Out of the low-lying forty or so islands south of the Bahamas, only about eight of the islands of Turks and Caicos are inhabited. Turks and Caicos are surrounded by one of the longest coral reefs in the world and the islands are renowned for their white sand beaches and azure water. There is no recognised rainy season in the Turks and Caicos islands which is unusual in the Caribbean, making the summer a very attractive time to visit too. Today the Turks and Caicos are still a British Dependent Territory and they really rely on offshore banking and tourism for revenue. Visitors come to Turks and Caicos for the glorious sandy beaches, one of the best being the 12-mile stretch of Grace Bay on the northern shore of Provo and the diving, with water visibility being excellent and great care taken to protect and conserve the reefs. Sailing trips to the nearby cays, many uninhabited, are another way of exploring the islands. If you want high standards of quality, excellent beaches and clear turquoise waters for rest and relaxation on your luxury holiday, then the Turks and Caicos are well worth exploring.
Facts
Capital Cockburn Town on Grand Turk
Airport
Providenciales international airport
Size
Providenciales is 25 miles long and 3 miles wide
Currency
US dollar
Population
About 15,000 living on six inhabited islands
Temperature
About 25 degress Centigrade in the winter and about 28 degrees Centigrade in the summer, cooled by trade winds. There is no recognised rainy season on Turks and Caicos.
Local highlights
12 mile beach on Provo`s northern shore and Sapodilla beach in the southwest of the island. Cays stretching northeast from Provo - including Parrot Cay and Pine Cay, which has a superb two mile long beach of soft sand. Scuba diving is excellent, particularly around Grand Turk. Provo has the Caicos Conch Farm, where conchs are bred. Flamingos on uninhabited West Caicos, also good for diving and a great beach. Regattas including the Provo Summer Festival in July. Seafood especially conch is a speciality - watch out for it hanging out to dry on washing lines. The reef attracts numerous colourful fish as well as green turtles, manta and spotted eagle rays. 18 hole championship golf course on Provo. Jojo - a dolphin is known to frequent the Grace Bay area and swim with humans (he has a warden and is a protected wild animal).
Getting out and about
Cars can be hired on Provo or taxis are available to run people around, although the local driving can be erratic. Boat trips can be arranged from the hotels to visit neighbouring islands for picnics, swimming and snorkelling.
Travel arrangements
Flight time London to Providenciales is about 12 hours with a touchdown in Nassau in each direction. Access to the Turks and Caicos is direct with British Airways on Sundays (touches down in Nassau). Access is also possible via Miami and then onward with American Airlines. Both British Airways and Virgin have daily flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Miam