Grand Turk

The capital island of the Turks and Caicos, with a Bermudian-style little town, diving on a 2,000-metre wall just offshore, stingrays at Gibbs Cay and humpback whales in winter.

Grand Turk is the capital island of the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands, at the southeastern end of the archipelago. The island is about 10 km long and 2 km wide, and the capital, Cockburn Town, lies on the west coast. From the 17th to the 20th century it was a sea-salt producer, and abandoned salt ponds (salinas) are scattered across the island, while donkeys and horses left over from the salt era still wander the streets; the old town preserves Bermudian-style colonial buildings of wood and stone. Grand Turk's biggest draw is underwater: just a few hundred metres off the west coast, the reef suddenly drops away into a "wall" more than 2,000 m deep, making it one of the Caribbean's top spots for wall diving and snorkelling. From January to April, humpback whales migrate through the nearby Turks Island Passage and can be spotted from shore or by boat. Main areas: the Cockburn Town historic district (the National Museum, the old prison and the Front Street waterfront); Governor's Beach, Pillory Beach and the wall dive sites on the west coast; the cruise centre and a replica of the Friendship 7 space capsule at the southern tip; and the lighthouse viewpoint at the northern tip. Boat trips go to Gibbs Cay to swim with stingrays, or on day trips to Salt Cay, 15 km away. Climate: warm and dry year-round; Dec–Apr is the most comfortable and the whale-watching season; Jun–Nov is hurricane season, with the highest risk Aug–Oct. Getting there: about a 30-minute domestic flight from Providenciales, or arrive on an eastern Caribbean cruise that calls at the cruise centre; on the island you can rent cars, golf carts or bicycles, and taxis charge per person. Plan on 2–4 days (cruise passengers usually have half a day). Note: the US dollar is used; beaches and shops are crowded on cruise-ship days; Chinese passport holders should check visa requirements in advance (holders of valid UK, US or Canadian visas, among others, may be visa-exempt).

Top sights

• Governor's Beach – A white-sand beach in front of the Governor's residence, shaded by casuarina trees with clear shallow water, where you can see coral reef j…
• Gibbs Cay – An uninhabited islet east of Grand Turk where southern stingrays gather in the shallows and come up close to visitors.
• Grand Turk Wall – A reef wall just a few hundred metres off the west coast that drops from about 10 metres to over 2,000 metres of deep water, one of the wor…
• Cockburn Town Historic District – The old capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, where Bermuda-style colonial buildings line Front Street and Duke Street along the shore.
• Turks & Caicos National Museum – A museum housed in a historic stone townhouse at the northern end of the old town, displaying artifacts from the Caribbean's oldest Spanish…
• Grand Turk Lighthouse – A cast-iron lighthouse from 1852 on the cliffs at the island's northern tip, overlooking the northeast reef, where humpback whales are ofte…
• Salt Cay – A tranquil small island south of Grand Turk that preserves windmills and salt pans from the salt-trade era, and is a popular base for whale…
• Pillory Beach – A quiet white-sand beach about 2 km north of Cockburn Town where the shore reef meets the edge of the Grand Turk wall, making it excellent…
• Grand Turk Cruise Center – A cruise port complex at the island's southern end with a beach, pool bar and shops, the main hub for cruise passengers.
• Friendship 7 Capsule Replica – A replica of the Friendship 7 space capsule commemorating John Glenn's 1962 splashdown near the island after America's first crewed orbital…
• Her Majesty's Prison – A 19th-century former prison, in use until the 1990s, where visitors can see cells, a gallows and an exercise yard.
• Town Salina – Abandoned salt pans behind Cockburn Town with stone dikes, sluice gates and windmill bases from the salt-trade era, often home to flamingos…

Where to eat

• Sandbar Restaurant – An open-air seafood bar on the beach in Cockburn Town, famous for fried conch made from locally caught conch, and ranke…
• Secret Garden Restaurant (Salt Raker Inn) – An affordable restaurant hidden in the shady garden behind the historic Salt Raker Inn, with well-liked grilled grouper…
• Turks Head Inne Restaurant – A restaurant and taco bar in a historic inn in Cockburn Town, with courtyard dining, fresh fish, tacos and seasonal lob…

Itineraries

• Turks & Caicos In-Depth 10-Day Island Hopping – Connect Provo, North & Middle Caicos, Grand Turk, and Salt Cay to experience beaches, historic towns, and whale watchin…