The Parrot Cay Resort on the Turks and Caicos Islands Pamper Guests

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a friendly collection of small coral islands with long stretches of fine, white sand beaches, framed by clear turquoise waters. The Turks and Caicos are known for their excellent diving and snorkeling, creative Caribbean cuisine, and casino gambling. What's more: these islands are just 90 minutes from south Florida by air. The Parrot Cay Resort, a serene luxury spa resort, located on its own 1000-acre private island off the coast of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, offers guests an opportunity to relax and be pampered in an idyllic, tropical setting.

The Parrot Cay Resort is ideal for honeymooners or couples looking for a secluded, romantic retreat. With just 60 guest rooms and beachside villas, the resort is surprisingly quiet and intimate. Some units boast private plunge pools and three new villas include the services of a private butler and cook. All rooms feature romantic four-poster beds with mosquito netting, air conditioning, spacious private balconies, and computer dataports. Guests at the Parrot Cay Resort can enjoy delicious cuisine featuring the Caribbean's freshest fish and produce and reminiscent of the food of Southeast Asia.

The hilltop, "Como Shambala" spa, named for the Sanskrit words for "center of peace and harmony," offers Eastern-style treatments as well as yoga instruction and gourmet-quality spa cuisine. Spa treatments include traditional massages and facials as well as more usual services, such as the Javanese Royal Lulur Bath, which involves being rubbed with sandalwood, ginger, and turmeric, cooled with yogurt, and immersed in a flower-filled soaking tub. Guests at the Parrot Cay Resort can also enjoy the island scenery while receiving spa treatments in the open-air huts that accompany the spa.

In addition to the spa, guests at Parrot Cay can enjoy golf, day and night tennis, a wide variety of watersports, excellent diving and snorkeling, a leisurely afternoon on the secluded beach, or a trek along miles of manicured hiking and biking trails. A Jacuzzi, Pilates studio, and fully equipped gym help guests relax and stay in shape. The resort can arrange private boat rentals as well as excursions to the nearby secluded Iguana and Sand Dollar Islands.

The Parrot Cay is a little piece of paradise just southeast of Miami. Its undeveloped natural beauty and luxury accommodations are an excellent place to relax and escape the harsh northern winter. The memory of Parrot Cay's pristine and uncrowded beaches framed by clear, turquoise waters as well as its quiet, unobtrusive pampering will stay with you long after you return home.