Top Things To Do
With no less than 40 cays to explore, whether you're looking for the perfect beach or for the next adventure, getting bored in Turks and Caicos is a challenge in itself! Whilst you will find many treasures hidden in each cay's secluded bays and secret caves, you'll be amazed at how much more there is to discover on the other islands, and the best way to experience most of Turks and Caicos is through some exciting island hopping!
Providenciales' Chalk Sound turquoise lake, Grand Turk's unique John Glenn exhibit and jaw-dropping 8,000 feet-deep coral reef, North Caicos' bountiful vegetation and flamingo population, Middle Caicos' Conch Bar Caves and limestone cliffs, South Caicos iguana preserve, East Caicos' petroglyphs, West Caicos stunning diving sites, Salt Cay's step back in time - these are only a few of the amazing and one-of-a-kind gems waiting to be discovered on the various islands.
PROVIDENCIALES
Commonly referred to as "Provo", Providenciales stretches over 38 miles of land and is the country's most developed island, with its international airport greeting most visitors from overseas. Surrounded by stunning white sandy beaches, the island has been named “Best Beach” by Conde’ Nast magazine and by the World Travel Awards for several years running.
MIDDLE CAICOS
Spread over 48 square miles of natural beauty, Middle Caicos is the country's largest island, and counts just three settlements with 275 inhabitants, making this place a stunning and peaceful place to explore by foot. The island's coastline is composed of dramatic limestone cliffs and long sandy beaches on the North shore, whilst the south is covered in swampland and tidal flats that take up almost half of the island.
EAST CAICOS
This 18 square miles large uninhabited island is mostly composed of mangroves and swamps, making it a great spot for wildlife to develop in undisturbed conditions. Once home to a large sisal plantation and cattle industry, the ruins of the now deserted Jacksonville tell a tale of a past life immortalised by cave artwork and railroad tracks. Near the abandoned town, on the north west of the island, a series of caves with petroglyphs show evidence of the island's first settlers.
AMBERGRIS CAY
Located at the southeastern end of the Caicos Bank, this 1,100-acre large island has been under private ownership since 1811. The island boasts eight miles of waterfront, rises to 96 feet, and more than 65% of its territory is a protecting area aiming to preserve the local natural landscape and archaeological ruins.
PROVIDENCIALES
Located at the western of the country's islands chain, Provo offers all modern commodities and luxurious facilities to get the relaxing and worry-free break you need. Visitors will find the island's best beaches and marine life at the North end, towards Grace Bay, an area that is also home to the main resorts and, therefore, tourism services. The island is a great spot for watersports, sightseeing, fishing, dinning, diving, shopping, or simply relaxing!
GRAND TURK
Whilst on the island, make sure you enjoy a bit of snorkelling or diving and explore the outstanding protected coral reef that surrounds the island. The reef is reachable from the shore and drops to 8,000 feet, offering a bountiful display of marine wildlife that becomes even more incredible during whale-watching season, as the humpback whales swim along Grand Turk's shores.
SOUTH CAICOS
Other important heritage features include the island's old salt works that once made South Caicos the country's largest producer of salt, and that are now a bird watching haven, and the Bermudian architecture influences found in most of the old buildings, and reflecting the island's past.
SALT CAY
Take a trip to the ruins at Taylor's Hill and embrace the beautiful views over the island and, during their winter migration period, spot the humpback whales passing by. Around the island, observe the many species of birds and snorkel or dive to meet the abundant marine life populating the waters surrounding the beautiful coast. Experienced divers will enjoy diving the nearby 7,000 foot vertical wall, or exploring the Endymion, a 17th century British warship located 40 minutes south of Deannes Dock.
PARROT CAY
Legend has it that female pirate Anne Bonny camped on the island in 1720s, which resulted in the island's original name, Pirate Cay. The 1,000 acre island is now home to the private and luxurious Parrot Cay Resort and Spa, known as one of the world's most exclusive resort where movie and rock stars enjoy the peace of anonymity. The island also counts beachfront villas built by the likes of Keith Richards and Bruce Willis.
PROVO GOLF CLUB
Regarded as one of the Caribbean's best and most challenging golf courses, and counting David Feherty as its ambassador, this course is set in beautiful settings of lush vegetation, natural limestone outcroppings, and refreshing lakes attracting various water bird species such as flamingos, herons and pelicans.The onsite facilities include a pro-shop, Taylor Made club rentals, practice chipping and putting areas, short range warm up area, a restaurant, and tennis courts.
NORTH CAICOS
Located 12 miles Northeast of Providenciales, North Caicos is the most verdant of the islands due to its important rainfall. The island is home to the beautiful ruins of the Wade's Green Plantation and has the largest population of pink flamingos of the country. Due to its abundant vegetation and beautiful lagoons, the island is a wildlife haven with many species of animals and birds, and is also home to the local iguanas, that visitors can spot around the East Bays Cays.
SOUTH CAICOS
Whilst on the island, make sure to take a trip to the Long Cay iguana preserve, sample some of the country's freshest and tastiest seafood, and explore the surrounding waters' breathtaking diving sites boasting bountiful marine life with beautiful corals, macro life, as well as sharks, eagle rays, loggerhead turtles, spotted rays, octopus and barracudas. The island's sites are also a great spot for unique encounters during the whale winter migration.
