Back in 1492 Columbus was one of the first Europeans to set foot on Grand Turk. His visit opened a floodgate and, today, more than 600,000 holiday makers cruise into the island’s port every year. Some come here for the diving – there’s a coral reef with an 8,000 foot drop just off the island’s coast. Others come for the colonial architecture – Cockburn Town has some of the best examples in the Caribbean.
• The oldest shipwreck in the western hemisphere was discovered just off the coast of Grand Turk. You can find out more about it at the Turks and Caicos National Museum.
• Take a boat trip to Gibbs Cay. This uninhabited island is a great place for a picnic. Plus, stingrays swim right up to the shore and hand-feeding them is as easy as feeding the birds outside St Paul’s Cathedral.
• February marks the start of whale-watching season in the waters off Grand Turk. Humpback whales migrate in groups, singing mating songs to each other as they swim.
This is a pedal-to-the-metal tour of Grand Turk. You’ll see the largest of the Turks Islands from the bucket seat of a dune buggy. Leaving the port behind, you’ll follow the clay tracks that trace their way along the beach. Your first break from being behind the wheel will come at a coastal bluff, where you’ll get out to take in the views of Gibb’s Cay and the other islands in the chain. Back in your buggy, you’ll score your way through the countryside, passing salt pans. A flash of pink will alert you to the appearance of the Salina Salt Ponds, where flamingos graze the day away. You’ll also pass the airport, where you’ll clock a replica of the space shuttle Friendship, which splashed down off the coast of Grand Turk after astronaut John Glen orbited the earth. After negotiating the streets of the island’s capital, Cockburn Town, you’ll drive to North Wells, where wild horses roam. You’ll get another chance to stretch your legs around North Creek, at a cliff that commands infinity views of the Atlantic Ocean. Then, with your fuel gauge finally leaning towards the red, you’ll steer back to port.
This is an experience you’ll want to write home about. Passing Governor’s Beach and Cockburn Town, you’ll drive to Grand Turk’s Indigenous Horse Shelter. Here, you’ll be given a riding helmet and paired with a horse. When your feet are in the stirrups, you’ll hack out to the coast. From beneath the brim of your riding hat, you’ll take in the boundless views of the Atlantic Ocean. After roughly half an hour in the saddle, you’ll dismount. Your guide will take the saddle off your steed and you’ll get back on your horse to ride bareback into the sea. As your ride strides through the surf, you’ll be spritzed by the cold water. With hoof-prints left on the seabed, you’ll have time to take a shower before heading back to the port.
The Segway has reinvented sightseeing. These narrow electric vehicles can scoot down side streets and across coastal terrain that is usually off-limits to buses or coaches. This trip begins with a short tutorial on how to ride a Segway. Once you’ve mastered it, you’ll motor into Cockburn Town, the capital of the island. You’ll see the traditional Bermudian-style buildings on Duke Street and Front Street, with their icing cake roofs and pastel paint work. From here, you’ll head to the beach, where you’ll have the room to find out what your Segway can really do. These vehicles can reach speeds of up to 20 kilometres-per-hour. Before you venture back to the port, you’ll pass the island’s salt ponds, where flamingos forage for food.
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