Why Villa Camilla is the Perfect Eco-Resort Experience

Nestled along the sugar-white shores of Grace Bay Beach, Villa Camilla is more than a place to stay. We’ve designed a destination with a purpose since we first imagined the project’s physics & mathematics-inspired design in 1986. The owners have been purposefully collecting Haitian and Latin American art to fill the rental units with a soft and familial energy. 

When you choose to stay at the first eco-resort and only eco-reserve in the Turks & Caicos, you’ll know your luxury vacation blends eco-living with timeless elegance, and we were doing it before it was cool [including low-flow toilets].

At our Turks and Caicos eco resort, preservation isn’t just an amenity we’ve added to existing villas in Grace Bay. We’ve built our eco-preserve from the ground up on Grace Bay Beach, consistently voted “The Best Beach in the World” by Condé Nast, USA Today, World’s Best Beaches, TripAdvisor, Traveller’s Choice, Forbes, and World Travel Awards. 

A Legacy of “Firsts”

For over three decades, Villa Camilla has been leading the way among Turks and Caicos luxury villas. We’ve been quietly but consistently raising the bar in the luxury vacation rental space through our Turks and Caicos all-inclusive boutique resort:

• In 1988, Villa Camilla became the first 3-bedroom luxury rental on Grace Bay.
• In 1989, it introduced the first 6-bedroom boutique villa collection on the island.
• In 1992, Villa Camilla was a Founding Member of the Turks and Caicos Hotel and Tourism Association
• By 1994, it had launched the first website in the entire country.
• And in 1996, when others were expanding with high-rise hotels, our preservation-focused leadership chose to protect an extra six acres of native land, in part to maintain our >300-degree views of sunrise and sunset.

And this legacy of firsts has continued in recent years:

• After Hurricane Irma in late 2017, the Turks & Caicos leadership designated Villa Camilla as an official Eco-Preserve.
• In 2021, our Grace Bay luxury villas received the first TCI Assured Certification for health & safety in the country.

From green tech to greywater systems to the six-layered security system, every decision revolves around a simple goal—continue a 37-year heritage mission that puts nature first. Unlike the vast majority of our competitor hotels, villas, and condos, we choose to fight every day to maintain the Turks & Caicos national tagline: Beautiful By Nature!

What It Means To Be an Eco-Preserve

Being a preserve sounds like marketing puffery, right? But for us, it’s more than that. Our private eco-resort is nearly 8 acres of living proof where the undisturbed dunes, as well as dense tropical bush, have protected the villas from the ravages of multiple hurricanes and tropical storms over the last three decades.

Three-quarters of the land has remained untouched since the 1830s. Villa Camilla’s buildings were designed to flow with nature, not trample over it. We’ve preserved wind channels and planted drought-tolerant flora. We’ve carefully placed every villa to minimize damage to native vegetation.

Our water system could have become a university course in sustainable resource management, proven by our CMO, who volunteered to be the Principal Investigator & Co-Editor of Barnard College’s 2008 Liquid Waste Management Taskforce:

• Greywater from sinks and showers is used to drip irrigate the gardens.
• Rainwater is collected in cisterns.
• A 3-stage septic minimizes the groundwater impact of human waste.
• Two deep wells from the colonial era that run our toilets and the irrigation system.
• Saltwater pools are naturally heated and cooled using solar and lunar cycles.

We’ve even built eco-conscious lighting with cool LEDs, moderately tinted windows, cathedral ceilings, super-efficient AC/dehumidifier inverter systems, screened windows throughout, and shade maximization with the help of local trees. We invite you to walk through the gardens to view over 100 species of native flowers, epiphytes, orchids, and even the nursery where we nurture saplings and seedlings. 

What fun when you catch a glimpse of a lizard sunbathing or a migratory bird nesting nearby!

The Villa Camilla Experience

The private eco-resort is as restorative as the land it’s built on.

You’ll love the three unique units with both east and west-facing decks, so your group will never miss a sunrise coffee of freshly brewed Don Martin Blend’s locally roasted organic beans or a sunset view with Don Martin Passion fruit liquor or even a front-row seat to toast the latest SpaceX launch with Don Martin’s Handcrafted Island Rum. Shaded pergolas and open spaces embrace you in warmth as you release any tensions and melt into your surroundings. Whether you’re alone, with a partner, with friends, or with the whole family, you’ll find comfort and rejuvenation here, without compromising the planet.

Amenities include:

• Two saltwater pools
• Outdoor dining and propane grilling areas
• Art made from Haitian oil drums & paintings that utilize recycled canvas
• Sun-dried linens and biodegradable laundry detergents

Spend your days swimming, lounging, bird-watching, exploring native plants, or just listening to the breeze. Unwind and be present.

And just steps away? Find adventure outside our Turks and Caicos Grace Bay resorts at world-renowned Grace Bay Beach, as well as the protected land and waters of Princess Alexandra National Marine Park.

A Living Ecosystem—For All

Unlike most properties on Providenciales, Villa Camilla doesn’t depend solely on reverse osmosis to supply water like other resorts in Turks and Caicos. Instead, we rely on time-tested natural systems that benefit both guests and the wildlife we want to protect:

• Native and migratory birds
• Endangered Giant Erebus moths—one of the last known breeding grounds
• Geckos, lizards, frogs
• Flowering plants thriving in their natural habitat

Plan Your Stay With Purpose

Don’t just plan a vacation. Become a part of something bigger—protecting our amazing planet and its inhabitants. Discover the only Eco-Preserve in Turks & Caicos, and experience a side of island living that’s as thoughtful as it is breathtaking.

Book your stay and join the legacy.