Grand Reflecting Pond
MOOD INDIGO
The best kind of blues are found at Amanyara on Turks & Caicos Written by Bridget Williams
Placing my paddleboard atop water no choppier than a country club swimming pool during adult swim, I rose from my knees to stand, moved my feet apart to steady myself and pierced the surface with my paddle. In short order, my breathing was keeping time with the rhythmic strokes as I left behind the dozen or so guests spread out on a remote stretch of beach. With the water beneath me in this protected marine sanctuary as clear as the blue skies above, I watched colorful fish dart about curious structures designed to stimulate coral reef growth. Rounding a bend, and with no one in sight, I paddled to shore and sat at the water's edge, allowing the gentle waves to lap at my toes. As I savored the quiet and calm, I pondered the difference between this moment of blissful solitude the months of baneful isolation so many have experienced. With 120-acres surrounded by nearly 900-acres of nationallyprotected land above and below sea level, Amanyara on Turks & Caicos offers a blissful cocoon of relaxation and rejuvenation- an
antidote to isolation despite its remoteness. Reached via a five-mile unpaved road and positioned on a promontory on the western shore of Providenciales, the resort looks out over the reefs of Northwest Point Marine National Park. Water, either the sound or sight of it, is omnipresent. Amanyara's thirty-eight guest pavilions, which underwent a full refurbishment since July, and a collection of sprawling villas are cloaked in native tropical verdure. The foliage is manicured just enough but not too much to ensure privacy while providing unobstructed sightlines to either the ocean or a water feature. The property started 15 years ago as a collection of twoto six-bedroom villas; today, 18 of the 20 villas are available to rent and include a dedicated full-time butler and private chef. Designed in a similar fashion to the pavilions, the bedroom units surround a communal gathering space and are artfully separate with a beguiling blend of water features and pathways.
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