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Home | Sitemap | Turks | Providenciales | Blue Hills | Caicos Cays | Leeward |
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At the west end of the island, Sandy Point is a small fishing community and your likely arrival point if you're coming by boat from Provo. Just offshore lie three prominent rocks known as Three Mary Cays ; one of them has a huge osprey nest, whose occupant is often seen gazing imperiously over passing vessels. Back on land, and a short drive from Sandy Point, birdwatchers can douse themselves in bug spray and make for Cottage Pond , a small nature reserve with a deep sinkhole and inhabited by local ducks, grebes and other birds, or (a little further east) for Flamingo Pond , a large expanse of brackish water where you can normally spy a flock of flamingos (though it's hard to get close to them, and you'll need binoculars for a decent view). On the north side of Flamingo Pond, Whitby is home to the island's main hotels and guesthouses and fringes onto a number of excellent white-sand beaches with good snorkeling just offshore. On the western edge of Whitby, the powdery sands of Pumpkin Bluff Beach are magnificent while, on the eastern side of the village, Pelican Point is a good place to snorkel. South of Whitby, the road leads inland to the farming settlement at Kew - the only one of the original settlements in the country not based on the coast - named for the botanical gardens in London and home to many of the island's most productive fruit and vegetable growers. There's also a post office, church and general store.
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A mile to the west of Kew, the extensive though unspectacular ruins of Wades Green Plantation are currently under restoration, and you're free to wander around the remains of the massive kitchen, overseer's house, stables and walled garden plots. Built in 1789 by Wade Stubbs, the plantation developed high-quality cotton and was a rare success story for the area; upon his death in 1822, Stubbs owned over 8000 acres on North and Middle Caicos and Providenciales as well as 384 slaves, many of whom took his surname. Today, Stubbs is one of the most common names in the islands. On the eastern side of the island is Bottle Creek , North Caicos's largest settlement, whose houses spread out along the ridge that overlooks the creek between North and Middle Caicos. The peace and quiet and the colours of the creek make this a gorgeous spot, especially if you're passing through by boat, though there's little specific sightseeing. A vehicle ferry crosses the creek on weekends; otherwise ask around in Bottle Creek for a ride to Crossing Place in Middle Caicos (five minutes by boat). Bear in mind that you'll want to arrange a taxi for the other end. |
Turks and Caicos Islands
Orientation
Explore Providenciales
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