Beach & Cruise Liner
Motor Ship & Cruise Liner
Grand Turk Church
Snowy Egret
Diver and Fish
Light House
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Impression
These
flat, coral islands have miles of sandy beaches and are a water
playground. Diving and snorkelling are superb among coral gardens,
wrecks and walls which drop dramatically to the floor of the ocean.
Most hotels are on the island of Providenciales, spread along Grace Bay
on the north shore. Grand Turk is the seat of government but is a
quiet, unhurried place with a few small hotels and a new cruise ship
dock. Other inhabited islands, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South
Caicos and Salt Cay have tiny populations - good places to escape the
crowds.
Overview
The
Turks and Caicos Islands, or TCI for short, are a British Overseas
Territory consisting of the larger Caicos Islands and smaller Turks
Islands, two groups of tropical islands in the Lucayan Archipelago,
part of the larger Antilles island grouping. They are known primarily
for tourism and as an offshore financial centre. The resident
population is about 31,500, of whom 23,769 live on Providenciales in
the Caicos Islands. The total population on the islands including
foreigners is 49,000.
The Turks and Caicos Islands lie
southeast of Mayaguana in the Bahamas island chain and north of the
island of Hispaniola. Cockburn Town, the capital since 1766, is
situated on Grand Turk Island about 1,042 kilometres (647 mi)
east-southeast of Miami, United States. The islands have a total land
area of 430 square kilometres (170 sq mi).
The first
recorded European sighting of the islands now known as the Turks and
Caicos occurred in 1512. In the subsequent centuries, the islands were
claimed by several European powers with the British Empire eventually
gaining control. For many years the islands were governed indirectly
through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. When the Bahamas gained
independence in 1973, the islands received their own governor and have
remained a separate autonomous British Overseas Territory since. In
August 2009, the United Kingdom suspended the Turks and Caicos Islands'
self-government after allegations of ministerial corruption. Home rule
was restored in the islands after the November 2012 elections.
Get in by ship
Many
of the visitors who visit the island arrive by boat. This is because
many cruise lines are now adding the islands to their list of
destinations. All cruise lines arrive at the Grand Turk Cruise Center
in Grand Turk.
If you choose to take a personal or smaller
vessel, a number of facilities are available in Providenciales.
However, you must call ahead before docking. Their are also marinas in
Provo, where you can dock. On the South Side, Sappodilla Bay, is the
anchorage location for sail boats.It is easy to sail to the Turks and
Caicos from the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas or Cuba; so long as you
have an ocean-going vessel. A small boat will do well simply cruising
around the island chain, but to cross the open ocean, something about
36 feet or larger is best.
If you are using a private vessel
or sailboat, customs and immigrations must be cleared. When using a
sailboat, customs have to be arranged in advanced, while South Caicos
and Grand Turk have government buildings on location.
Turks & Caicos has a number of calm bays and beaches
perfect for snorkeling. Blue Tangs and parrot fish dart among the sea
fans, and sea turtles glide between rock formations. Crocus Bay, Shoal
Bay East, Junk’s Hole, Sandy Island, Prickly Pear and Little Bay are
some of the most popular spots for this activity. Turks & Caicos is an
excellent spot for novice skin divers and snorkeling equipment is
usually available at your hotel or with operators at prime locations.
The most interesting pelagic experiences in Turks & Caicos are for the
scuba diver. The island is home to seven marine parks including Dog
Island, Prickly Pear, Seal Island Reef System, Little Bay, Sandy Island,
Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System, and Stoney Bay Marine Park. Offerings
include wall dives, ledge dives, nine wreck dives, both new and
historical.
Turks & Caicos has a number of calm bays and beaches
perfect for snorkeling. Blue Tangs and parrot fish dart among the sea
fans, and sea turtles glide between rock formations. Crocus Bay, Shoal
Bay East, Junk’s Hole, Sandy Island, Prickly Pear and Little Bay are
some of the most popular spots for this activity. Turks & Caicos is an
excellent spot for novice skin divers and snorkeling equipment is
usually available at your hotel or with operators at prime locations.
The most interesting pelagic experiences in Turks & Caicos are for the
scuba diver. The island is home to seven marine parks including Dog
Island, Prickly Pear, Seal Island Reef System, Little Bay, Sandy Island,
Shoal Bay Harbour Reef System, and Stoney Bay Marine Park. Offerings
include wall dives, ledge dives, nine wreck dives, both new and
historical.
History
The
Turks and Caicos Islands are named after the Turk's-cap cactus
(Melocactus communis), and the Lucayan term caya hico, meaning string
of islands. The first inhabitants of the islands were Arawakan-speaking
Taíno people, who crossed over from Hispaniola sometime from AD 500 to
800. Together with Taino who migrated from Cuba to the southern Bahamas
around the same time, these people developed as the Lucayan. Around
1200 the Turks and Caicos Islands were resettled by Classical Taínos
from Hispaniola.
Soon after the Spanish arrived in the
islands in 1512, they began capturing the Taíno of the Turks and Caicos
Islands and the Lucayan as slaves (technically, as workers in the
encomienda system) to replace the largely depleted native population
of Hispaniola. The southern Bahama Islands and the Turks and Caicos
Islands were completely depopulated by about 1513, and remained so
until the 17th century.
The first documented European to
sight the islands was Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León, who did
so in 1512. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the islands
passed from Spanish, to French, to British control, but none of the
three powers ever established any settlements.
Source: Wikipedia
...to be continued soon...
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Grand Turk Beach
Cargo Wreck
National Museum
North Caicos Flamingos
Scuba Diving
Miss Universe
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