Exploring the islands
Most Turks and Caicos holidays start on the island of Providenciales (also known as Provo), with many flights landing at the island’s international airport - the capital island, Grand Turk, is also home to an airport but this mostly handles domestic flights. The Turks and Caicos are a British Overseas Territory, and share a number of cultural similarities with the UK – including a national anthem. English is the official language of the islands, while the official currency is the US dollar, so you’ll soon find yourself feeling at home on a holiday in the Turks and Caicos. Providenciales is home to a number of contemporary spas and hotels, as well as one of the Caribbean’s best golf courses, while Grand Turk features many of the islands’ most historic sites, including the Turks and Caicos’ national museum and the Grand Turk Lighthouse. Some of the other islands are exclusive and secluded getaways, with Pine Cay is essentially a private island for guests at the island’s hotel, and Parrot Cay a favourite destination for the rich and famous, with movie and rock stars owning private beachfront houses.
“Beautiful by Nature”
The motto of the islands is “Beautiful by nature”, which you’ll soon come to understand on one of our Turks and Caicos holidays. Enjoying a marine tropical climate, the islands’ temperature remains mostly dry and sunny all year round, with average highs in July-September of 31 degrees celsius, and an average low of 23 degrees between January and March. In 2015 TripAdvisor named Providenciales the best island in the world, and the following year its Grace Bay Beach was named the number one beach. Spanning 12 miles of pristine white sands, Grace Bay Beach is not only a great swimming and water sports spot, but is also home to the Princess Alexandra Marine Park and the world’s first Conch Farm.
Get a taste of island life
The Turks and Caicos are known for their exceptional aquatic life, with excellent snorkelling, scuba diving and seafood available around the islands and plenty of great dolphin and whale watching opportunities. The islands’ cuisine is particularly renowned for its shellfish, including conch and spiny lobster. When you book a holiday to Turks and Caicos with lastminute.com, make sure to head down to the lively Island Fish Fry. Held every Thursday evening at Providenciales’ Bight Park, the celebration includes plenty of fresh seafood, as well as local Rip Saw music, and demonstrations of local crafts and folklore.
