Grand Turk Island includes spectacular beaches, the best diving sites in the world, and a Caribbean charm that makes it one of the region's hidden gems.
Grand Turk Island is the largest island in the Turks portion of the nation of Turks & Caicos. Located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, this seven-mile long island is approximately 575 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, and just 30 miles south of the Bahamas. It includes the main settlement of Cockburn Town that has served as the territory's capital, business and financial center since 1766 as well the busy Grand Turk Cruise Center, which is a major cruise-ship port located to the south. The 14-acre landscaped facility includes everything from one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean region to a wide array of shore excursions for the Carnival and Princess Cruise lines.
According to the Turks & Caicos Department of Tourism, the first settlements on the island were inhabited by the Taino and eventually the Lucayan tribes. When settlers arrived from Bermuda, Grand Turk and its smaller islands such as Salt Cay and South Caicos prospered due to the high-quality salt that its low-lying islands produced. After the American Revolution, the islands were controlled by the Spanish, the French, the British and even the Jamaicans. But in 1872, the islands were annexed by Jamaica and through association with the Bahamas, it became an official British territory in 1973.
Today, Grand Turk (away from the busy cruise center) is known for its miles of isolated white-sand beaches, uninhabited cays, 350 days of sunshine per year, and world-class diving due to its proximity to a 8,000-foot vertical wall, which is just a five-minute boat ride offshore. Best of all, the island has retained its Caribbean charm complete with donkeys, horses, and cattle that still freely roam its winding roads and streets.
For visitors who do not arrive by cruise ship, the Grand Turk International Airport (also known as JAGS McCartney International Airport) is the second largest airport in the Turks & Caicos, after the Providenciales International Airport. Named after the territory's first Chief Minister, it is located approximately one-mile south of Cockburn Town and it offers flights on Air Turks and Caicos for flights within the islands as well as international connections through Providenciales. Once on the island, there are several attractions that should be seen before hiding away on an pristine beach:
The Turks & Caicos National Museum - Located in the Guinep House, one of the oldest stone buildings on the islands, this is country's only national museum. It includes exhibits that cover the complete history of the islands with highlights such as the legend of the Molasses Reef wreck (one of the oldest known European shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere), and a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to the Lucayan Indians that features a 1,000-year-old wooden paddle. In addition, the Space Gallery was opened in 2002 that includes photos and personal recollections from astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter about their splashdown just off of shores of Grand Turk. The museum shop offers visitors a wide variety of books,arts and crafts, postcards, and posters as well as a porch with spectacular views of the sea.
Grand Turk Lighthouse - This lighthouse, constructed in 1852, was actually brought in pieces from the United Kingdom. This historic site overlooks North Creek on the northern tip of the island and includes the working lighthouse and keeper's house that are both protected by the National Trust. There are also picnic areas as well as excellent spots for viewing whales especially during the months of February and March. In addition, this region has been debated by a number of historians who argue that it matches the description provided by Christopher Columbus for the island that he first encountered on his first voyage to the New World in 1492.
Grand Turk Cruise Center - The 14-acre Grand Turk Cruise Center includes everything imaginable for disembarking cruise-ship passengers. Just a short walk from the dock, it offers a choice of direct beachfront access or one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean, complete with convenient changing rooms, showers and lockers. Guests can stroll along the white-sand beach, relax in a chaise lounge, and even rent a private cabana for the day. The location also includes Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, a 45,000-square-foot shopping center with a 10,000-square-foot duty-free shop, and a wide array of stores that sell everything from high-end clothing to jewelry and souvenirs.
Spa Anani - Conveniently located at the Osprey Beach Hotel in Cockburn Town as well as the beach at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, this is the first full-service spa in the Turks islands. Both locations offer a wide variety of spa treatments that include deep-tissue and hot-stone massage, detoxification, aromatherapy, seaweed-wrap body treatments, and facials. Any of the services can be customized based on the individual's needs and a variety of spa packages are also available.
