Amanyara vs. COMO Parrot Cay: How to Choose Between Turks and Caicos' Two Most Coveted Resorts
Last summer we moved to Connecticut and are loving the easy access to the Caribbean! Recently we went to Turks and Caicos for the first time, and I was genuinely surprised by how easy it was. It's one of the shortest direct flights to the Caribbean from New York (~3 hours). We went for a week, but it would be totally doable for a long weekend too. Amanyara and COMO Parrot Cay are incredible hotels with stunning, private beaches and expansive views. Both require a little extra effort to get there compared to Grace Bay, but are completely worth it. Here's how I would think about comparing the two.
Amanyara beach (it’s not usually this rocky but rougher waves took a lot of the sand away for a couple days)
The Sense of Place
Amanyara sits on the remote northwest tip of Providenciales, bordering a 18,000-acre National Park. What struck me first was how quiet the whole property feels — low-slung timber pavilions tucked into the vegetation, reflective ponds, and a conical teak bar that anchors the resort like a temple. It's unmistakably Aman, with black volcanic-stone infinity pools, dark wood, and very little visual noise. The aesthetic is hushed, almost monastic. Even at full capacity, we barely crossed paths with another guest — it feels very private and peaceful.
Amanyara
Amanyara lobby
Amanyara lobby view
Amanyara bar
COMO Parrot Cay is on its own private island — a thousand acres of it. While an extra logistical step, the boat ride is beautiful and adds to the private island magic. The design is breezier than Amanyara — whitewashed interiors, teak accents, four-poster beds, a barefoot-Caribbean ease layered over COMO's signature Asian-inspired calm. There's a celebrity history here (Bruce Willis and Christie Brinkley were early homeowners), and the island has the worn-in, knows-its-people feeling of a place that's been hosting regulars for decades.
COMO Parrot Cay adult pool and beach club
COMO Parrot Cay dock lobby
Lush grounds at COMO Parrot Cay.
COMO Parrot Cay beach
The shorthand: Amanyara is a meditation. Parrot Cay is a long exhale.
Getting There
Amanyara is a ~30-minute drive from PLS (the last 10 minutes are on a long, bumpy dirt road). Farther than Grace Bay, but still very easy logistics.
COMO Parrot Cay requires a ~15-minute drive to the dock and a ~30-minute boat transfer (organized by the hotel), which is part of the experience but also additional logistics to be aware of.
Walking to the COMO boat
Views from the boat ride to COMO
Where You Sleep
Both properties spread accommodations along the beach, but the experience differs.
At Amanyara, the base inventory is pavilions — 36 standalone structures tucked into coastal vegetation, with floor-to-ceiling glass doors, overhanging eaves, and exceptional privacy (none are visible from the interior roads). Above that sit the villas: two- to six-bedroom residences, each on 1.5 acres, with private black infinity pools, hardwood decks, and dedicated villa hosts. Three- to six-bedroom villas also include a personal chef. The villas are beautiful — some of the most exclusive accommodations in the Caribbean — and makes Amanyara a great option for multi-generational trips and friend groups (I imagine coming back with other couples for a birthday milestone!).
Amanyara villa bedroom
Amanyara villa
Amanyara villa
Amanyara villa
Amanyara villa living room
At COMO Parrot Cay, the base inventory are rooms in the hillside main building, which is set back from the beach. Lovely, but most return guests will tell you the same thing: the rooms are not the point. The villas, beach houses, and private residences are — every one with a private pool, direct beach access, and a personal butler (included with two-bedroom Beach House accommodation and above).
COMO Parrot Cay villa bedroom
COMO Parrot Cay villa pool
COMO Parrot Cay villa living room
The Beach
Both beaches are spectacular and completely private. The water is truly unbelievable.
Amanyara's stretch is roughly half a mile of protected, undeveloped marine reserve coastline. The reef is close in, the snorkeling is excellent, and it's absolutely beautiful. Beachfront villas sit above the ocean on rocky cliffs, some with paths down. The beach was rougher and rockier at parts when we were there, which is very unusual!
