Crystal Clear Blue Waters
Are Calling You
If blue is your favorite color, then Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos, is the place for you. As your ship pulls into the harbor this picture unfolds in front of your eyes. A short walk from your ship, and you can immerse yourself in these beautiful waters or relax on the beach and just enjoy the scenery.
But first, it was time for us to explore the island on an exclusive shore excursion offered by Shore Excursions Group. Working with a Professional Travel Planner, you rely on their recommendations. In order for me to provide those recommendations, I need to experience the ships and tours myself. Since I hadn't done that before on Grand Turk, we decided to book the "Exclusive Grand Turk Experience" during one of our recent cruises in the Caribbean.
Guided Island Tour
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| Click images to enlarge - view Grand Turk Album |
Grand Turk Island is the administrative, historic, cultural and financial center of the island nation of Turks and Caicos. Grand Turk is largest of all the islands that comprise the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. With crystal clear waters, gorgeous climate, and a unique culture, Grand Turk has become a popular cruise destination for travelers visiting from all around the world.
This guided island drive tour showed us the highlights of Grand Turk Island. We visited the island's top attractions, including the former United States Air Force Tracking Base and a replica of Astronaut John Glenn's Friendship 7 space capsule, which splashed down off the island's coast in 1962 following the United States' first successful manned orbit of the earth.
We also saw several 18th-century churches, beautiful Bermudan-style buildings, and salt ponds. In this peaceful town you may also see wild horses and donkeys freely roaming the streets. There was a brief photo stop to see a working lighthouse that has been in service for more than 150 years. Built in London in 1852 and shipped to Grand Turk, it was assembled in hopes of saving the salt trade. Standing sixty feet, it was designed by Alexander Gordon, who designed lighthouses throughout the British Empire.
Next we had an opportunity to visit "The Salt House", a recreated 17th-century saltpan that chronicles the history of the salt and slave industry. View Grand Turk Album for more images from our excursion.
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| Margaritaville Grand Turk (photo album) |
Margaritaville Grand Turk
Following our shore excursion tour, we had plenty of time to enjoy Margaritaville which is within walking distance of the ship. Find your place in the sun or shade by the beach or around the pool for a relaxing day in the Caribbean.
Enjoy some food or your favorite beverage while lounging on your beach chair by the pool. Salt water or fresh water - the choice is yours and there is no charge (other than for food and beverages) to enjoy this oasis in the sun.
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Our Recommendations for Grand Turk
If this is your first visit to Grand Turk, or if you have never explored the island on past trips, we'd encourage you to explore via a private shore excursion, such as the one we took from Shore Excursion Group. The reason we suggest a private tour is that you'll have less people in your group and it will cost less than ship organized tours. We even had wi-fi on our mini-van!
Grand Turk is a great place to enjoy the beautiful crystal blue waters of the Caribbean. Book a snorkeling or scuba tour if you are adventurous or simply relax on the beach by Margaritaville. Your ship is your floating base, so you can go back and forth for meals if you don't want to purchase food at Margaritaville. Should you decide to stay on board the ship, odds are you'll have the ship to yourself as most people will be hanging out at the beach.
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