When considering a Caribbean vacation, there are many destinations to consider including St. Kitts and Nevis, the British and US Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Offering all the pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, amazing sunsets, stunning resorts and local culture, there are few things tourists can easily miss when visiting these islands. Resort properties do not always accurately represent an island’s history and local flavor. Getting out and exploring local haunts, eateries, mingling with local residents and learning about history is an opportunity often missed by travelers.
We traveled to the Turks and Caicos Islands and decided to hang out with some of the local residents and learn about their folklore, cultures, and traditions. We learned how to remove live conch – a local delicacy – from its shell as well as about a dozen ways to cook and eat it. We learned the story behind the local settlement and rum, both called Bambara, how Mudjin Harbor got its name, and we got to eat at Crackpot Kitchen.
Welcome to Turks and Caicos. Get out now – and see the island
We knew we wanted to explore the Turks and Caicos Islands. There are 40 islands and caves, of which only eight are inhabited. We wanted to eat where the locals eat, snorkel in the most amazing spots and get off the main island. As soon as we landed in Providenciales, or “Provo” as the locals call it, we started our research.
Turks and Caicos Tourism Minister Zhavrego Jolly said tourists should get out and see everything the islands have to offer, from whale migration and local artisans to island fish fry and underwater beauty. Jolly says the best place to find reputable and safe tours is to start with the Experience Turks & Caicos website.
“Nobody wants to travel somewhere, no matter how beautiful and exciting, if it’s not safe,” Jolly said. “So we spent the majority of last year’s budget strengthening it because we understand that tourism is an important driver for us.”
We also assaulted our taxi driver and some of the staff at The Shore Club where we stayed. They live nearby and, in many cases, when asked if they live locally, will say “born and raised”. They know where to find the best jerk chicken and which beach really is the most beautiful, even if it’s a little off the beaten path for adventurous tourists.
We also spoke to our SkyPass Caribbean associates who helped us navigate customs. (More about that professional move later)
Karen Whitt, a Dallas native and 20-year resident of the Turks and Caicos Islands, is senior vice president of marketing for The Hartling Group, which owns The Palms, The Sands and The Shore Club. His advice for discovering the islands is to start with your hotel’s website, concierge and social media.
“There are four or five forums on Facebook,” Whitt said. “There’s one that’s literally called ‘What to do in Turks and Caicos.'” You just join the forum and people go on there all the time and ask questions like ‘What was your experience with this or that excursion?’ I also highly recommend Experience Turks and Caicos. They can tell you about the sister islands, what to do in North Caicos, how to get there, or what to do for a day on Grand Turk.
There is more to see besides the hotel
Hotels and resorts are luxurious and beautiful, but local history, traditions and people should also be an integral part of any trip. So spend a day relaxing in the beachside infinity pool with a fruity drink and then see what else there is to offer.
Jolly said part of her work in tourism is to encourage visitors to see less populated areas of the islands and visit local eateries and vendors. One thing he suggests is to use one of the Islands Experience Concierges that can be found on the website.
“These experience concierges are reputable and you will be guaranteed that you will get a truly local experience,” he said. “We try to leverage our local tour guides who can give you that true experience because we know when people travel to places like Turks and Caicos, they want that unique experience.”
Concierges figure out what kind of experience a visitor wants, he said. Do they want to do outside things? Bouncing from one restaurant to another? Focus on nightlife or water-related activities? Then, they start planning from there.
The Turks and Caicos Islands, like many island destinations, are a tourist center with shopping, restaurants and nightlife, but there are also less populated, more natural locations.
Although rental cars can be a great option for getting around, we were uncomfortable with driving on the left side of the road as is typical in the Turks and Caicos Islands, so we hired a taxi driver to take us to Central and North Caicos. Luckily for us, he was a 75-year-old native of the island who knew all kinds of history, people, and places we should see.
Cardinal Arthur picked us up at the port where the Provo ferry dropped us off on North Caicos and our adventure began. He took us to meet Henrietta Delancey, owner of Lee’s Gift Shop, who has been weaving baskets all her life, a skill passed down from generations before her. We also got a quick tutorial on how she picks and dries the grass before weaving it into baskets.
He took us to lunch at Miss B’s Bayside Café, where we shared some fresh conch dumplings and rum punch with tables full of locals (always a good sign!) While there, we met Miss B’s father, also a native and restaurateur, who shared stories of his home islands.
