Above: Grace Bay Club in Providenciales

By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Turks and Caicos’ Providenciales has been named the world’s best beach destination for 2012, according to this year’s Travelers’ Choice awards from Trip Advisor.

It is the second straight year Providenciales has received the honour, which is based on traveler responses.

Trip Advisor said the ranking came from popularity from families, divers and snorkelers and newlyweds.

Several other Caribbean destinations made the Top 25 list.

Negril, Jamaica was fourth on the list. Cancun and the Dominican Republic’s Punta Cana were seventh and eighth, respectively.

Varadero, Cuba was ranked 10th, and another Cuban beach destination, Cayo Coco, was ranked 20th.

Turks and Caicos Director of Tourism Ralph Higgs said he “concurs fully with Trip Advisors’ remarks,” adding that “the world is now discovering what we have known all along.”