Turks & Caicos - a little known paradise
Dec 9, 2005, 20:58
Turks & Caicos is a collection of islands situated in the Caribbean, nearly 600 miles south-east from Miami. They are certainly some of the more unknown islands that the Caribbean has to offer, but this does not mean that they are in any way less beautiful as any of the others. Its greatest attraction is the diving, as it boasts the third largest coral reef system in the world and is one of the top ten places in the world to dive. And with great diving goes great beaches, of which there are 230 glorious miles of amazing white sands complemented by perfectly clear water.
And we are talking the very highest quality here. For example, Providenciales was voted the World's Leading Beach at the recent World Travel Awards in London based on votes from 156,000 travel agencies and professionals in over 140 countries. The beach beat stiff competition from other outstanding beaches across the world such as South Beach in Miami, Daytona Beach in Florida, Wailea Beach in Hawaii and Crane Beach in <a href="http://www.globalholidays.co.uk/holidays-barbados.htm" barbados.
Turks & Caicos scored another victory when Point Grace was voted as the Leading Boutique Hotel in the entire Caribbean. This exclusive resort is a beautiful place to stay and if you really want to splash out then you might want to book the Non Such Penthouse where you can spread out over the whole 4,600 sq ft.
So these are the highlights of Turks & Caicos. More generally, there are eight islands that are inhabited: Salt Cay, Grand Turk, South Caicos, Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, Parrot Cay and Pine Cay. The local people are affectionately known as "Belongers", which helps to describe their amiable nature, always willing to welcome tourists and make them feel at home. In total, the population of the islands is somewhere in the region of just 20-25,000 residents.
The capital city is Cockburn Town, which is situated on the island of Grand Turk. It is the financial heart of the islands and has long been the political and administrative centre too. To get more of an idea about what Turks & Caicos is about, then pay a visit to the Islands National Museum. Here you can see a variety of displays from the history of the island, with the main showpiece being the impressive remains of the Molasses Reef, which has the proud tag of being the oldest shipwreck in the Americas.
A stroll around town will also allow you to take in the government buildings and you can see the Columbus Monument, which lays claim to the explorer landing on the island in 1492. Head down to the shore for fine views and you will also find some great beaches, as well as at the nearby Waterloo and White Sands Beach.
The island of Salt Cay, just nine miles south of Grand Turk, was once the largest producer of salt in the world. There are now just 125 residents left. It is almost like walking back in time as you visit Balfour Town and check out the remarkably well-kept White House, a salt merchant's house, as well as buildings where workers would congregate to receive their pay.
Providenciales, or more simply Provo, is the real tourist centre, after a boom in the early 1990s. It offers many smart resorts, mainly along Grace Bay, as well as an 18-hole golf course. The diving here is excellent with miles of coral reefs and the many cays off the coast give an opportunity for a little exploration.
The smallest island is South Caicos. Here you can climb what for this set of islands is a mountainous peak, the Sail Rock Hills, soaring up 178 feet. Due to the flatness of the islands, even from this modest height the views are breathtaking as you can scan across the sea, encompassing the Turks Island Passage and Belle Sound.
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