Amanyara beach club
Amanyara beach
View from Amanyara villa
Parrot Cay has a mile-long beach — longer, broader, and shallower-shelving, which makes it especially perfect for little kids. The water is super calm and clear. We also loved that there is a kids' zero-entry pool steps away from the beach, so it feels very connected and easy to move from one to the other. All the houses, villas, and residences are right on the sand, literally steps from the beach.
COMO Parrot Cay beach club
COMO Parrot Cay beach
COMO Parrot cay shell hunting
View from adult pool and beach club
The Table
Amanyara leans Asian-Mediterranean with serious sushi and a Caribbean undercurrent. The conical bar pavilion is one of the best sunset rooms in the region. And in the three-bedroom-and-up villas, the personal chef changes the calculus entirely — they're cooking around your family's schedule, working with picky eaters, handling different bedtimes. For a family trip, this is amazing.
Parrot Cay splits dining between Lotus (poolside, lighter, Asian-inflected) and The Terrace (heartier Mediterranean and Italian, the right room for a real dinner). Half-board and full-board meal plans are available — worth considering since the island is your only dining option. Private chef dinners can be booked as a special-occasion add-on in the villas with full kitchens, and your butler can serve in-villa meals delivered from the restaurants anytime — but the everyday rhythm is restaurant- or butler-delivered, not a chef cooking for you in-villa.
Wellness
Both spas are excellent, but COMO Shambhala is in a different category — it's one of the most respected wellness programs in the Caribbean, with an on-island Ayurvedic doctor, yoga and Pilates pavilions, and multi-day programs that can actually shape a trip. If wellness is the reason you're going, this is the answer.
Amanyara's spa is beautifully done and very Aman, but it sits alongside the property rather than driving it. The broader wellness offering leans active alongside restorative — Pilates and boxing studios, plus four tennis courts, padel, a multi-sport field, and periodic specialty retreats.
With Kids
Both can work with kids depending on the family.
Amanyara is a little more set up for older kids — plenty of activities including snorkeling, kayaking, paddleboarding, and amazing sports facilities. They also have a Clubhouse with TVs, a billiards table, table hockey, and foosball. It works for younger children too — there's a very cute, well-run kids' club (one of the few Aman properties that has one), but it's definitely not a place where you see lots of kids running wild and screaming. There aren't any connecting room options since the pavilions are all standalone, so the multi-bedroom villas are the best option for families. Since the villas come with a private chef, it makes meals much easier too. Also good to know - there’s no dedicated family pool.
Parrot Cay's expanded beach club including the zero-entry family pool, the Play by COMO kids' program, and the long shallow beach make it the easier property for families with very young children. I would definitely book one of the beachfront villas or houses — you're steps from the beach and the pool, and they come with butler service.
Zero entry kids pool at COMO Parrot Cay
Who Each One Is Really For
Choose Amanyara if you want architectural minimalism, privacy, tranquility, and the easier arrival logistics of staying on Providenciales. I'd recommend it for families with one or two younger children or with older children. It is, in my view, the best resort in Turks and Caicos for guests who want a beach trip that feels like a retreat without actually being one.
Choose COMO Parrot Cay if you value warmth and personality over architectural restraint and a longer, more walkable beach. I’d recommend it for families with young kids who want a more casual, relaxed vibe with a strong kids' program, zero-entry family pool, and a long, shallow beach. There's also something about taking the boat to a private island that makes the whole trip feel extra special.
A Note on Booking
Both properties offer benefits to my clients through my relationship — daily breakfast, resort credits, room upgrades when available, and the kind of pre-arrival coordination and concierge service that turns a good trip into a seamless one. I was fortunate to meet with amazing people from both properties who are ready to welcome you and make your trip amazing.
Planning a Turks and Caicos trip? I'd love to help you choose between these two — or build something else entirely. Get in touch.