| Picture: Image Bank |
The conch – one of the Caribbean’s favourite
shellfish – has physical attributes any man would envy. Its
manhood can extend up to a foot long and if it happens to get
bitten off, it simply grows another.
Just a couple of fascinating facts visitors to the world’s
only commercial conch farm on the Turks and Caicos Island of
Providenciales learn on a tour.
“No fear of being Bobbitt-ed,” smiled Denver, the guide. Set up
by marine biologist Chuck Hesse, a decade after he was shipwrecked
on the island in 1974, the farm grows 1.5 million conchs a year
– many served in local restaurants – and its quirkiness
makes it worth dragging yourself away from the beach.
And with sand so sugar-like and the sea a kaleidoscope of
iridescent blues, doing anything that involves leaving the coast
has to be carefully considered. Lying to the southeast of the
Bahamas, the Turks and Caicos is made up of eight inhabited islands
and around 40 cays, and most are blessed with the kind of beaches
that frequently make those ‘best in the world’
lists.
On Providenciales or ‘Provo’, the most developed of
the islands, the 12 mile-long Grace Bay beach is undisputed king.
It’s here that most tourism infrastructure is found:
there’s the Princess Alexandra Marine Park, hotels line the
coast and more are being built, but with all that space it never
feels crowded.
I was staying at Ocean Club West, a laid-back luxury hotel, with
sister property Ocean Club just a stroll along the beach. My
two-bedroom suite was bigger than most London flats, complete with
fully-equipped kitchen, two bathrooms and a huge terrace –
great for families.
Almost undeveloped until 30 years ago, Provo has seen a surge of
hotel building since the international airport opened in 1984. Its
status as a tax haven lures investors and the wealthy looking for
second homes. There’s now an 18-hole championship golf course
and even a casino, but despite these changes, peace and quiet still
reign. Even at its most developed, this is not a place for crowds
or nightlife and it remains one of the least spoilt Caribbean
destinations.
If you can muster the energy – and you don’t need
much – exploring the region by boat is a must.
Ataybeyra, our chartered yacht visited deserted cays, where we
snorkelled and picnicked. We stopped at Little Water Cay, home only
to hundreds of dinosaur-like iguanas and passed Parrot Cay, a
1,000-acre private island housing the holiday homes of Bruce Willis
and Donna Karan.
For those with the time and inclination, a trip to the
destination’s capital Grand Turk is a rewarding step back in
time. Just a half-hour flight from Provo on board a pink and yellow
five-seater Cessna, it’s a world away.
Bermudian and Colonial-style buildings line Cockburn
town’s narrow streets, and donkeys roam wild past 18th
century churches and pretty guesthouses.
It’s popular with divers and whale-watchers drawn by the
pristine marine life and a protected reef which drops not far from
the shore.
