Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/585822
It only takes 90 short minutes by plane from Miami to reach this archipelago of 40 mostly undeveloped, uninhabited islands and cays, but it takes less than 90 seconds to fall in love with it. The islands of Turks & Caicos have made a splash in the warm Caribbean Sea over the past couple of decades, and today, a reputation for brilliant white beaches—over 230 miles worth— superb diving, upscale resorts, gourmet dining and tranquility precedes them. Turks—namely Cockburn Town, Grand Turk—is a low-key, traditional destination whose laid-back attitude belies its designations as the center of the government, the capital, and financial center. Traverse through the 22-mile-long and mile-deep Columbus Passage, a submarine canyon, to find the jewel of this destination: Providenciales. Part of the more well-known Caicos Islands and home of the renowned 12 mile Grace Bay, visitors of Providenciales find impeccable dining, world-class lodgings and all the vestiges of a true beach escape. Take to the seas, and Turks & Caicos becomes a paradise of a wholly different kind. International anglers seek to score blue marlin, sailfish and wahoo, and mangrove salt flats hold wily bonefish. Thirty percent of the archipelago is protected by park or reserve status, and incredible underwater visibility pairs well with the plethora of eagle rays, turtles, and massive schools of jacks. Wall dives let intrepid adventurers discover silent worlds deep below the surface, and wreck dives like the HMS Endymion, a relic of the Napoleonic Wars, await just 20 feet below. Water Cay Pine Cay Jubber Point Providenciales South Bluff Turks Islands Caicos Islands A T L A N T I C O C E A N 0 2 miles 0 2 km 1 4 6 9 2 5 12 8 10 14 15 3 11 7 13 TURKS & CAICOS Turks & Caicos 75