Introduction
The Turks & Caicos are an archipelago of more than 30 islands forming the southeastern end of the Bahamas chain. There are two principal groups, each surrounded by a continuous coral reef. Caicos is the larger group and includes Providenciales, Middle (or Grand) Caicos, and the islands of North, South, East and West Caicos, plus numerous small cays, some of which are inhabited. The Turks group, separated by a 35km-wide (22-mile) channel of water, consists of Grand Turk, Salt Cay and a number of small uninhabited cays. The Turks & Caicos Islands are a spectacular destination for those who wish to get away from it all. There are numerous national parks, beautiful white sand beaches, nature preserves, sanctuaries and historical sites. Island specialities include whelk soup, conch chowder, lobster and special types of fresh fish. There are nightclubs and discos, and hotels arrange beach parties and other entertainments.
Facts for Travellers
Full country name: Turks and Caicos Islands
Area: 166 sq km
Population: 17,502
Capital City: Cockburn Town (Grand Turk)
People: Mainly African descent, plus Haitians and Dominican immigrants, North American & European expats
Language: English
Religion: Baptist, Methodist, Anglican
Government: dependent territory of the United Kingdom
Time Zone: GMT/UTC -4
Dialling Code: 649
Electricity: 110V ,60Hz
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Vacation Deals
We constantly update vacation deals and flights + hotel packages for Turks & Caicos and the Caribbean. You can also check out some of the
best hotels and resorts in Turks and Caicos with exciting attractions like golf, casino, scuba diving and other water sports.
Popular hotels & resorts in Turks and Caicos are
Sands at Grace Bay
and The Palm.
Passport & Visas
No visas are required for citizens of the USA, Canada, UK and the EU. Most other nationalities require a visa. US citizens need proof of citizenship (a valid passport, voter's registration card or birth certificate) with photo ID. Everyone else, including UK citizens, needs a valid passport. Proof of onward transportation is required upon entry.
More Information About Visa Requirements
Getting There & Around
Travellers from the US have the best access to the Turks & Caicos islands. American Airlines, Turks & Caicos Airways, InterIsland Airways and Sandals Beaches Express fly between Provo and Miami, Fort Lauderdale and New York. Lynx Air flies between Fort Lauderdale and South Caicos and Grand Turk. Canadians can book a charter flight between Toronto and Provo. Travellers coming from Europe will have to connect with flights in Miami, Fort Lauderdale or New York.
From within the Caribbean, Bahamasair and Turks & Caicos Airways fly between Provo and Nassau, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico. Air Jamaica flies between Provo and Montego Bay in Jamaica, the new Caribbean hub.
There are no public buses on any of the islands, so taxis are the best all-around transport option. Taxis are available on all the inhabited islands, and most taxi drivers double as guides. Be sure to negotiate an agreeable price before setting out; fares are usually quoted according to the number of passengers.
Cars and motorcycles can be rented on Provo and Grand Turk. Getting between the islands is easiest by plane. All the islands except West and East Caicos are served by air from Grand Turk and Provo. Sky King, InterIsland Airways and Turks & Caicos Airways fly between the islands on a quasi-scheduled basis.
When to Go
The only time to consider not going to the Turks and Caicos is the sweltering four months of August to November, when the daily average high is 32°C (90°F); when the trade winds die it nudges over 38°C (100°F). During the Northern Hemisphere's winter, spring and summer (December to July), the average daily high is milder. The peak tourist season is between winter and spring (mid-December to mid-April). Probably the best time to visit is between mid-April and July.
Grand Turk hosts a two-day Summerjam every June, featuring live bands and beauty contests. June brings the Queen's Official Birthday Celebrations to Grand Turk, which features the police marching band whipping up jingoistic fervor. In July, Grand Turk hosts a Rake 'n' Scrape Festival, with bands playing traditional island music.
Best Beaches
There are lots of places in the Turks and Caicos Islands to sunbake and swim. Grand Turk has fine beaches at Cockburn Town, Waterloo and White Sands. Salt Cay has excellent sands, as does Providenciales at Grace Bay and Chalk Sound.
Best Scuba Diving & Snorkeling
The islands also offer some of the Caribbean's best diving and snorkeling, especially along the 'Wall,' which is the face of a 7000ft (2100m) trench separating Grand Turk and Salt Cay from East and South Caicos. South Caicos has great wall diving, and you're sure to see plenty of pelagics, including eagle rays, Atlantic rays and black-tip sharks. Salt Cay's best dive sites include Wanda Lust, known for its plankton-rich waters that attract whales and eagle rays; Kelly's Folly, a rolling coral garden; and HMS Endymion, a never-salvaged 18th-century British warship bristling with cannons that was discovered lodged in a coral canyon.
Attractions
The islands have unsurpassed whale watching. You can spot humpbacks off South Caicos in January and February, and the Mouchoit Bank, south of Grand Turk, has the only known breeding grounds for North Atlantic humpbacks.
Birdwatchers can find ospreys, sparrow hawks, barn owls, pelicans and frigate birds throughout the islands. There are colonies of shorebirds on many of the uninhabited cays. Flamingoes can be found on West, North and South Caicos; the Cuban heron can be spotted on the latter. Other activities include windsurfing at Grand Turk's North Creek, and horseback riding, parasailing and skydiving on Provo.
There is an 18-hole golf championship course in Providenciales and cricket is a popular pastime.
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