Castaway on Pine Cay, Turks & Caicos
Our toes searched carefully, slowly through the sand beneath warm shallow aquamarine waters, with luck finding a prize, a whole sand dollar, white and delicate. We waded far out in the shallow bank of Sand Dollar Point, looking for the elusive shells, fortunate when we found those that were still intact. We were exploring for buried treasure on Pine Cay, a private island that is part of the Turks and Caicos, a fast boat ride from busy Providenciales yet a world away. Our refuge for a short three nights was the Meridian Club, a secluded, 13-room private resort founded in the early 1970s on one of the Caribbean’s finest beaches, two miles of pristine white sand. The club is named after its geographic position on the 72nd meridian.
Simple pleasures abound, none greater than the Crusoe-esque fantasy of being able to walk the length of the beach and having it all to yourself, finding your footprints as you left them, perhaps with the addition of those of the local pelicans which had rested on the beach prior to heading out in groups on their morning breakfast sorties. The setting is magically serene, with the shimmering blue waters rolling gently onto the long sweep of soft white sand. We would head down to the bend of the beach where the shoreline became rocky and a lone tiki hut provided a perch from which to survey one’s domain. There we would find a large group of 6-10 pelicans greeting the morning, sunning and drying their wings before taking off to survey the reef below in search of their morning meal, flying in formation then plunging abruptly into the sea. We would wait to see if their beak’s upward movement to swallow indicated they had found a fish for their efforts.
Transportation on Pine Cay included our choice of bikes or battery-powered golf carts. No cars traverse the sandy lanes! We were met at the dock by a staff member in a golf cart, who whisked us to the clubhouse for our orientation.
The cay itself has some distinctive flora such as the Caicos Pine Trees which emerged dramatically above the predominately low-lying shrubs, piercing the blue sky in solitary splendor or occasional pairs. Beautiful flowers such as desert roses, plumeria frangipani, railroad vines and hibiscus grew along the pathway leading to the guest cottages, adding a profusion of colors to the sandy surroundings and otherwise monotone green arid landscape, which was periodically punctuated by several freshwater pools. Sea grapes grew in abundance throughout the beach area, and provided some wind break from the steady, pleasant breeze. The club faces the Atlantic, but the turquoise waters were beautiful, mostly calm and warm and offered an enticing daily swimming opportunity. The Caribbean side of the cay has shallow tidal flats prime for bone fishing.
Our room was very comfortable with a king bed, interesting palm frond wall piece, adjacent sitting area with couch and coffee table, ample bath and changing area along with mini fridge stocked with soda, a glass water bottle and some white Italian wine. Two water bottles to keep stocked, and a water dispenser near the pool bar helped you stay hydrated. In room Wifi was the only nod to keeping connected with the outer world, as peaceful escape is what most seek in coming here. There are no televisions or radio, and the only place you can use your cell phone is away from the cottages in the tennis court area. A screened-in patio was a great place to savor cool evening breezes, and there was a private patio with chaise lounges and an outdoor shower. You are literally on the beach, and each room has its own tiki hut halfway between room and sea. There is no air conditioning in most units, as the paddle fan plus sea breezes provide the natural cooling. Easterly trade winds average 14 mph throughout the year, so the constant breeze makes for very comfortable days.
The laid-back ambiance is matched by the casual dress code for meals. Shoes are optional even at dinner, and as the Club’s web site says, “We have had only one or two necktie sightings on Pine Cay in the last ten years.” The Club is all-inclusive as befits its private island setting, and all meals are included in the room rate though alcoholic beverages are extra.
Breakfast is served daily from 7:30-9:30 a.m., buffet style out by the pool. In addition to typical breakfast buffet fare, some unique choices included Island French Toast with cinnamon and sugar or Sand Dollar Pancakes with a choice of plain, chocolate, coconut or banana and made-to-order omelets.
Guests are invited to come for other meals upon hearing the sound of the bell being rung at the main clubhouse. Lunch is buffet style and served around the pool area. Careful with your time though, as it is only served from 1-2 p.m. daily! The mid-day menu tended to more simple family-style foods, with fruit salads enlivened by local Caribbean additions such as mango, sweet potato fries, cool watermelon slices and freshly caught entries such as conch and large shrimp prepared stir-fry style. There are challenges in having to bring much of the food in from off-island, and asparagus appeared several times during lunches and dinners during our stay. The pastry chef showed off her skills with a dessert trio featuring moist chocolate peanut butter brownies, can’t have just one mini chocolate shakes and simple but satisfying sugar cookies.
