Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Islands

INTRODUCTION

With surrounding islands, sun-kissed beaches, lush rainforests and rugged outback, Turks and Caicos Islands offer something for everyone. World class hotels, spas, and restaurants are found in plenty as are famous stretches of uncrowned beaches and vibrant coral reefs. On land or below the water, one can relax in the unique serenity, hospitality and beauty of the islands. And there’s no part of Turks and Caicos Islands more colorful than the people. The locals are friendly, helpful and more than accommodating.

                                                                                                                               Whether one is looking for culture, nature, epic journeys or sublime experiences everyone can find comprehensive travel information here to help prepare for a great vacation in Turks and Caicos Islands.

HISTORY

Much before Christopher Columbus first came to the capital island of Grand Turk during his discovery journey of the new world in 1492, the islands of the Turks & Caicos were occupied by Taino and Lucayan Indians.  These original settlers left a rich legacy of seafaring, salt raking and farming, which still remains today.  Words such as “canoe”, Caribbean and “caicos” are derived from the Arawak language which is one of the languages of this place. Even the name of the country comes from these earliest residents.  Turks is a reference to the native Turk’s head cactus and Caicos is from the Lucayan term “caya hico” meaning string of islands.

GEOGRAPHY

One of the most valuable belongings of the islands are the white sandy beaches, which in total cover 230 miles and are complimented with crystal clear waters. The islands are comparatively flat but depending on the island, the terrain can vary from sand dunes to lush green vegetation. Salt Cay, Grand Turk, South Caicos, East Caicos, Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales and West Caicos are the eight major islands. The people on the islands are recognized for their friendliness. East Caicos and West Caicos are unoccupied.

ACCOMMODTION

On the islands of Providential and Grand Turk you will find International style hotel accommodations, each one has its own unique set up and surroundings. Traditional dishes are served along with international cuisine, you will find this at most of the restaurants. More casual and tranquil accommodations can be found on the other islands and smaller cays. Where to stay in the Turks and Caicos Islands is not a big problem .Sorted by accommodation type or Turks and Caicos accommodation many hotels and resorts come into existence. Here you can find hotels ranging from small budget to cozy bed and breakfast to luxurious waterfront villas and all inclusive resorts. If you visit there then be sure to check Turks and Caicos remote outer islands, the less traveled destinations. You can find here lots of categories of hotels like boutique hotels, hideaway cottages and interesting outdoor adventures before new upcoming resorts affect their colonial Caribbean charm. In the whole Turks and Caicos Island friendly locals are happy to see you enjoying their islands beauty. On any of the island, no matter where you stay, you are never far from the beautiful white sand beaches that are part of Turks and Caicos’s claim to fame. Some of the hotels listed below give great facilities and services - Airport Inn is the lowest rate hotel on providenciales which is only 2 min. from airport and it has restaurant and shops at its premises,  Blue Horizon Resort provides unspoiled paradise, a true “get away island” with cottages for rent and located on the waterfront and surrounded by miles of beach trails, biking trails and nature situated at Middle Caicos, Bohio resorts invite you to the kick off your shoes, stroll across the velvet sand and immerse yourself in tropical waters just steps from your room, GraceBay Club offers the standard of luxury all suites Turks and Caicos resort with 21 suites offering very intimate and private ambiance.  Here you can get all sorts of enjoyment and entertainment which are provided by the Hotels, Resorts and various Clubs. Hotel of all range and at all locality are easily available.

PLACES TO VISIT

Cockburn Town is the managerial capital and the historic and cultural center of the Turks and Caicos. The homes and public structures that line the narrow streets offer many fine examples of Bermudian-style colonial architecture, an influence of the Bermudian salt trade from the mid-1600s to the early 1900s. The Tourism industry gives Turks and Caicos its main income. In addition to this the islands are also a major offshore economic center. There is a small conventional fishing industry that continues throughout Turks and Caicos.

Wades Green plantation, the best of the Loyalist plantations is a popular visitor attraction on North Caicos. This earlier cotton plantation had a high reputation because Caicos cotton was believed to be the best in the world. Visitors can view the great house, the kitchen building, the overseer's house, slave houses, and neighboring walls which echo with a turbulent history. One can still find work of arts among the ruins today.

Mudjin Harbor is one of the most photographed places on the Turks and Caicos and is a half-moon lagoon with magnificent limestone cliffs overhanging the sandy expanse of beach that links up to an off-shore cay.

Fort George Cay, a national park with ruins of a British Fort and ruins of pre-Columbian settlement that can be found with the help of a guide lies off the North coast of Pine Cay.

This park protects underground caverns, one of the largest cave systems in the Caribbean region. Some have lagoons and stalactites and stalagmites and most have settlements of bats. They were used as holy sanctuaries by the Lucayan Indians, who left petroglyphs on the walls.

