Settle Ramona - Fodors In Focus Turks & Caicos Islands

The turquoise-color water in the Turks and Caicos is almost electric. Dont be surprised if you wake up on your last morning and realize you never strayed far from the beach or those mesmerizing views. Although ivory-white, soft, sandy beaches and breathtaking turquoise waters are shared among all the islands, the landscapes are a series of contrasts, from the dry, arid bush and scrub on the flat, coral islands of Grand Turk, Salt Cay, South Caicos, and Providenciales to the greener, foliage-rich undulating landscapes of Middle Caicos, North Caicos, Parrot Cay, and Pine Cay.

A much-disputed legend tells us that Columbus first discovered these islands on his first voyage to the New World in 1492. Although known and explored for longer than most other island groups in the southern Atlantic and Caribbean, the Turks and Caicos islands (pronounced kay -kos) still remain part of the less-discovered Caribbean. More than 40 islandsonly eight of which are inhabitedmake up this self-governing British overseas territory that lies just 575 miles (862 km) southeast of Miami on the third-largest coral reef system in the world.

The Turks and Caicos have been claimed by France and Spain, and by Bermuda in the late 1600s. Bermuda wanted the islands for their saltat the time it was as highly sought after as goldand for land on which to grow cotton. Sea Island cotton, believed to be the highest quality, was produced on the Loyalist plantations in the Caicos Islands from the 1700s. For a time, Salt Cay provided much of the salt that supplied the United States and Canada.

Its estimated that some 1,000 shipwrecks surround the islands. Some island residents can trace their ancestry back to the wreck of the Spanish slave ship Trouvadore, which ran aground off East Caicos in 1841; the surviving slaves helped populate these islands. But the most famous wreck is probably of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion, which sank after hitting a shallow reef in 1641 in the Silver Shoals, between the Turks and Caicos and what is now the Dominican Republic. By 1687, William Phips had recovered a small portion of the treasure, but the larger part was not discovered until 1978, by Burt Webber. The wreck contained treasure worth millions, as well as priceless artifacts, including porcelain from the late Ming period.

The 1700s were a tumultuous time for the Turks and Caicos and the era when piracy first began to be a force. In 1718, two female pirates, Anne Bonny and Mary Read, captured a Spanish treasure ship and its cargo, then settled on Pirate Cay, which is now known as Parrot Cay. In 1720, a pirate named Francoise LOlonnois lived in French Cay, which he used as a base to raid passing ships. On Providenciales, at Splitting Rock (sometimes called Osprey Rock), there are carvings on the rocks that are reputedly maps to buried treasures. In 1783, the French seized Grand Turk again, but the islands were restored to Britain by the Treaty of Versailles.

In all, only 31,500 people live in the Turks and Caicos islands; more than half are Belongers, the term for the native population, mainly descended from African and Bermudian slaves who settled here beginning in the 1600s. The majority of residents work in tourism, fishing, and offshore finance, as the country is a haven for the overtaxed. Indeed, for residents and visitors, life in TCI is anything but taxing. Although most visitors come to do nothinga specialty in the islandsthis does not mean theres nothing to do.

The political and historical capital island of the country is Grand Turk, but most of the tourism development is on Providenciales (usually shortened to Provo), thanks to the 12-mile (18-km) stretch of ivory sand that is Grace Bay. Once home to a population of around 500 people plus a few donkey carts, Provo has become a hub of activity since the 1990s, as resorts, spas, and restaurants have been built and as the population has grown to some 15,000. Its the temporary home for the vast majority of visitors who come to the Turks and Caicos islands.

Marks of the countrys colonial past can be found in the wood-and-stone Bermudian-style clapboard housesoften wrapped in deep-red bougainvilleathat line the streets on the quiet islands of Grand Turk, Salt Cay, and South Caicos. Donkeys roam free in and around the islands many salt ponds, which are a legacy from a time when residents worked hard as both slaves and then paid laborers to rake salt (then known as white gold) bound for the United States and Canada. Much of this history is recounted in the national museum on Grand Turk.

Providenciales. Provo has the lions share of accommodations in the Turks and Caicos and gets the lions share of visitors. Come if you are seeking miles of soft sand, luxurious accommodations, crystal-clear water, and fine dining in gorgeous settings. Dont come for nightlife or shoppingthere are few hot spots and even fewer fancy boutiques.