Waterloo Golf Club on Grand Turk - The Waterloo Golf Club is a 2,758-yard, nine-hole golf course located on the grounds of the Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands, which is just a several hundred yards from the Grand Turk Cruise Center. Opened in 1998, it was built entirely by volunteers who transformed 22 acres of overgrown land into a championship-level golf course that is now the venue for regular competitions that include the Governor's Trophy, the AGM Tournament, the Mike Cassidy Memorial Trophy, the Heineken Tournament and the Grand Turk Trophy. The course is open to the public for a per-use fee and members pay either monthly or annual dues.
Bohio Dive Resort - Located north of Cockburn Town on a beautiful private beach, this four-acre resort was established in 2004 and it is the only resort on Grand Turk that offers and on-site, full-service dive operation. It offers a wide variety of dive packages and services to 26 different dive sites located off the western coast of Grand Turk. All of the excursions are led by a professionally certified staff and guests can receive novice through advanced instruction as well as PADI certification. The beachfront accommodation also includes 12 standard guestrooms and four luxury suites that all face the west for viewing the spectacular Grand Turk sunsets.
Blue Water Divers- Founded in 1983, Blue Water Divers is the longest continually running dive shop on Grand Turk. It offers full-service diving excursions to 40 dive sites in the Columbus National Marine Park along the Grand Turk Wall as well as PADI scuba instruction, and trips to both Gibbs Cay and Salt Cay. All of the dives are offered in small groups for a more personal experience.
Oasis Divers - Led by Captains Everette Freites and Dale Barker, Oasis Divers provides a wide variety of dive vacation packages for those who enjoy diving around the reefs as well as the Grand Turk Wall. It offers a full range of services that include gear set-up and handling, specialty courses, PADI instruction and equipment rental. Divers are taken in small groups on board 28-foot dive boats with additional amenities such as fresh water, drinks, towels, and snacks. A snorkel and picnic trip to Gibbs Cay is also available and guests can swim and feed the friendly stingrays that inhabit the shallow waters near the beach.
Turk island provides visitors with a wide variety of experiences and activities that range from relaxing on its miles of pristine beaches to diving and snorkeling around its spectacular coral reefs and drop off. It is truly one of the hidden gems in the Caribbean Sea.
Grand Turk Island is the largest island in the Turks portion of the nation of Turks & Caicos. Located in the eastern Caribbean Sea, this seven-mile long island is approximately 575 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, and just 30 miles south of the Bahamas. It includes the main settlement of Cockburn Town that has served as the territory's capital, business and financial center since 1766 as well the busy Grand Turk Cruise Center, which is a major cruise-ship port located to the south. The 14-acre landscaped facility includes everything from one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean region to a wide array of shore excursions for the Carnival and Princess Cruise lines.
According to the Turks & Caicos Department of Tourism, the first settlements on the island were inhabited by the Taino and eventually the Lucayan tribes. When settlers arrived from Bermuda, Grand Turk and its smaller islands such as Salt Cay and South Caicos prospered due to the high-quality salt that its low-lying islands produced. After the American Revolution, the islands were controlled by the Spanish, the French, the British and even the Jamaicans. But in 1872, the islands were annexed by Jamaica and through association with the Bahamas, it became an official British territory in 1973.
Today, Grand Turk (away from the busy cruise center) is known for its miles of isolated white-sand beaches, uninhabited cays, 350 days of sunshine per year, and world-class diving due to its proximity to a 8,000-foot vertical wall, which is just a five-minute boat ride offshore. Best of all, the island has retained its Caribbean charm complete with donkeys, horses, and cattle that still freely roam its winding roads and streets.
Exploring Grand Turk Island
For visitors who do not arrive by cruise ship, the Grand Turk International Airport (also known as JAGS McCartney International Airport) is the second largest airport in the Turks & Caicos, after the Providenciales International Airport. Named after the territory's first Chief Minister, it is located approximately one-mile south of Cockburn Town and it offers flights on Air Turks and Caicos for flights within the islands as well as international connections through Providenciales. Once on the island, there are several attractions that should be seen before hiding away on an pristine beach:
The Turks & Caicos National Museum - Located in the Guinep House, one of the oldest stone buildings on the islands, this is country's only national museum. It includes exhibits that cover the complete history of the islands with highlights such as the legend of the Molasses Reef wreck (one of the oldest known European shipwrecks in the Western Hemisphere), and a comprehensive exhibit dedicated to the Lucayan Indians that features a 1,000-year-old wooden paddle. In addition, the Space Gallery was opened in 2002 that includes photos and personal recollections from astronauts John Glenn and Scott Carpenter about their splashdown just off of shores of Grand Turk. The museum shop offers visitors a wide variety of books,arts and crafts, postcards, and posters as well as a porch with spectacular views of the sea.