At Grace Bay, visitors experience beautiful beaches plus a long coral reef, rich in aquatic life. Grace Bay Beach is the central point for tourism, and the location of the Princess Alexandra Marine Park, and the playground of "JoJo" the famous bottlenose dolphin.

Middle Caicos is the largest of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and has the most spectacular coastline. Limestone cliffs with long sandy beaches can be found in the north. The south is filled by swampland and tidal flats. The island is green from abundant rain and ideal for crops such as corn, cassava, sapodillas and sugar apples. Middle Caicos has the largest caves in all Turks and Caicos near the settlement of Conch Bar. The two other settlements on the island are Bambarra and Lorimers with a combined population of about 275.

More commonly known as "Provo" it is the most developed island in Turks and Caicos.

Provo is a diver's and water lover's paradise. Bounded by beautiful white sand beaches, the most stunning of which is the stretch located at Grace Bay and is protected by a healthy barrier reef. Provo presents modern conveniences, including hotels, a Golf Club, and full service grocery store. Downtown visitors will find retail shops, business offices and banks and a number of restaurants. The population of over 6,000 comprises the islands' largest non-native population. The growing population is chiefly due to the completion of the airport in 1984.

CULTURE, PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE

The English speaking population of 20,500 is spread over the eight main islands; the native people are descendants from African slaves who were initially brought over to grow cotton on the island of Providenciales. The inhabitants are very kind and friendly people and are also very religious. The "expat" community of British, American, French, Canadian and Scandinavian gives the islands some European touch. The people of the islands have a very stress-free attitude that helps to create a perfect environment for you to unwind. 

Natives of the Turks and Caicos are proud of their local artists, who have been stimulated by the islands' natural beauty and, more recently, by the artistic styles of nearby Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Local artists most often use oils and watercolors to paint unbelievable waterfront scenes and depictions of the exceptional islanders. These up-and-coming artists' works are widely exhibited throughout the Turks and Caicos. A number of local crafts are tremendously popular in the middle Caicos. From basket weaving, plaiting palm leaves for straw hats, and weaving fanner dishes and bowls to binding mosquito brushes and net-making, native crafts are significant to the way of life of the people of the islands. Many of these local crafts support fishing and agricultural uses, though some are now made and sold to tourists for their aesthetic qualities. The people of the Turks and Caicos are committed to maintaining these traditional crafts to pass on to future generations.

When one picture paradise, the fantasy probably looks a lot like the Island of North Caicos. They have the next thing there is to year-round perfect weather With 41 square miles of space and only 1,500 people on the island, one can have plenty of breathing space. Its lively natural ecosystem of birds, butterflies, reptiles, salinas, mangroves, coastal cays, barrier reef, miles of unobstructed sandy beach and woodland vegetation are truly inspiring. The various fruit trees - mango, sapodilla, sugar apple and papaya, along with coconut trees grow throughout the island, and are fed by a rainfall of about 40 inches per year. The majority of the people live in the settlements of Bottle Creek Village, Kew, Whitby and Sandy Point, which are inviting places to check out the local culture. For some local history, the ruins of old Loyalist plantations, the grandest of which is Wades Green, with its extraordinary woodland vegetation or the caves near Sandy Point where Lucayan artifacts were uncovered can been checked out. A visitor should not forget Cottage Pond on the road to Sandy Point where one can find a large pool of tropical vegetation and a source of pirate stories. One may even come across intricate crafts such as detailed straw-work that are still practiced on this island.

WILDLIFE

Turks and Caicos Islands swarm many species of birds, butterflies and other wildlife, including migrating whales offshore. About 100 species of birds make the islands their dwelling place and another 100 are migratory.  The Island of North Caicos possesses the largest flock of Pink Flamingo in the islands of Turks & Caicos. There are number of flocks of flamingos at Flamingo Pond and Mud Hole Pond. Families of ospreys that nest off the beaches at Three Mary Cays, and a wide variety of other birds on the islands' extensive nature reserves and sanctuaries can be found here. There are about 35 species of butterflies together with the Leafwing, Caribbean Buckeye and Gulf Fritillary. One could see Curley Tailed Lizards and, after a rainfall, Anole, while Iguanas on the nearby East Bays Cays are an example of the natural diversity of this green lush island.

To the extreme northwest, Three Mary Cays National Park protects cays with osprey populations and is also a great spot for snorkeling - there are three small cays right off the beach. To the northeast of the island, East Bay Islands National Park protects three uninhabited cays with captivating beaches and iguanas. While, Ramsar Site Sanctuary covers the southern part of the island, with marsh and wetlands, along with proliferation sites for lobster, conch and fish.