Perched on the tip of the Turks and Caicos archipelago lies South Caicos. This peaceful Caribbean paradise is moments from your boutique retreat, and yours to explore as you wish. Here is where stretches of virtually untouched white sand beaches blend with eerily beautiful, glistening salt pans. Sheltered lagoons wait to be explored by kayak. And clusters of crumbling buildings from precolonial days can be glimpsed from the rugged cliffs of Long Cay.
NATURE
With roaming wild donkeys now outnumbering humans, wildlife has been left free to flourish across the island and in the surrounding coral reef. Watch a pink cloud of flamingos flock together on the pancake-flat salinas. Spy green turtles and lemon sharks basking in the mangrove channels. Or charter a boat to go bonefishing or diving for conch, as eagle rays swim beside you. If you’re here in spring, Salt Cay is the place to witness the extraordinary annual humpback whale migration.
HISTORY
Claiming to be the second island discovered by Columbus on his 1492 New World trip, South Caicos was built on its natural harbour and rich salt reserves. Today, intriguing structures scattered across the deserted salinas are all that remain of its salt-exporting days. Small-scale fishing is now the main source of income for most of the locals. Walk through the Queen's Parade Grounds to visit the old Wesleyan Church and the 18th-century Commissioner's House in Cockburn Harbour. This is where you get to appreciate the Bermudian architecture style and British colonial influence on the island.
LANDMARKS
Time-weathered relics dotted across South Caicos promise dramatically different images to capture on your camera or sketchpad. Wander past colonial warehouses in Cockburn Harbour. Peer down into the Boiling Hole, a naturally-formed subterranean passage that filled the salinas with sea water. And look out for the long-abandoned Highlands House and the decommissioned US Coast Guard LORAN station that was built in the 1950s.
Fly like a bird over stunning scenery and sand bars. The strong trade winds make Long Beach and Plandon Cay Cut are a kiteboarder’s dream.
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