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The islands of Turks and Caicos are slowly earning their place among the paradises of turquoise water and sand White of the Caribbean, largely thanks to the celebrities who chose them. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were married here in 2005 and Maluma, Keith Richards, Justin Bieber, Gwyneth Paltrow, Michael Douglas, Oprah Winfrey, Donna Karan and Bruce Willis are some of those who have a home or land. Eva Longoria chose it for her honeymoon and Madonna, Paul McCartney, Kate Moss, the Kardashians and Beyoncé are frequent passengers.
The hotel is located an hour and a half flight from Miami, between the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic. this archipelago with more than 40 islands and bays, Now it also becomes an option for destinations already known to Argentines.
The flights land at Howard Hamilton International Airport on the island of Providenciales, better known as Provo, the third largest in the archipelago, the most populous and main tourist center. Here lies the beach of Grace Bay, five kilometers of white sand and crystal clear water, free of algae, stones or jellyfish and repeatedly ranked first in the ranking of the ten best beaches in the world.
The strange name Turks comes from a native cactus called Turk’s Head (Melocactus intortus), because its red fruits look like the Turkish hat or fez. Caicos means island chain in the language of the Lucayan Tainos, the first inhabitants.
The first foreigner to set foot Islands It was Christopher Columbus himself in 1492. Like other Caribbean islands, they were fought over for centuries by the Spanish, English, French and pirates. Since 1873 they were part of the colony of Jamaica, then became a dependency of the Bahamas and elected their own governor in 1973, becoming a dependency and a British overseas territory. In 1982 the United Kingdom wanted to grant them independence, but they preferred to remain a dependent territory of the United Kingdom.. The almost fifty thousand inhabitants know the advantages of a British passport.
Only eight islands are inhabited. Of the Turks there are only two, Grand Turk and Salt Cay; while Providenciales, North Caicos, Middle Caicos, East Caicos, South Caicos and West Caicos have populations. Between Providenciales and North Caicos there are several small cays, mostly taken over by resorts, such as Pine Cay and Parrot Cay – where Affleck and Garner were married – which are reached by ferry. North and Central Caicos are the only ones connected by a bridge.
Cockburt Town, The country’s capital is located on Grand Turk, the smallest island. A visit should include the National Museum and a stroll through the streets filled with colonial architecture. This island is where the cruise port, where most visitors arrive.
TO North Caicos, northeast of Providenciales, it can be reached by a short flight or by boat. Its charm lies in the fact that it is an island that is still developing and can be seen in an almost virgin state. Middle Caicos IslandsConnected to North Caicos by a bridge, has an impressive system of limestone caves that are part of Conch Bar Caves National Park. Visiting these caves, which are among the largest in the Caribbean, takes about an hour. One of its curiosities is that at the end of the 19th century it was an economic resource because miners searched for bat dung, which they exported as fertilizer.
Middle Caicos is the perfect island for adventure tourism lovers. In addition to the caves, there are several hiking and cycling trails and offers the opportunity to see the island’s endemic rock iguana, which can grow up to eighty centimeters in size. And if a deciduous tree with a green, apple-like fruit appears along the way, it’s better not to touch it, because it could be a manchineel. (Hippomaniac mancinella)is considered the most poisonous tree in the world. Just rubbing the bark on the skin can cause an allergic reaction; If you light it, the smoke can cause blindness, and whoever bites into the wrong apple calls it that “Chamomile of Death”– vomiting and diarrhea may be so severe that some degree of dehydration occurs.
South Caicos, better known as The Big South, is a Marine paradise and fishing capitalone of the island’s most important resources. Once the center of the salt industry, Salt Cay is now an ideal island for spotting humpback whales, which breed between January and April, as well as birds such as the brown pelican, the national bird, as well as hummingbirds and flamingos.
In each of them you can enjoy traditional cuisine based on fish.especially grouper and snapper, and seafood, the star of which is lobster, of which there is an abundance. Outside the marine world, chicken soup is another typical dish. Many restaurants usually have live music with groups playing rip sawthe local music genre, close to the rake and scrape of the Bahamas.
He rip saw It has its museum in Providenciales, the Junkanoo. The interesting thing is that the guide is local musician Kitchener Penn, leader of the band We Funk, who not only explains the band’s origins and influences rip sawbut rather invites you to play instruments and dress in typical costumes.
Beyond its cultural aspects and natural treasures, the greatest attraction of Turks and Caicos is its Beaches with such a transparent and turquoise sea It looks like they have an Instagram filter. It happens that its waters are protected by the third largest coral reef in the world.
Direct access to the Smith and Bight Reefs is from the beach in Providenciales. Located near Turtle Cove on the north coast, Smith is guaranteed to encounter green turtles and stingrays, as well as countless colorful fish. In addition to snorkeling, which is suitable for everyone, This reef is accessible to beginners and experienced divers who must have a PADI license.
Unlike the Smith the bay reefbetter known as the Coral Garden, consists of just one main ridge of coral that stretches for 107 meters, and at the outer end the wall drops five meters into the sea.
Next to the famous Grace Bay, In Providenciales there are other pristine beaches worth getting to know, such as Long Bay Beach, Sapodilla Bay Beach, Blue Hills Beach, Pelican Beach and Taylor Bay Beach. This island is the favorite of Lionel Messi and his family, who usually land in Provo to go straight to the Amanyara, the Asian chain’s luxury hotel. you loveforty minutes drive from the international airport.
The 7,300-acre resort is located on the coast of North West Point Marine National Park and the world champion stays in one of the nineteen “villas”, a group of five rooms that share swimming pools, gardens and a large living room with armchairs, a huge plasma and a large round table. The advantage of these villas is privacy as, in addition to a private exit to the beach, they also have cooking service for all meals.
Famous or not, guests ride golf carts to the tennis courts, the gym, or watch the sunset over the ocean from the circular bar. Since it is a marine national park, The only water activities are all non-motorized: stand-up paddleboarding, kite surfing. They also organize sand rides and kayak tours to explore the mangrove wetlands.
For now, beyond the depth of the pocket, the real luxury in Turks and Caicos is its privileged and untouched nature.
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