Turks & Caicos are renowned for the world’s most beautiful beaches, pristine coral reefs, diving and fishing.

The Turks and Caicos Islands consists of 8 major islands including Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. By Bill Bailey.


Turks & Caicos are renowned for the world’s most beautiful beaches, pristine coral reefs, diving and fishing. The administrative and political capital of the Turks & Caicos Islands is Grand Turk Island. Cockburn Town has been the seat of government since 1766. This small island is bursting with turn-of-the-century Caribbean charm and was founded by Bermudan Salt Rakers some three centuries ago.

Grand Turk is six miles long and just over a mile wide. Like the other islands, it is blessed with miles of quiet beaches and is close to several uninhabited cays just waiting to be explored. At the north point of the island, a channel to the sea gives access to North Creek, the only hurricane shelter for yachts travelling between Nassau and Puerto Rico. Donkeys, horses and cattle were the means of transportation during the salt industry, and these animals are seen still wondering the streets and countryside of Grand Turk.

Every summer Grand Turk becomes a party town. During July it is host to the annual Grand Turk Heineken Game Fishing Tournament, a fun-filled event for local and visiting sportspeople as well as party enthusiasts. Between June and September, Grand Turk plays host to a week full of dancing to island music, sporting challenges and mouth-watering local food.

The island is consistently rated among the top 10 dive destinations in the world, providing spectacular diving, snorkelling, fishing and sailing. The warm Atlantic Sea waters are filled with marine life ranging from a tiny seahorse to manta, eagle and sting rays, green and hawksbill turtles, dolphin, shark, whale shark and the magnificent humpback whale. Diving is just a five minute boat ride offshore to the 7,000 foot vertical wall. On the top of the wall divers enjoy diving through the incredible coral formations and sand gullies.

Grand Turk diving is laid back and unhurried. The boats go out with one-tank and easily return to shore for an hour interval before going out to the government's marine conservation parks for the second dive. The local dive operators have combined efforts forming an organization to 'Protect Reefs & Islands from Degradation and Exploitation' ensuring that the reefs are managed and used with respect.

The urban centre of the Turks & Caicos Islands is known as Providenciales. Familiarly known as "Provo," the island offers all the modern conveniences one could desire while remaining a superior vacation destination for those wanting to escape from stress and overpopulated cities. Provo has an 18- hole golf course, a casino, shopping centres, three marinas and a growing number of bars and excellent restaurants. It is also a divers' and water lovers' paradise.

Beautiful beaches are scattered on all sides of Providenciales, the most spectacular of which is a 12 mile stretch located on Grace Bay, which is protected by a healthy barrier reef. Situated on the west side of the Caicos archipelago, Providenciales has an area of 38 square miles. Prior to 1960, the island had a population of 500. Today, it has the largest population and contains the largest native and non native population in Turks & Caicos.

The south part of the island faces the Caicos Bank. The Caicos Bank is a shallow, pale turquoise sea and is partly composed of swamp and tidal flats, filled with an abundant resource of conch and lobster. Natural island formations offer safe mooring for sailors. Sapodilla Bay is a popular mooring for yachts travelling through the Turks and Caicos Islands. On the opposite end of Providenciales, the deep channel of Leeward Going Through makes a natural and safe harbour on the northeast end of the island.

Historical points of interest include the Cheshire Hall and Richmond Hill Plantation ruins. Stones engraved by shipwrecked sailors are found on a hill overlooking Sapodilla Bay. The "Hole" at Long Bay is a deep and wide limestone chimney with a mysterious depth of salt water at the bottom. Provo is home to the only Conch farm in the world. These molluscs with their beautiful pink shells take five years to grow to their adult size. The Conch farm is open for tours during the winter months.

North Caicos, part of the archipelago known as Turks and Caicos Islands is located south of the Bahamas, north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti and northeast of Cuba. North Caicos is 41 square miles and has a population of approximately 1500. North Caicos is 12 miles northeast of Providenciales (Provo) where the International Airport hub is centered for Turks and Caicos Islands. Daily connecting flights and boat charters are available, making North Caicos easily accessible. For adventurous travellers, car and bicycle rentals are available as well as taxis and guided tours.