The Turks and Caicos Islands consist of 40 islands and cays, eight of which are inhabited. The islands are located 550 miles southeast of Miami, Florida, just below the Bahamas chain and just to the northeast of Cuba and north of the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti.) Technically, the Turks and Caicos are located in the Atlantic Ocean, not the Caribbean Sea.
The islands are home to roughly 30,000 full-time residents and welcome more than 200,000 tourists annually.
Most of the islands are only about 10 to 25 minutes by air from Provo, the commonly used name for Providenciales.
Providenciales is the most well-known of the Turks and Caicos Islands and is the center of the tourism industry with a wide range of hotels, restaurants, attractions, and facilities.
Grand Turk and Salt Cay offer a glimpse into Caribbean history with great Bermudian architecture and a rustic charm as well as some of the best diving and probably the most “relaxing” time you will ever have. Grand Turk is the capital and also home to a brand new cruise ship center.
Middle Caicos and North Caicos represent the best of the environment, with lush green woodlands, the biggest cave network in the Caribbean on Middle Caicos, a cottage pond and flamingo pond in North Caicos, and a vast range of plant life and birdlife. North Caicos is also an up-and-coming resort destination with several new projects under development.
South Caicos is the center for fishing, with lobster and conch exported from the islands, the historic Cockburn harbor, and the natural phenomenon of the boiling hole. This small yet friendly island offers many secluded beaches with awe-inspiring views of the turquoise waters and surrounding islands.
Parrot Cay and Pine Cay are privately owned islands and are home to the most exclusive resorts Parrot Cay Resort and Spa and the Meridian Club.
There is also development underway in previously uninhabited West Caicos (future home of a Ritz Carlton hotel and community), Ambergris Cay (site of the exclusive Turks and Caicos Sporting Club), and Dellis Cay (where a major lifestyle resort to be run by The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has just been announced).
