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TURKS & CAICOS iSLANDS
Dive into a one-of-a-kind, unbelievably exciting Beaches all-inclusive Turks & Caicos vacation for the whole family. This amazing all-inclusive resort features a 45,000 square-foot waterpark; five magnificent villages, boasting the architecture and ambiance of Italy, France, the Caribbean and Key West; a 12-mile beach lapped by clear turquoise waters; 10 impressive pools, endless fun activities for everyone, from tots to tweens and teens, featuring Sesame Street® characters, the Xbox Play Lounge and a sizzlin' teen disco—all located on Grace Bay, voted the World’s #1 Best Beach by TripAdvisor Travelers.
Voted the World's #1 Best Beach by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice awards, Grace Bay is 12 miles of sweeping white-sand beach on the north shore of the island of Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Located on the best stretch of this famous beach, all-inclusive resort Beaches Turks & Caicos is lapped by the calmest and clearest turquoise waters, perfect for every type of water sport.
Surround yourself in a garden oasis in the Caribbean & Seaside Villages, bask in the old world charm of the Italian Village, experience a Caribbean paradise with a French accent in the French Village, or embrace the laid-back charm and elegance of the Key West Village. Whatever your vacation mood, this all-inclusive resort in Turks & Caicos has a village to match.
Whether you dine as a family or just the two of you, there is something for every taste at 21 gourmet restaurants featuring global cuisines ranging from French cuisine to diner favorites. There’s even two new food trucks by the waterpark that offer Mac & Cheese and ice cream creations.
For everyone who has ever dreamed of getting away from it all and finding a tropical hideaway far removed from all the hustle, bustle, fuss and muss of modern life - Beaches all-inclusive resort in Turks & Caicos is that rarest of discoveries, a true island escape.
Turks and Caicos Islands, overseas territory of the United Kingdom in the West Indies. It consists of two groups of islands lying on the southeastern periphery of The Bahamas, of which they form a physical part, and north of the island of Hispaniola. The islands include eight large cays (keys) and numerous smaller cays, islets, reefs, banks, and rocks. Cockburn Town, on Grand Turk, is the seat of government and main commercial centre. Area at high tide, 238 square miles (616 square km); at low tide, 366 square miles (948 square km). Pop. (2012) 31,618.
The Turks group is composed of Grand Turk Island, Salt Cay, and lesser cays. The Caicos group lies northwest of the Turks and is separated from them by a 22-mile- (35-km-) long, 7,000-foot- (2,100-metre-) deep marine trench called the Turks Island Passage, or “the Wall.” The Caicos group consists of six principal islands—South Caicos, East Caicos, Middle (or Grand) Caicos, North Caicos, Providenciales, and West Caicos—and several cays. Only six of the larger cays and two of the smaller cays are inhabited. More than four-fifths of the population lives on three islands: South Caicos, Providenciales (commonly called Provo), and Grand Turk. Cockburn Harbour, the islands’ second largest town, is on South Caicos.
The name Turks is said to derive from a species of indigenous cactus, the Turk’s head (Melocactus intortus), whose scarlet top resembles a fez. The name Caicos may derive from caya hico, a phrase meaning “string of islands” in the language of the indigenous Lucayan (Arawak) people.
The islands are low-lying and formed by coral reefs. They are characterized by numerous karst features, including banana holes (small sinkholes containing rich soil), caves, caverns, and sea cliffs. There is little arable land. Aragonite, a type of calcium carbonate, is found on the shallow banks off West Caicos. The highest elevation is 163 feet (50 metres), at Blue Hills, on Providenciales. The long, sandy beaches of the archipelago are numerous and renowned among tourists. Reefs surround the islands.
The climate is tropical savanna. Winter temperatures average 75–80 °F (24–27 °C) and summer temperatures, 85–90 °F (29–32 °C). The easterly trade winds moderate the climate. The Turks and Caicos are the driest islands in the Bahamas chain. Annual precipitation averages about 29 inches (736 mm) at Grand Turk, and drinking water is in short supply. During hurricane (tropical cyclone) season, between the months of June and November, severe weather can cause beach erosion and property damage. Devastating storms occur only infrequently, such as in 2008, when Hurricanes Hanna and Ike hit the islands; in particular, Grand Turk, Providenciales, and South Caicos sustained widespread and severe damage.
