The Islands

A Brief Introduction:

The Turks and Caicos Islands, until recently, were one of the Caribbean’s best kept secrets. They are rapidly becoming one of the hot spots in the Caribbean among savvy travelers who revel in its amazing diving, majestic marine life and spectacular white-sand beaches. In the past five years, Providenciales has earned the reputation as the fastest growing island destination in the Caribbean. Turks is home to the third largest barrier reef and the 8,000-foot deep and 22-mile wide Columbus Passage, a major attraction to scuba divers and whale watchers.

The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Dependent Territory and are comprised of eight islands and 40 cays located 575 miles south of Miami. According to legend, the islands are named after the scarlet dome of the Turks Head cactus and the Spanish word “cayos” for small island.

First discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the islands were a Spanish territory for the next century. However, the Spanish ignored Turks and it became a hideout for many a pirate in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. In the mid 1600’s, Britain took over control of the island. Bermudians began to arrive and, for the next 400 years, a thriving salt business brought notoriety to the islands. During the American Revolution, the island became a haven for British nationalists who needed a place to escape.

In 1848, the islands separated from the Bahamas and provided a local government but quickly learned how expensive this can be and was soon annexed by Jamaica. Finally, in 1976, the islands were granted a new constitution and an elective form of government. Britain still maintains some control since the Queen appoints the Governor but the local inhabitants, or Belongers, elect a Prime Minister and cabinet to run the island.

The Island Chain:

As mentioned before, there are many islands and cays that make up the Turks and Caicos Islands. Providenciales is the largest and fastest growing, which boasts Grace Bay, often termed the “Gold Coast”. It is home to the majority of hotels, condominiums and restaurants, as well as the Provo Golf and Country Club.

While Providenciales (Provo) is all about tourism, the Turks Islands – Grand Turk and Salt Cay – are rich in tradition and heritage dating back some 500 years. Grand Turk, for example, is the home of a brand new Grand Turk Cruise Center and a state of the art pier and recreation complex.

Rounding out the Turks chain are the North Caicos, Middle Caicos and South Caicos. Each offers a variety in interesting sight seeing, whether it is traditional history or local plant and animal life.

Parrot Cay has recently become “home” to such celebrities as Michael Douglas and Bruce Willis.

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