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Grand Turk: An island that really lets you get away from it all

Lots of beach destinations promise respite from daily life - yet are mobbed with tourists and developed to their eye-teeth. Discover calmer shores

Grand Turk can't help itself. Despite its efforts to develop and attract a party crowd, this island remains one of the least explored and quietest destinations in the Caribbean. Forget about blaring nightlife, package tours and endless buffets. Here you'll only find uncrowded white sandy beaches and some of the best scuba diving in the Western Hemisphere.

• What it's like
• Don't miss
• Who likes it
• Food and drink
• Travel
• Best beaches
• Hotels
• Nightlife
• Kids in tow
• Dive shops

What it's like
Grand Turk is one of eight inhabited islands that make up the small country of Turks and Caicos and has been the seat of the country's government since 1766. The capital, Cockburn Town, comes complete with faded colonial architecture and a smattering of municipal establishments, but population-wise, Grand Turk only accounts for 20 per cent of the entire population of Turks and Caicos. Most citizens, or 'belongers' as they are called here, now live on the rapidly developing island of Providenciales. Just a few decades ago, only about 500 people lived in Provo, as the locals call it, but now, due to a booming tourist industry with over ten resorts, dozens of hotels and inns, two golf courses, and three shopping centres, it is now the most densely populated island in the country. Grand Turk, on the other hand, used to be home to the largest proportion of belongers, but that number has dropped precipitously over the past few decades, leaving behind a tranquil backwater for those looking to escape from the crowds.

What remains are a few sleepy, fading colonial streets, where wild horses and donkeys (not to mention stray dogs) roam free (if languidly), and a handful of inexpensive hotels, most overlooking the startlingly clear turquoise waters. There are a handful of small hotels and villas for rent to the steady trickle of tourists who pass through - most of whom are looking for a true getaway from the hustle and bustle along with the superb diving along the 'Wall' less than ten minutes off the shore. Now is the time to get there, for the secret is out. Carnival Cruise Lines has already begun to develop a dock and inland shopping area for its ships. The good news is the addition of a new Bohio resort, which has partnered with the designer of the uber-luxurious Parrot Cay Resort to develop an upscale dive resort and spa far from the proposed cruise line development.

But seekers of the unbeaten path fear not. Even with that burgeoning development, there is plenty of Grand Turk sleepiness to go around.

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