Question 1

Grand Turk on Your Own

Accepted Answer

Grand Turk is small, and you can see a good part of it in one port day without a tour. A simple plan is a taxi to Cockburn Town for the museum and the old streets, then back to Governor's Beach or the cruise center beach for the afternoon. Cockburn Town: Walk Front Street and Duke Street, lined with 18th- and 19th-century Bermudian-style houses and old street lamps. The Turks and Caicos National Museum is in Guinep House on Front Street. The museum's hours: The museum opens on cruise ship days, usually from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; check before you go, as hours follow the ship schedule. Governor's Beach: This mostly secluded white-sand beach has some of the island's better snorkeling. Getting around: Most visitors rent a golf cart or car, or take a taxi. Driving is on the left, though most rental cars are left-hand drive, and donkeys and other animals wander onto the roads. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own, so leave town with time to spare. Safety: Use only licensed taxis, not unregistered "jitneys", and do not carry more cash or valuables than you need.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

There is little public transport on Grand Turk, so visitors use taxis, golf carts, scooters or rental cars. The island covers only 18 square kilometers. Taxis have standard fares for most destinations, and you may be charged per person; agree the fare with the driver first. Avoid unlicensed taxis, known locally as jitneys. Traffic drives on the left, but most rental cars are left-hand drive. Livestock, including donkeys, goats and horses, often wander onto the roads on Grand Turk. The speed limit is 20 mph in towns and 40 mph elsewhere.

Question 3

What to Eat

Accepted Answer

Seafood, and above all conch, is the heart of Turks and Caicos cooking. Look for conch fritters and conch salad, the two most common local dishes. The cruise center has its own restaurants and bars, including a large Margaritaville that gets very crowded when two ships are in. Small hotels in Cockburn Town serve lunch and dinner. Spiny lobster is another local catch. Tap water meets safety standards, but many visitors prefer bottled water, which is easy to buy.

Question 4

Tipping and Currency

Accepted Answer

Tipping is generally customary in the Turks and Caicos. Many restaurants add a service charge of 10 to 15 percent, and an extra tip of up to 20 percent is appreciated for excellent service. Check the bill for a service charge before you add a tip. The official currency is the US dollar. Major credit cards are widely accepted, and Grand Turk has banks and cash machines.

Question 5

Culture and History

Accepted Answer

Grand Turk is the administrative and historic center of the Turks and Caicos, a British Overseas Territory, though only about 4,800 people lived on the island in 2012. The salt industry is largely what populated Grand Turk, and its old town still shows the Bermudian style of its first settlers. Cockburn Town has been the seat of government since 1766. The island's name comes from the Turk's cap cactus, whose top looks like a fez. Cricket is the national sport. Same-sex relationships are legal, and public attitudes are tolerant but conservative. Penalties for drug possession, even in small amounts, are severe.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Grand Turk's history runs from the Lucayan people through the salt trade to the space race. Bermudians built a salt industry here in the 17th century, and in the 20th century the United States used the island for tracking and listening stations. The Lucayans: The first inhabitants called the island Abawana. Some historians argue that Grand Turk was Columbus's first landfall in 1492, though most place it in the Bahamas. An early wreck: The Molasses Reef Wreck, a ship lost in the islands early in the 16th century, is the oldest European wreck in the Americas to have been scientifically excavated; its finds are in the National Museum. Salt rakers, 1681: Bermudians arrived in 1681 to rake salt from the island's ponds, and Cockburn Town was founded that year. The capital, 1766: Grand Turk became the seat of government in 1766, and in 1836 Britain declared it a free port for warehousing goods. The lighthouse, 1852: The lighthouse at the north end was built in England, shipped in pieces and finished on October 1, 1852, to warn ships off the shallow northern reef. Changing rulers: The islands were governed from the Bahamas until 1848 and annexed to Jamaica in 1873. They became a separate crown colony when Jamaica became independent in 1962, and received their own governor in 1973. The space race: The US Navy opened a listening station near the lighthouse in 1954, and in 1962 John Glenn's Friendship 7 capsule splashed down off the island's southeast coast. A replica stands at the airport entrance. The cruise center: Plans for a cruise port on the island were announced in 2004. To learn more ashore: The Turks and Caicos National Museum in Guinep House on Front Street, Cockburn Town, covers the Lucayans, shipwrecks including the Molasses Reef Wreck, the salt industry and the space race.

Question 7

Traveling with Kids

Accepted Answer

With children, the simplest Grand Turk day is the cruise center itself, with its beach and pool steps from the ship. Families who want more can add a short taxi ride to Cockburn Town or Governor's Beach. Younger children: The cruise center's beach, about 800 feet long, and its large pool are right by the pier, with food close at hand. School age: The National Museum's space race display tells the story of John Glenn's 1962 splashdown nearby, and the cruise center has models of the capsule and an astronaut. Donkeys roam free on Grand Turk and often wander onto the roads. Teenagers: Governor's Beach has some of the island's better snorkeling. Older teenagers who dive can visit the reef wall, about a 10-minute ride from the beach. Whales: From January to March, humpback whales pass close to Grand Turk and Salt Cay on their migration.

Question 8

Accessibility

Accepted Answer

The cruise center's beach, pool, restaurants and shops are all close to the pier, so a visitor with limited mobility can have a full day without a vehicle. Going farther means a taxi or a rental vehicle, so ask your cruise line before you sail about accessible transfers. Public transport is limited, and an adapted taxi is not something to count on finding on the day. Cockburn Town's streets are long and narrow. Grand Turk has a medical center in Cockburn Town, and emergency services can be reached on 911.

Question 9

Shopping in Grand Turk

Accepted Answer

Most shopping is at the cruise center, where a duty-free store sells liquor, sweets and leather goods alongside shops and kiosks selling jewelry, art and souvenirs. Duty-free purchases may require photo ID showing you are not a Turks and Caicos resident. You may take home up to three conch shells per person during the conch season, July 15 to October 15; pack them in checked luggage. Exporting live conch, or more than the allowance, is prohibited.

Question 10

Beaches and Reef

Accepted Answer

The beaches most visitors use are the cruise center's own stretch of sand and Governor's Beach. Offshore, a coral reef wall draws divers, about a 10-minute ride from the beach. The cruise center beach is about 800 feet long, right by the ship. Governor's Beach is quieter, with white sand and some of the island's better snorkeling. Gibbs Cay, a small uninhabited island offshore, is known for stingray encounters on boat excursions. Ask to see a dive operator's credentials and check that oxygen is carried on the boat before you dive. Public nudity is illegal, and there are no nude beaches.

Grand Turk

Good to know

What to Expect