Hotels Guest Houses in Turks and Caicos Islands
Numerous tourists like to see the culture, history and tourist attractions of the territory. Some may want to see the culture, history, tourist attractions sports and entertainment of the island territory. Some may want to get a look at the scenery and the sports of the region. Some may want to stay at a hotel or a guesthouse in the region that has good access to culture and to entertainment. Some may want to stay at a guesthouse in the region. Some may want to stay at hotel in the region. Some may want a hotel or guesthouse that has good entertainment and parking facilities. Numerous tourists may want a hotel or guesthouse that has a good range of prices and access to the tourist attractions.
hotels guest houses in turks and caicos islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the West Indies, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are situated 575 miles southeast of Miami and 39 miles south east of Mayaguana in the Bahamas. Covering 193 square miles of the Atlantic ocean, Turks and Caicos Islands has one of the longest coral reefs in the world, making it a premier diving destination. The islands are geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, but are politically a separate entity.
Cockburn Town is the capital city of the Turks and Caicos Islands, located on the largest island in the Turks Islands (not the Caicos) archipelago, Grand Turk Island. Historic 18th and 19th century Bermudian architecture line Duke and Front Streets in Cockburn Town. The town is known for its long, narrow streets and old street lamps.
The seat of government ever since 1766, Cockburn Town was the first permanent settlement on any of the islands, founded in 1681 by salt collectors who arrived in the Turks and Caicos Islands. The city supposedly lies on the place where Juan Ponce de León first landed on the island.
The oldest known shipwreck in the Western Hemisphere, the Molasses Reef Wreck, dated 1505, is exhibited in the Turks & Caicos National Museum, Grand Turk.
The closest anchorage to Cockburn Town is Hawk's Nest Anchorage, which, though sheltered, should only be entered in good light because of reefs near the entrance.
Grand Turk Island is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is the largest island in the Turks Islands (not the Caicos) with 18 square kilometres. It contains the territory's capital, Cockburn Town and the JAGS McCartney International Airport. The island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial centre of the territory.
The name comes from a species of cactus on the island, the Turk's Cap Cactus (Melocactus intortus), which has a distinctive cap, reminiscient of a Turkish fez.
It is said to be possibly the landfall island of Christopher Columbus during his discovery of the New World in 1492. San Salvador Island or Samana Cay in the Bahamas is traditionally considered the site of Columbus' first landfall, but some believe that studies of Columbus' journals show that his descriptions of Guanahani much more closely fit Grand Turk than they do other candidates.
Providenciales, nicknamed "Provo", is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands. It is served by the Providenciales International Airport. It is home to the only conch farm in the world.
The two island groups are in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of the Bahamas, north of Hispaniola, and 914 kilometres from Miami in the United States. The territory is geographically contiguous to the Bahamas, but is politically a separate entity. The Caicos Islands are separated by the Caicos Passage from the closest Bahamian islands, Mayaguana and Great Inagua.
The eight main islands and more than 20 smaller islands have a total land area of 616.3 square kilometres, primarily of low, flat limestone with extensive marshes and mangrove swamps and 370 kilometres of beach front. The weather is usually sunny and relatively dry, but suffers frequent hurricanes. The islands have limited natural fresh water resources; private cisterns collect rainwater for drinking. The primary natural resources are spiny lobster, conch and other shellfish.
The Caicos Islands are the larger group, with almost 96 percent of the land area. The spatial arrangement of the islands around the large Caicos Bank resembles an atoll, with the six large islands in the west, north and east, and a few tiny reefs and cays in the south. The unofficial capital of the Caicos Islands is the village of Kew on North Caicos. There is no official capital because the island group is not an administrative unit. The Caicos Islands encompass four of the six administrative districts of the territory. Four of the six main islands are inhabited, plus two of the smaller islands:
Main islands, from West to East, with population estimates of 2006:
West Caicos
Providenciales
North Caicos
Middle Caicos
East
Caicos
South Caicos
Ambergris Cay
Inhabited smaller islands, in the Caicos Cays between Providenciales and North Caicos:
Pine Cay
Parrot Cay
The Caicos Islands make up four of the six districts of the territory.
North, Middle and East Caicos Islands was designated a Ramsar site of the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance on 27 June 1990.
The Turks Islands, separated from the Caicos Islands by Turks Island Passage (more than 2,200 m deep), are a chain that stretches north-south. The total area is 26.7 square kilometres (10.3 sq mi). There are two main islands, which are the only inhabited ones of the group:
Grand Turk
Salt Cay
Together with nearby islands, all on Turks Bank, those two main islands form the two of the six administrative districts of the territory that fall within the Turks Islands. Turks Bank has a total area of about 450 km².
Mouchoir Bank, in Spanish also called Banco de Pañuelo Blanco is located southeast of the Turks islands. It is part of the Turks and Caicos Islands and falls within its EEZ. Much of its north side is awash in two groupings of coral reef. A 1.8 m deep rock lies between the two groupings. There are numerous shallow patches on the bank which break. North East Breaker is a dangerous rock in the northeast.
Mouchoir Passage, which separates Mouchoir Bank from the Turks islands, is about 16 miles wide and very deep. It covers an area of 960 km². Silver Bank Passage separates Mouchoir Bank from Silver Bank further southeast, which belongs to the Dominican Republic.
Silver Bank is an area in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic and southeast of the Territory of Turks & Caicos. It covers an area of 1680 km². It is separated from Mouchoir Bank in the west by Silver Bank Passage, and from Navidad Bank in the east by Navidad Bank Passage. It is a shallow underwater area that almost reaches the ocean's surface in most areas (60 feet deep in the shallow parts), but is mostly submerged. In its northern reaches many coral heads reach the ocean surface, especially at low tide. Also, amongst the coral heads is the wrecked freighter Polyxeni, most of which is above the surface. Persons can board the Polyxeni only with governmental permission.
The Turks and Caicos Islands are most well known for ripsaw music. The islands are known for their annual Music and Cultural Festival showcasing many local talents and other dynamic performances by many music celebrities from around the Caribbean and United States.
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