In between, you can enjoy afternoon tea and cookies, then cocktails in upstairs bar from 6:00 to 7:30 pm in the upstairs area also has a library with comfortable couch and chairs to relax and read or play games from the well-stocked shelves or perhaps a game of darts.
Dinner starts at 7:30 pm in the Bistro, is served in the dining room of the main clubhouse, and showcases local cuisine.
Six course tasting menus were offered two of the three nights during our stay. The first dinner began with a tuna tartare, followed by a refreshing watermelon salad and beets with greens. After the sorbet palate cleanser, we were served the grilled catch of the day, wahoo fish over white rice and accompanied by steamed asparagus. The meal finished with a dessert plate consisting of a light peach sorbet alongside a slice of rich chocolate-covered cake.
Our last dinner started with a light, cold apple and pear soup with a cheese crouton, then a spinach salad mixed with slices of passion fruit and sprinkled with pistachios. I particularly enjoyed the next appetizer, a flaky phyllo pastry basket filled with stewed cherry tomatoes and mozzarella bocconcini, seasoned with basil oil. After a pomegranate sorbet, we enjoyed the fresh fish entrée, a pan-seared red snapper with rice and green beans, with a warm cherry tomato, olives and capers sauce which accented the fish very well.
The poolside barbecue buffet held every Saturday night had a grilling station offering a choice of beef tenderloin steaks or the alternative of catch of the day shark steaks grilled à la minute. The taste of the shark steak combined particularly well with the sweet and tangy mango chutney. Sides of sautéed asparagus and sweet potato puree nicely complimented the steaks and satisfied the appetite. An inviting colorful tropical fruit platter with papaya and mango among other seasonal fruit provided a burst of flavor, and dinner ended with a tempting selection of just-baked, raspberry topped small sponge cakes and mono portion chocolate parfaits decked with whipped cream.
Guests we met over meals included many repeat visitors, one couple who had initially vacationed in Provo then gravitated to the peace and beauty of the Meridian Club, another who had been coming for years to enjoy the solitude that is all too rare a commodity in the Caribbean and who loves it so much that she said she is looking to buy one of the private residences available on the cay.
You can be as active or as indolent as you like, with water-based activities in abundance. Choices include swimming, ocean or pool, but we seldom saw anyone in the clubhouse pool, attractive though it may be, with the ocean just steps away, a complimentary snorkeling cruise offered each morning to an offshore reef, boat trips to neighboring islands, (for example a North Caicos half day excursion, a 15-minute boat ride away), kayaking or sailing, fishing, beach walks or resting and reading in your own tiki hut. On resort options included a visit to the spa, tennis or shuffleboard. Then there’s “movie night” at the Pine Cay cinema. Although we weren’t there for the Wednesday night screening, the tiny screen at the small air strip serves as the venue where sitcoms are shown once a week to a golf cart-riding crowd, and the arrivals and departures lounge consists of a bench in front of the screen!
A stand of bikes awaits outside the clubhouse for island exploration. Sandy paths crisscross the island, with a few beach access roads and others leading to private homes. We pedaled to the southwest corner of the island to see the Aquarium, a swimming and snorkeling spot. Kayaks were laid out on the small beach along with two deck chairs. An early evening ride is the best of all worlds; you get your exercise during a cooler part of the day, then make it home in time to catch the sunset with a glass of wine as an aperitif!
Another day we opted to take out a golf cart for a ride up to the flats on the Caribbean side of the island, walking around a house whose owners weren’t home (we learned from the staff), getting a view out over the shallow flats and then heading to the southeast corner of the Cay to visit Devil’s Cut, which consists of a small footbridge leading to an island adjacent to the broad channel separating Pine Cay from Ft. George Cay.
Our last morning, our names appeared on the blackboard in the clubhouse lobby that both welcomed new arrivals and bid farewell to those reluctantly departing. We were leaving too early for lunch, so the staff had kindly prepared us a lunch bag with a selection of grilled vegetables and fresh grilled tuna wraps, some fruit and freshly baked cookies to eat on the boat ride back to Providenciales and taxi ride from the marina to the airport. The assistant manager pulled up in a golf cart and off we went to the dock.
There are many other beautiful islands to experience in the Caribbean, but the tranquility and lovely setting of Pine Cay are etched in our memories and will have us considering a return to place more of our footprints on the solitary sands of its spectacular beach.
