Whitby: Beaches and Plantation History on North Caicos

A small village on the north coast of North Caicos

Whitby is a small village on the central north coast of North Caicos and one of the island’s four settlements. Bottle Creek, Kew, and Sandy Point are the other three. The village has small houses, shops, vacation villas, restaurants, and a small hotel; Whitby is the tourist center of North Caicos. It brings together a village atmosphere and tourist amenities. Individual businesses and services may change. Before your trip, check which options are relevant for your travel dates.

Whitby offers several specific points of reference when choosing a place to stay: the village itself, the adjacent beach, and historic sites in the surrounding area. Which accommodation suits your trip also depends on whether you want to focus primarily on the coast, snorkeling, village life, or history.

Pelican Beach and waterside activities

The 1.2-mile (1.9 km) Pelican Beach borders the settlement of Whitby. It is also known as Whitby Beach and Whitby Cove. Near the central access point to Pelican Beach and Whitby Cove are quiet stretches of beach with limited parking. As conditions can change, check the parking situation before your visit.

At the eastern end of the beach, Pelican Point extends from the sand as a low rocky outcrop; a small snorkeling reef lies offshore. Three Marys Cays and Flamingo Pond Overlook are also near Whitby. Snorkeling at Three Marys Cays offers the chance to see coral and small, colorful reef fish; a stingray is occasionally spotted as well. Wildlife sightings vary from visit to visit. The coast and snorkeling offer different ways to shape your stay, without requiring you to devote an entire travel day to just one interest.

Historic sites in the surrounding area

The area’s history also shapes the impressions of Whitby and its surroundings. Several Loyalist cotton plantations once stood in the wider Whitby area. Musgrove Plantation was south of the present-day settlement, and Israel Hill lay between Whitby and Major Hill. Greenwich Hill was a little east of Whitby and belonged to Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Delancy. Remains of 18th-century plantation sites are still visible in some places.

These historic locations add another perspective to the coastal character: alongside the beach and marine life, there is a past associated with several places in the surrounding area. The sites mentioned offer different geographical points of reference, without needing to be combined into a single walking tour. When planning your vacation, you can therefore consider whether you want your stay to focus mainly on the beach and snorkeling, or also on an interest in the area’s history.

The wider setting: the Turks and Caicos Islands

The broader destination of the Turks and Caicos Islands has an extensive barrier reef and impressive underwater walls. Water sports such as jet skiing, tubing, wakeboarding, parasailing, E-foiling, and kiteboarding are also available there. Boat trips visit uninhabited cays, beaches, and reefs. These regional options provide the wider context for planning a trip, while Whitby’s specific features can be found in the village, at Pelican Beach, and at nearby destinations.

Discover more destinations: Sandy Point.

Return to the main travel overview: North Caicos.