A Ribbon of Pale Sand in Turquoise Shallows
Turks and Caicos is a British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic, south-east of the Bahamas, known for powder-white beaches, clear turquoise water and some of the best coral reef conditions in the region. The group has more than 40 islands and cays, though only about eight are inhabited, with Providenciales the busiest and Grand Turk the seat of government. The name comes from the Turk's-head cactus and from 'caya hico', a Lucayan phrase for island chain. The population is a little over 45,000, and the mood is polished but easy.
Grace Bay, on the north shore of Providenciales, is the territory's showpiece: a long, gentle curve of sand backed by low-rise resorts and sheltered by a reef that keeps the water calm. Chalk Sound National Park, further inland, is a lagoon of vivid turquoise with tiny limestone islets. Neighbouring Bahamas lie to the north-west and Dominican Republic to the south, so the territory is easily included in a Greater Antilles itinerary.
Grand Turk, Salt Cay and Middle Caicos
Beyond Providenciales the islands slow down. Grand Turk's Cockburn Town has historic stone buildings, a lighthouse and a waterfront of small restaurants, and its coral wall drops steeply just offshore, a magnet for divers. Salt Cay, once a salt-raking centre, is a quiet place of old salt ponds and wooden houses; from January to March, humpback whales pass through the Turks Island Passage and can be seen from boat trips. Middle Caicos, the largest island, has the Conch Bar Caves and long, empty beaches.
Local food leans on the sea. Conch, caught in the shallows, is served fresh in salads, fritters and cracked conch, and spiny lobster and fish are everyday fare at beachside shacks, including the weekly fish fry on Providenciales. Kayaking among mangroves, kitesurfing and bonefishing add active options. A tourist board has a strong story here: a small territory with a very high concentration of beautiful scenery, from Cayman-style diving to quiet cays.
Read the full Turks and Caicos guide on Visit Travel Group, or see CaicosIslands.co.uk on Visit Travel Group.