WEST CAICOS
Just like East Caicos, the island contains ruins of a small civilisation's past life, with railroad tracks, old stone buildings and engines still being visible today, in the area of the old Yankee Town.
PINE CAY
Besides from an early Arawak settlement dating back to the 11th Century, Pine Cay had no permanent population until the Meridian Club was built in the 1970s. Nowadays, the people who work on the island are mostly commuters from North and Middle Caicos.
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NATURE
BIRD ROCK POINT
Located at the shoutheastern most point of Providenciales, this untouched wildlife haven is one of the few remaining undeveloped spots on the island. Beautiful flora and fauna can be observed in their natural habitat, boarded by beautiful seashores and sandy coves, red mangroves and limited coral reef development. A short distance from the area's main resorts, this site is a great alternative to the local beaches that will delight nature lovers.
SMITH'S REEF
Smith's Reef might be a lesser known snorkel spot but it's one of the best! While this is a lesser known snorkel spot, it isn’t due to lack of things to see! There are lobsters, spider crabs and loads of colourful fish hiding in the overhangs and crevices.
BIRD WATCHING
With no less than 170 species found in the Turks and Caicos islands, bird lovers are in for a treat! With more than twelve of its cays serving as breeding grounds as part of the National Parks system, and with its inland marshes and salt ponds serving as great feeding ground for local and migratory birds, the country is the ideal place to spot and observe the likes of flamingos, great blue herons, osprey, egrets, pelicans, frigates, terns, boobies, Cuban crows, the rare West Indians Whistling Ducks, and other water birds.
CHALK SOUND
Rent a kayak and check out Chalk Sound.Just 2 miles south west of downtown is one of the best attractions; Chalk Sound National park is a vibrant turquoise lagoon surrounded by impressive cliffs. Two shallow coves- Sapodilla and Taylor Bay are located inside and you can rent a kayak for the day, explore the little islands and rest with your picnic!
WHALE WATCHING
If you happen to be visiting the country from late January to early April, head to Grand Turk or Salt Cay for a chance to spot the majestic North Atlantic Humpback Whale, passing through the area on their annual migration for mating and birthing. Various operators around the island offers tours combining boat trips with diving trips, for a chance to not only see, but hear the impressive mammal.
JOJO THE DOLPHIN
Proclaimed National Treasure by the Government, Jojo is a unique Atlantic Bottlenose dolphin that has been living in Turks and Caicos' shallow waters since 1980, and is one of the few dolphin in the world to freely interact with human being in his own natural habitat.
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HERITAGE
CHESHIRE HALL PLANTATION
Located on Providenciales and built by Thomas Stubb in the late 1700s, Cheshire Hall was named after its owner's home county and was once one of the island's most important sites, counting five thousand acres of land and hundreds of slaves.
TURKS & CAICOS NATIONAL MUSEUM
Regarded as one of the best museum in the Caribbean, the Turks and Caicos National Museum retraces and documents the past and present of the islands through a series of exhibits, events, and projects -both old and new-, highlighting the importance of heritage and environment conservation.
MUSIC
During your stay on the islands, you may hear about Ripsaw Music, or Rake ‘n’ Scrape. These are Turks and Caicos' national music, using a goatskin drum, a saw, a Constentina (hand accordion), acoustic guitar, and handmade maracas.
FISH FRY
For an authentic culinary and cultural experience of the local life, head to the Bight Children's Park on Thursdays, where from 5.30pm to 9.30pm, over a dozen food merchants, entertainers, and cultural acts gather for the weekly Fish Fry, showcasing a real concentrate of Turks and Caicos life in fun, family-friendly settings.
JOHN GLENN EXHIBIT
Located on the South end of the Grand Turk Cruise Centre, this 3,500 square foot educative exhibit showcases elements referring to the Mercury space program such as a scaled 20-foot-tall Atlas rocket, a full-size replica of astronaut John Glenn in spacesuit, and a detailed replica of the Friendship 7 capsule, which splashed into the Atlantic in 1962, a few short miles from the island of Grand Turk.
MUSIC
You will hear a lot of Bahamian Calypso, Jamaican Reggae, and Eastern Caribbean Soca, as well as emerging Junkanoo, which dates back to the island's slavery era, and now involves impressive costume competitions.
FISH FRY
Get ready for a complete feast with aromas of fresh fish frying filling the air, with cooks preparing beautiful dishes of conch salad, lobster mac 'n cheese, crab 'n rice, off-the-grill island corn, and plenty more dishes made up by restaurants from all over the island come to cook up a hell of a tasty storm.
ARTS & CRAFTS
With a land so colourful and a population so passionate, it's no wonder that Turks and Caicos are home to so many artists inspired by the beautiful surroundings for their artwork and craftwork. Among those are Phillip Outten, Jean Taylor, Ianthe George, Joan Astwood, of whom you can find the work in the many galleries in Providenciales and Grand Turk.
ARTS & CRAFTS
In Middle Caicos, it's the art of weaving that is predominant, with many techniques such as basket weaving, palm leaves plaiting, net making, or mosquito brushes binding being part of the heritage left from the inhabitants' ancestors, who used those skills to incorporate items and tools useful to their farming and fishing lifestyle.
FISH FRY
Live music and performing arts show take place on the stage, showcasing bands, dancers, organisations and youth groups from all around the country, as well as local schools and church groups, to create an unforgettable evening of pure cultural delight!
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