Holiday in Cockburn Town

About Cockburn Town

Cockburn Town is the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory southeast of the Bahamas — and one of the smallest capitals in the Caribbean. The sleepy town on Grand Turk Island has more historical charm than tourist infrastructure: colonial stone buildings, salt pans, and a past as an important salt trading hub. Front Street and Duke Street form the historic center: pastel-colored colonial houses from the 18th and 19th centuries, former salt storage houses, and the Turks and Caicos National Museum, which claims Columbus first landed here in 1492 (and not on San Salvador). The old salt pans, which made the islands' wealth for centuries, are now flamingo habitats. Grace Bay Beach on Providenciales (accessible by domestic flight) is regularly voted the most beautiful beach in the world: 19 km of powdery white sand with crystal clear turquoise water shimmering in breathtaking shades. Provo, as the island is called, is the tourist center of the archipelago. From January to April, humpback whales migrate through the Columbus Passage between Grand Turk and Salt Cay — Grand Turk's whale watching is among the best in the Caribbean. The coral reefs around Grand Turk offer wall diving right off the coast: the wall drops from just 300 meters from the beach to over 2,000 meters deep.