The collection of Caribbean islands known as the Turks and Caicos are a beautiful holiday destination. Providenciales (known locally as ‘Provo’) is the most developed island in the country. Here you can find the picturesque, aquamarine lagoon of Chalk Sound, dotted with numerous green-topped rocky islets which you can explore by kayak or paddleboard. Also on Providenciales is the beach of Grace Bay is renowned as one of the best in the world, and the rugged coastline of East Caicos and Middle Caicos make for some spectacular natural scenery along hiking trails. The 24 km of underground caverns known as Conch Bar Caves on Middle Caicos is one of the largest cave systems in the Caribbean. Grand Turk Island is a very popular port of call for large cruise ships, where guests may choose to visit the capital CockBurn Town, the national museum, or play with stingrays at Gibbs Cay.

Scuba diving is the major attraction of the Turks and Caicos. Lying next to Bahamas, on the edge of the Gulf Stream, the islands are perfectly situated to have plenty of pelagic visitors. This means the dive sites plenty of underwater action, with big schools of fish and plenty of big sharks. In fact, along with the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos Islands are known as the shark capital of the Caribbean, French Cay is the place to be to see something special, such as hammerheads, bull and tiger sharks, lemon, and nurse sharks. Providenciales and West Caicos have some of the best walls in the Caribbean, and here you can see dolphins, whale sharks, eagle and manta rays, as well as whales.

The economy of the Turks and Caicos is based on tourism, offshore financial services, and fishing. Tourism accounts for 70% of GNP and just over 1.5 million visitors arrived in 2019, mostly from the USA. This ranks it 13th in the list of most popular countries in the Caribbean. However, the COVID pandemic wiped out international tourism in 2020-21 and this badly affected the lives of many people living here. The first confirmed case arrived 23 March 2020,[and within 4 days the police made a mandatory stay at home order and curfew. The first death occurred on 5 April. All airports were closed 15 May, together with the cruise port in Grand Turk. There have been 2 major waves – February and September 2021 – when cases rose to around 400 per day. To date there have been just 2,700 cases and 20 deaths. This ranks it 103 in the list of countries with most deaths per capita – very low. Currently 65% of the population have been fully vaccinated.

International flights began to operate again on 22 July and the cruise port re-opened 31 August. There are still some anti-virus measure in place such as midnight closure of businesses and dawn curfews. Current entry requirements for international visitors stipulate proof of a full vaccine, pre-arrival negative test result, TCI Assured free online travel authorization, and appropriate travel/health insurance. Further information can be found here: Government of the Turks and Caicos Islands website – entry requirements.

Our liveaboard cruises in the islands of the Turks and Caicos have been operating since July 2020, making them one of the most popular choices for intrepid scuba divers. These tours operate all year round apart from February and March (when the yachs move to the Dominican Republic to snorkel with the humpback whales at Silver Bank). Why not take advantage of the COVID-related special offers, fly in and check out this shark diver’s paradise?