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Featured Destinations

Turks and Caicos

A group of 40 islands and cays just southeast of the Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos have gained fame in the dive world with a beloved four letter word: walls. Here, wall diving sits at the center of the dive experience. If you want to feel the sensation of flying on every dive, then the Turks and Caicos is the place to soar. Top dive regions include Providenciales, West Caicos and Grand Turk. The water is always ice clear and as with all wall diving, you never know what will pass by, from spotted eagle rays to reef sharks. The tops of the walls are great places to off gas and change your focus from big to small, as most of the cleaning stations are congregated in the shallows. There are even a few wrecks to explore, such as the famed Endymion. Topside, the Turks and Caicos are about beaches, bars and explicitly forgetting which day of the week it is, and in some cases, which hour of the day it is. The beaches here are white, soft and empty. Romp away. Forget about your cares, emails and voicemails. They simply don’t matter here.

Destination Essentials

Note: Travel to any destination may be adversely affected by conditions including (but not limited) to security, entry and exit requirements, health conditions, local laws and culture, natural disasters and climate. Regardless of your destination, check your local travel advisory board or department for travel advice about that location when planning your trip and again shortly before you leave.

When to visit:

The Turks and Caicos boast 350 sunny days per year, and seldom experience trouble with hurricane season.

Marine Life Seasons:

Humpback whales migrate through the Turks and Caicos from January through March, on their way to breed in warm waters. Nurse sharks are often seen around the reefs during their mating season (July-September).

When to Get the Best Deals :

August to October.

What to Pack:

A 3/2 mm wetsuit, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and DAN card.

Water Temperatures :

Seasonal averages: 24°C/76°F in winter and 28°C/83°F in summer.

Air Temperatures:

Seasonal averages: 25°C/75°F in winter and 30°C/86°F in summer.

Currency:

The American dollar (USD) is the official currency. Credit or debit cards are accepted in most places.

Visa/Passport Requirements:

Valid passport; check with local immigration office for visa requirements.

Departure Tax:

$23 USD paid at the airport.

Immunizations:

None required.

What to Eat:

Seafood, especially conch, plays an important role in the food of Turks and Caicos Islands. Look for curried conch, conch fritters, conch chowder, conch salad and dishes made with dried conch. Hominy grits or peas and rice accompany most meals. A popular specialty, especially on the weekends, is boiled fish served with johnny cake (a sweet pan bread). Each island has slightly different signature dishes depending on what is locally available.

What to Drink:

Bambarra is the locally produced rum and, as typical of many islands, rum punch is a very popular drink. Turks Head Brewery produces the local microbrew – Turks Head – that you’ll find in many restaurants and bars.

Top Adventures/Shopping/Culture:

Middle Caicos Cave hiking; hit the beach, they’re some of the best and loneliest in the world; check out the local crafts at the Caicos Artisan Studio or Middle Caicos Co-op; shop at the Salt Mills Plaza; see the flamingos on North Caicos.

Customs and Culture:

Island times rules in the Turks and Caicos; don’t expect or get frustrated by the lack of attention the locals pay to time.

Top Festivals/Events:

Massin (Masquerade’s) and Junkanoo in December and January; Conch festival in November.

Electricity and Internet:

The voltage is 110 volts, 60 Hz. Internet is available at the larger hotels.

Drink the water?

Bottled water is recommended.

Language:

English.

Iconic Marine Life

Top Dives

Walls & Walls, West Caicos:

This uninhabited island boasts 10 kilometres/six miles of protected walls, plunging to a depth of 1,800 metres/6,000 feet. Look for sponges, coral formations, grouper, reef fish, turtles, and stingrays, as well as the occasional sighting of reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, manta rays, and hammerheads.

Sandbore Channel:

This channel opens onto the outer West Reef, making for a combination of reef life (including octopus, lobster, large nassau grouper, and jewfish) and pelagic visitors. Look for giant stingrays, eagle rays, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks, and manta rays.

Lost Reef:

Noted for numerous eagle rays and reef sharks, this site also boasts sea fans and abundant coral of many species.

Southwest Reef:

Famous for its giant barrel sponges and elkhorn corals, this site also offers a chance to spot eagle rays, sharks, and other pelagic swimmers. This dive is best attempted during the winter (February and March), as tradewinds during the rest of the year render diving conditions unfavorable.

French Cay:

Though it used to serve as a hide-away for pirates, this area is now a sanctuary for seabirds instead. Corals and sponges grow especially large here, and divers regularly spot eagle rays, manta rays, or hammerhead sharks. During the months of January through March, sightings of humpback whales are common. Nurse sharks also visit the site regularly during their mating season (July through September).

Molasses Reef:

A vertical wall contoured with coral formations and canyons, this site features giant barrel sponges, sea fans, nassau groupers, eagle rays, and occasionally a larger shark.

West Sand Spits:

This location is another hot spot during the whale season (January through March), but should only be attempted with calm seas. While waiting for whales, divers can enjoy lush corals, large stingrays and pelagic fish, and multicolored reef fish.

Grace Bay and Pine Cay:

This grouping of close dive sites in the Alexandra National Park is conveniently clustered for a multi-dive day (or day-and-night). Enjoy pristine reefs, grouper, lobster, turtles, reef sharks and nurse sharks. This is also a prime site for night diving to view nocturnal life.

Columbus Passage:

At the interface between the islands’ shallow reefs and the abyss of the Turks Island Passage stand incredible walls, accessible year-round, with a proliferation of corals, sponges, reef fish and pelagic swimmers. This area is most famous for the humpback whales migratory path to Dominican breeding grounds during winter months.

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Featured Destinations

Turks and Caicos

Destination Essentials

Destination Essentials

When to visit:

Marine Life Seasons:

When to Get the Best Deals :

What to Pack:

Water Temperatures :

Air Temperatures:

Currency:

Visa/Passport Requirements:

Departure Tax:

Immunizations:

What to Eat:

What to Drink:

Top Adventures/Shopping/Culture:

Customs and Culture:

Top Festivals/Events:

Electricity and Internet:

Drink the water?

Language:

Iconic Marine Life

Iconic Marine Life

Humpback Whale:

Hammerhead Sharks:

Manta Ray:

Grouper:

Sea Turtles :

Brain Coral :

Barrel Sponges:

Caribbean Reef Shark :

Spotted Eagle Ray :

Nurse Sharks:

Top Dives

Top Dives

Walls & Walls, West Caicos:

Sandbore Channel:

Lost Reef:

Southwest Reef:

French Cay:

Molasses Reef:

West Sand Spits:

Grace Bay and Pine Cay:

Columbus Passage:

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Customer Support

Ideas

Report Spam/Scam

Quality Management

Inappropriate Content

Intellectual Property Copyright

Intellectual Property Trademark