Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart, building a sandcastle is a great way to enjoy the beach on a Caribbean vacation. The Alexandra Resort, occupying 600 feet on world acclaimed Grace Bay beach, offers the perfect place to practice your sandcastle building skills.
Here are a few simple rules to help you build a castle or another shape made from sand (we have seen some really cool sandmen, dolphins and mermaids on our beach recently) that is sure to impress:
(1) Use lots of water. Sand needs to be really wet to hold its shape.
(2) Don’t make the sand too wet. Dry sand flies away. Sand with too much water makes sandy water. So, make the sand wet, but also let it drain before you attempt to mould a shape with it. The best ratio is one part sand to one part water.
(3) Amass a big pile of damp sand, and then create shapes from it. It is easier to start with a large pile of sand then to attempt to create shapes from small clumps of sand.
(4) Tamp the sand. You can use your hands, your feet, a shovel, even the bottom of a beach pail. The important rule to follow is to tamp the sand as tight and firm as possible.
(5) Enlist some help. All of the digging, water sourcing, tamping and structural planning takes work! If you do not have friends or family members interested in helping you build your sand structure, look around the beach for some aspiring sand architects. There is always at least one spectator keen to share their opinion on how to make a sand castle, and a few children willing to make a few trips to the shoreline to carry back pails of water. You’ll likely make a few new friends at the same time, and have company to enjoy a cool drink with when your work is done.
The beach attendants at Alexandra Resort will provide you with sand making tools, and Mother Nature invites you to enjoy the best of Grace Bay Beach. You’ll just need your imagination to make the perfect sand castle on your Turks and Caicos vacation.