Grand Turk Lighthouse - This lighthouse, constructed in 1852, was actually brought in pieces from the United Kingdom. This historic site overlooks North Creek on the northern tip of the island and includes the working lighthouse and keeper's house that are both protected by the National Trust. There are also picnic areas as well as excellent spots for viewing whales especially during the months of February and March. In addition, this region has been debated by a number of historians who argue that it matches the description provided by Christopher Columbus for the island that he first encountered on his first voyage to the New World in 1492.
Grand Turk Cruise Center - The 14-acre Grand Turk Cruise Center includes everything imaginable for disembarking cruise-ship passengers. Just a short walk from the dock, it offers a choice of direct beachfront access or one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean, complete with convenient changing rooms, showers and lockers. Guests can stroll along the white-sand beach, relax in a chaise lounge, and even rent a private cabana for the day. The location also includes Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, a 45,000-square-foot shopping center with a 10,000-square-foot duty-free shop, and a wide array of stores that sell everything from high-end clothing to jewelry and souvenirs.
Activities on Grand Turk Island
Spa Anani - Conveniently located at the Osprey Beach Hotel in Cockburn Town as well as the beach at the Grand Turk Cruise Center, this is the first full-service spa in the Turks islands. Both locations offer a wide variety of spa treatments that include deep-tissue and hot-stone massage, detoxification, aromatherapy, seaweed-wrap body treatments, and facials. Any of the services can be customized based on the individual's needs and a variety of spa packages are also available.
Waterloo Golf Club on Grand Turk - The Waterloo Golf Club is a 2,758-yard, nine-hole golf course located on the grounds of the Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands, which is just a several hundred yards from the Grand Turk Cruise Center. Opened in 1998, it was built entirely by volunteers who transformed 22 acres of overgrown land into a championship-level golf course that is now the venue for regular competitions that include the Governor's Trophy, the AGM Tournament, the Mike Cassidy Memorial Trophy, the Heineken Tournament and the Grand Turk Trophy. The course is open to the public for a per-use fee and members pay either monthly or annual dues.
Bohio Dive Resort - Located north of Cockburn Town on a beautiful private beach, this four-acre resort was established in 2004 and it is the only resort on Grand Turk that offers and on-site, full-service dive operation. It offers a wide variety of dive packages and services to 26 different dive sites located off the western coast of Grand Turk. All of the excursions are led by a professionally certified staff and guests can receive novice through advanced instruction as well as PADI certification. The beachfront accommodation also includes 12 standard guestrooms and four luxury suites that all face the west for viewing the spectacular Grand Turk sunsets.
Blue Water Divers- Founded in 1983, Blue Water Divers is the longest continually running dive shop on Grand Turk. It offers full-service diving excursions to 40 dive sites in the Columbus National Marine Park along the Grand Turk Wall as well as PADI scuba instruction, and trips to both Gibbs Cay and Salt Cay. All of the dives are offered in small groups for a more personal experience.
Oasis Divers - Led by Captains Everette Freites and Dale Barker, Oasis Divers provides a wide variety of dive vacation packages for those who enjoy diving around the reefs as well as the Grand Turk Wall. It offers a full range of services that include gear set-up and handling, specialty courses, PADI instruction and equipment rental. Divers are taken in small groups on board 28-foot dive boats with additional amenities such as fresh water, drinks, towels, and snacks. A snorkel and picnic trip to Gibbs Cay is also available and guests can swim and feed the friendly stingrays that inhabit the shallow waters near the beach.
Turk island provides visitors with a wide variety of experiences and activities that range from relaxing on its miles of pristine beaches to diving and snorkeling around its spectacular coral reefs and drop off. It is truly one of the hidden gems in the Caribbean Sea.
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