mile eco swim/open water race. Open water swim racing is a sport that is rapidly growing in popularity and in fact will be contested for the first time in the Olympics in 2010.

Race organizers here are looking forward to a great turnout of both expert and novice swimmers. Anyone can enter and part of the proceeds go to charity. It’s a very well organized and professionally run event, complete, with electronic timing and internationally-accredited rules and judges. More information can be found here.

It’s also a great reason to come visit us in Turks and Caicos in July. July is typically is a very calm and sunny time of year for us here, and the beach conditions are superb. Plus, our rates are lower in the summer!

Come take advantage of some of the awesome promotions and rates we have going on in July, and enjoy the Race for the Conch.

Test Lady Luck in Paradise

Fun and friendly casino action right around the corner from VDM

As we have often talked about on this blog, Villa del Mar is conveniently located within walking distance to many great attractions in Turks and Caicos (with our world famous beach being tops among them!).

If you are looking for a little nightlife action – and honestly, Turks and Caicos is not known for having a lot of it – try The Casablanca Casino, which is about a 3 minute walk from our front door. The Casablanca is a friendly, fun place where even rank amateurs can try their luck in a ‘real’ casino environment. They have Black Jack, Craps, Poker, Roulette, Baccarat and lot so slots machines. Friendly dealers and staff will help you learn the games and give you a bit of advice along the way. They have occasional Texas Hold’ em Tournaments, too, so check their web site to see if there’s one on during your stay with us.

The casino has a comfortable bars and lounge area, with flat screen TVs to watch as well. Cocktail waitresses will serve you complementary drinks if you are playing the table games and slots. Food is available and the casino stays open til 5AM daily. They’ll even give you lift home if you want with their free shuttle service.

So try your luck in paradise and maybe you’ll even pay for your vacation by winning big at the Casablanca!