The open cave leading to the beach in Mudjin Harbor and the rocky area that gives Dragon’s Resort its name were the highlights of our stop on Middle Caicos.
Both Jolly and Whitt said the best way to ensure a reputable tour guide or taxi is to look for those who are licensed and insured. The island has a lot of “jitneys” or unauthorized taxis that are known to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists, so arrange transportation in advance for the best experience.
The history of these islands is of being a meeting place of cultures. The original inhabitants of the islands were the Taino and Lucayan Indians, whose civilizations disappeared soon after Christopher Columbus arrived there in 1492. There are also Bahamian, Bermudian, Spanish, French, African and Jamaican cultural influences, even though the islands are British overseas territories. The primary language is English, but the local dialect is a beautiful blend of Jamaican and Turks and Caicos Islands Creole.
After a day of sightseeing on land, we were ready to set out onto the crystal-blue waters surrounding the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Do you think beaches are beautiful? Wait till you get on the water
Probably the most beautiful feature of these Caribbean islands are the turquoise waters that surround them. The calm, shallow waters surrounding the Turks and Caicos Islands are suitable for excellent swimming, kayaking or paddle boarding and many of the reefs accessible by boat exhibit stunning underwater life.
Whitt recommends eco tours like Big Blue, which takes a kayak trip into the mangrove areas surrounding the islands.
“You can see baby turtles, baby sharks and all kinds of birds,” she said. “It’s a beautiful breeding ground.”
We snorkelled along the Leeward Reef before landing at Little Water Cay, an uninhabited island surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches we saw on the trip. The island is home to the Turks and Caicos Rock Iguanas, which are docile, moderately social, and fun to watch. If trekking to Little Water Cay, be sure to take a short walk across the island to see both sides.
Another unique way to experience the waters around the Turks and Caicos Islands is on horseback. Whitt recommends Provo Ponies, which features retired racehorses and thoroughbreds who love the water. While horses walk in clear water belly-deep, riders can dangle their feet in the water while on horseback.
“You sit on a horse in the stable and as you ride down to the beach the horses get very excited,” he said. “They migrate straight to it. It’s incredible.”
Have you ever heard of Junkanoo? Don’t quit until you’ve experienced it
Jolly said it’s also worth checking the islands’ events calendar so you don’t miss any fun events.
Take the Island Fish Fry, for example. It is advisable to ensure that you come on Thursday for this event. It’s a flea-market-style party featuring several restaurants, local artisan goods, and a musical finale that is worth the trip in itself. Junkanoo is a Bahamian-style street parade where locals in vibrant costumes march through the crowd playing a variety of instruments.
It’s a masterclass in celebration, where spectators are invited to join in the lively parade and dance amongst the crowd.
No matter where your travels take you, extend safely beyond the confines of your accommodation. Get out and experience the culture, people and places this destination is known for. While most of the restaurants and shops in the Turks and Caicos Islands were on the main island of Provo in Grace Bay, the breathtaking beauty, colorful local and country culinary delights were miles away from the tourist destinations.
Our tips for getting to, around and off the islands
- A valid passport is required to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands.
- Visit during the off-season, which typically lasts from August to November. Although some small shops and restaurants may be closed during this time, many remain open and are not as busy or crowded. We visited in October and found the islands to be peaceful and the locals with plenty of free time. We never waited in line or struggled to get into a restaurant.
- The airport concierge is your friend. We used SkyPass Caribbean, which we got as soon as we got off the plane, they took us past the customs lines to a fast-track area and straight to our taxi. An added bonus is that we also got lots of restaurant and snorkeling tips from these locals.
- Getting around the island can be difficult. There is no public bus or train transportation, Uber, or Lyft. There are taxis and rental cars, and many hotels have shuttles. Just be prepared if you’re renting a car to drive on the left side of the road, all is well and good until you get to your first traffic circle. There are no traffic lights on the Turks and Caicos Islands, so learn to use those backward-looking circles. Also, locals recommend you negotiate the taxi fare before heading in. Often the rate is per person, not distance.
- If you haven’t downloaded the Mobile Passport Control app, do so before you go. This allows access to a separate and much shorter line at customs when you re-enter the US
- Do your research ahead of time to make sure any festivals, events or markets are included within the days of your visit.
Melonie Hurt covers music and loves writing about travel for The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network – Tennessee. Reach Meloni at (email protected) or on Instagram at @MelHurtWrites.