Everyone thinks sun, sand, and, possibly, scuba when traveling to the Turks and Caicos, but there’s an entire natural world of wonder awaiting visitors.
TCI’s geologic past
Geographically, the Turks & Caicos Islands are part of the Bahamian island chain. The Turks and Caicos Islands consist of two banks of land which rise to a height of 9842 feet (3000 meters), with only the last 140 feet or so above water level. The Turks and Caicos Banks, like the Bahamas, are built on pieces of the continental crust that broke away when North America separated from West Africa. These remnants of continental debris are buried under thousands of feet of limestone rock which has been formed by the decomposition of skeletal remains from marine organisms and precipitation of calcium carbonate material.
Natural places to visit on Provo
The result is a unique ecosystem that has remained largely intact, even after millenia of human habitation and more recent settlement and development.
Chalk Sound National Park
Quite close to downtown Provo, Chalk Sound National Park features beautiful views of turquoise waters and brilliantly white islets topped with emerald foliage. Interesting carvings from shipwrecked sailors can also be found on the beach.
Sapodilla Hill Area of Historical Interest
Sapodilla Hill is at the southernmost tip of Providenciales, next to the anchorage at Sapodilla Bay. Since at least 1760, visiting mariners have been making inscriptions on the rocky face of the hill to mark their visits. In 1999 the National Museum sponsored the making of plaster casts of the site to ensure preservation of the inscriptions which are on display at the airport.
North West Point Marine National Park
Northwest Point Marine National Park includes nearby reefs and several saline lakes that attract breeding and migrant birds, and offers easy access to diving and other water sports.
Princess Alexandra Land and Sea National Park
Princess Alexandra Land and Sea National Park features seagrass beds, barrier and patch coral reefs, sand banks, fringing mangroves, beach and low dunes, and seaside vegetation, and is a must-see for visitors and locals in Providenciales. The park offers easy access to some of the better beaches and near shore coral reefs in the island. Most of the hotels are located along the beach providing good ocean views, and convenient access to watersports and beach activities.
Pigeon Pond and Frenchman’s Creek Nature Reserve
The Pigeon Pond and Frenchman’s Creek Nature Reserve is a time capsule of TCI’s natural history, and features hundreds of acres of pristine tropical woodlands represented by hardwoods, orchids, perching birds and reptiles some of which are found nowhere else on earth.
Charles Edwards has a special interest in Turks and Caicos nature reserves and parks