The types of vegetation encountered on the islands include scrub (xerophytic shrubs), coppice, savanna, and marsh-swamp. Mangroves, cacti, and Caribbean pines are found, and beefwood trees (Casuarina) have been planted as windbreaks. Terrestrial animal life consists mostly of insects (especially butterflies and mosquitoes), iguanas and other lizards, and birds (notably flamingos); the islands are on several migratory bird routes. The surrounding waters and coral reefs abound in spiny lobsters, conchs, snappers, groupers, and other food fishes.
More than nine-tenths of the population is of African heritage. The majority of the population is Christian; the main religious denominations are Baptist, Methodist, and Anglican. English is the official language. Thousands of islanders in search of employment have migrated to The Bahamas and the United States, particularly during the 1960s and ’70s, but many expatriates have returned with the advent of relative prosperity. Population growth has been pronounced on Providenciales since the 1980s largely as a result of the expanding tourism industry, which has attracted migrants from around the Caribbean, particularly Haiti.
Turks and Caicos underwent rapid economic growth in the two decades between the mid-1980s and the early 21st century, which was reflected in an average annual increase of 8 percent in its gross domestic product (GDP) during that period. The major factor contributing to this burgeoning prosperity was the rise of tourism and offshore financial services, two sectors on which the economy now relies heavily. Growth was enabled by large foreign investment and commercial land development, much of which has taken place on Providenciales.
Lack of arable land restricts agriculture on the islands, though corn (maize), beans, cassava, fruits, and other subsistence crops are grown on the western Caicos Islands. Much land is unused, and beef cattle graze in many rough, uneven areas. Seafood is the major source of protein. Traditional livelihoods include boatbuilding and fishing for spiny lobster, conch, jack, snapper, and other marine life. Lobster and conch are exported, but most food and other basic goods are imported. The United States is the islands’ main trading partner.
There is no income or company tax, and the government promotes the growth of offshore finance, including banking, insurance, and trust companies. More than 10,000 international businesses were registered in the islands in the early 21st century.
Turks and Caicos has several international airports, including the main point of entry on Providenciales and others on Grand Turk, North Caicos, and South Caicos. All the other islands except East Caicos have smaller airstrips accommodating domestic flights. In the early 21st century the country received several hundred thousand stopover tourists annually. The majority of them, attracted by the islands’ sunny beaches and varied scuba-diving sites, stayed in hotels or on boats in the marinas on Providenciales, where many tourist facilities have been developed. Grand Turk and Cockburn Harbour on South Caicos are major ports. Newer port facilities have opened on Salt Cay and on Providenciales.
The terms of the Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order of 2011 provide for a governor, who is to represent the British monarch as head of state and bear responsibility for external affairs, internal security, defense, international financial services, and the appointment of public officers. The executive branch also includes a cabinet, headed by the governor, that also includes a premier appointed by the governor, the attorney general, the deputy governor, and up to six other ministers, who are members of the legislature appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier. The unicameral legislature, the House of Assembly, consists of 21 members: 15 directly elected, four appointed, one ex officio (the attorney general), and the speaker, who is elected to that position by the legislature. The speaker can be either a member of the legislature not serving in the cabinet or a person from outside the legislature.
Education is compulsory for children ages 4 to 17. Primary education is provided free in government schools. A community college on Grand Turk, with a branch on Providenciales, offers associate’s degrees and technical and vocational education. Students from the islands can also attend any of the campuses of the University of the West Indies. Grand Turk has a hospital, and there are health clinics on several of the islands.
Aquatic sports—sailing, game fishing, and, especially, scuba diving among the coral reefs—are popular and attract many tourists to the islands. Traditional island music incorporates Haitian and African influences, and live music at hotels and clubs is popular among local people. The Turks and Caicos National Museum, located on Grand Turk, displays collections on a variety of historical subjects, sponsors research projects in areas such as the slave trade and island industries, and maintains an archive of historical documents and images. There are radio stations based on several of the islands, and television is available via satellite. Newspapers include the Turks and Caicos Weekly News, Turks and Caicos Sun (weekly), and Turks and Caicos Free Press (weekly).
