Port Description

Where You're Docked

Though Grand Turk is now a part of Eastern Caribbean itineraries, it is interesting to note that the Turks and Caicos are not a part of the Caribbean at all -- each island is surrounded on all sides by the Atlantic Ocean. And though it's only about 30 miles south of the Bahamas, it's not a part of that chain of islands, either.

Ships dock on the southwestern tip of the island, at the new pier built specifically for cruise ships; the facility is owned and operated by Carnival Corp.

Getting Around

• By Rental: Tony's Car Rental offers car, scooter and bicycle rentals. Car rentals start from $70 per day; open-back Jeep rentals start from $95 per day.
• By Taxi: Taxi fares will be set in advance -- look for posted signs; a ride from the cruise terminal to the downtown area should be around $7.
• By Bus: Grand Turk does not have an organized public bus system; bus stops seen around the island are, for the most part, spots for students to grab shuttles. Your best bet is to take an organized excursion, rent a car or grab a taxi.

What to See and Do

• Diving and Snorkeling: Turks and Caicos' major claim to fame is, beyond its gorgeous white sandy beaches, the fact that it sits on the world's third largest coral reef. Dive operators on the island offer programs for everyone from novice snorkelers to the most advanced divers. If you prefer to stay (somewhat) dry, there's also excellent fishing: Tuna, wahoo and blue marlin inhabit these same rich waters.
• Cockburn Town: Duke and Front Streets are lined with historic 18th- and 19th-century buildings that mirror the Bermudan-style architecture (pastel-painted wood) of the salt-raking era (salt ponds, while not in production, still run throughout the city). Cockburn Town is the administrative capital too, and a walking tour will take you past the governor's house, old churches, the public library and a small plaza containing the Columbus Monument, which claims that the explorer landed here in 1492.
• Turks & Caicos National Museum: Don't let its small stature fool you -- the two-floor museum outlines the history of the islands alongside various displays highlighting maritime history. A central display explores the history of the Molasses Reef Wreck, the oldest European shipwreck discovered in the Western Hemisphere (dated around 1505), which some historians believe could be Christopher Columbus' Nina.
• There's also an exhibit dedicated to John Glenn, whose Friendship 7 spacecraft splashed down off the coast, making Grand Turk the spot where the first American to orbit the earth returned to the planet. The museum is located inside the historic Guinep House (one of the oldest buildings on Grand Turk, named for the large Guinep tree that stands out front). The museum is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.; Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.; and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.
• Cruise line shore tour departments and on-island dive companies such as Sea Eye Diving and Blue Water Divers operate half-day trips to Gibbs Cay, located on the Atlantic side of Grand Turk and just a short boat ride away. Snorkel, indulge in a barbecue lunch, or feed and play with the friendly stingrays that swim right up to the shore.
• The Grand Turk Lighthouse is over 150 years old, and stands on the northern tip of the island, opposite the cruise terminal. It was built in the U.K. and transported here piece by piece with hopes that it would bring a halt to the many shipwrecks on Grand Turk's reefs. In its earliest years, wrecks continued -- legend has it that enterprising thieves would douse the whale oil lamps in hopes of new bounty, though written history chalks it up to the light being dim or simply going out. In 1943, kerosene light took its place; the lighthouse went electric in 1971. The old lens is now on display in the museum; informative plaques surround the lighthouse, and the spot offers a breathtaking view of the ocean.

Editor's Note: If your ship is in town past sunset, look for the "green flash," a phenomena that occurs when the color of the sun changes from red or orange to green or blue just as it dips below the earth's surface. It isn't indigenous to the islands, but due to atmospheric conditions it's seldom seen in the Caribbean (or anywhere else for that matter). Don't blink -- it happens quickly!

Where to Eat and Drink

Editor's Note: Because the island is so laid back, addresses and hours are often flexible or unlisted; unless otherwise noted, lunching suggestions are located on the main drag in Cockburn Town.

• Most of the restaurants on the island are connected with its few resorts. The Secret Garden at the Salt Raker Inn is our favorite place for cracked (delicious deep-fried) conch. The Sandbar, an outdoor bar on the beach across from the Salt Raker and neighboring Manta House, is a great spot for a quick snack, serving up quesadillas, burgers and some more cracked conch. Duke Street.
• The Water's Edge has transformed the local specialty -- conch -- into inventive dishes like "conch burgers" and curried conch platters, but also offers sandwiches, pizzas, and chicken and fish dishes. Open daily from 11:30 a.m. Duke Street.
• The Birdcage at the Osprey Beach Hotel is open for lunch, with island dishes like spicy conch salad, fresh fish and lobster, as well as curries, pizzas, salads and key lime pie. Tables surround the pool and overlook the ocean. Duke Street.
• Though there are no real "upscale" eateries on this casual island, Guanahani Restaurant at the Bohio Dive Resort is likely Grand Turk's finest, on a quiet strip of Pillory Beach. The menu changes daily; lunch offerings are eclectic -- French, Italian and American with a Caribbean twist. Entrees range from simple fresh fish sandwiches and pecan-crusted mahi mahi to jerk chicken. Open for lunch daily.

Staying in Touch

Though we anticipate that an Internet cafe will eventually pop up in the tourist village at the cruise pier, at this point the most convenient way for cyber geeks to stay in touch is to use their ships' services. Cruisers that don't mind lugging their wireless-enabled laptops ashore will find free Wi-Fi signals at the Water's Edge restaurant and at the Osprey Hotel's courtyard cafe, both in downtown Cockburn on Duke Street.