Before we even unpack we go right up to the rooftop viewing deck at Bajacu with its 270-degree view of nothing but beach and blue sea. Views are, after all, one of the most enchanting charms of this 5-bedroom villa that sprawls like a Mexican hacienda on a bluff overlooking the island of Providenciales (“Provo” to yachties, divers and fishermen).

Bajacu is one of the most luxurious and private retreats on any of the eight inhabited Turks and Caicos Islands, a constellation of 40 sandy atolls that hang like an apostrophe between Cuba and Haiti. For the longest time this British Crown Colony used its obscure geography as a tourist slogan. “Where on Earth are the Turks and Caicos?” was an appropriate slogan for decades since the islands were really only known to divers and fishermen who came to play in the enchanted waters. They briefly made world news in 1962 when astronaut John Glenn splashed down just offshore. Rumor had it that he saw the turquoise waters and white beaches from space, and navigated his capsule for a splashdown in paradise.

We took a cue from Glenn and discovered the islands ourselves several years ago. They have quickly become one of our favorite destinations in no small part because of off-the-beaten-tourist-path finds like Bajacu. We walk back down the spiral staircase hand-painted with stars, flowers and fish, and set about exploring the rest of the property.

Exploring the property is no small feat when you consider that it occupies nearly 10,000 square feet high atop a sandy bluff overlooking the sea. Yet despite its largeness there is a fine sense of detail here that draws the eye from the bold to the beautiful. There are the polished black river stones imported from Mexico that band the threshold of each room, small cubby-holes full of vases and hand-painted knick-knacks, and even beautiful cactus-wood railing running up among the lime and mango trees that line the entrance path.

The Latin American connection isn’t too surprising, since the villa was designed by noted Mexican architect and artist Marco Aldaco. His mainland touches shine through in the architectural aspects of the villa. Both the dining room and main living area sport thatched Mayan roofs.

But Aldaco’s personal artisan touch is also integrated into the very walls of the villa. “Back during the three-year construction phase,” the owners told us, “he would wander from room to room with a piece of builder’s chalk. He would stand and stare at a blank wall and outline a window where he thought one should be. He was an artist creating views.”

Today, Aldaco’s windows-ornately bordered with hand-painted wooden frames-are the true masterpieces in this hillside gallery. Everywhere you look throughout the villa your eye is guided out to the blue horizon of the sea. The result is a freeing sense of space that complements rather than competes with the almost fortress-like walls. It is a spaciousness that also finds blue echoes in the tranquility of the two infinity pools that tumble one into another just outside the master bedroom.

Despite the castle-like seclusion and luxurious privacy of Bajacu, when you’re looking for some island fun, there is plenty to be had nearby. The marina at the foot of the hill offers fishing, diving and sightseeing tours. Guests of Bajacu have automatic use of a 24-foot powerboat for three half-days per week, something we take full advantage of.

Over the next few days, we will also explore Grace Bay along the north shore of Provo’s hotel strip, a five-mile beach-combers canvas. With a packed lunch of jerk chicken and our masks and fins, we’ll enjoy an afternoon on the beach with some snorkeling at Smith’s Reef just offshore. We even rent a Jeep and bounce out to the lighthouse in Northwest Point Marine National Park, where we string up a couple of hammocks in the shaded casuarinas and marvel at the deep Prussian blues of the Caicos Passage.

On our last morning we wake up early to watch a mango sunrise, fitting farewell to Bajacu since the name actually means “sunrise over the ocean” in the indigenous Taino language.

Too sleepy to make our way up to the roof, we open the windows to the master bedroom and let the sweet scent of night jasmine fill the room. We sit back and watch a warming sun as it climbs high through the middle of the window frame. Some people paint masterpieces with oils and canvas, we muse, and some use watercolors. Here at Bajacu, however, an artist from Mexico painted his masterpieces with concrete and a single piece of chalk.