Cockburn Town,
Grand Turk
This is not your typical capital city. Enjoy the slow pace of the local residents, as you meander down historic Front Street, lined with Bermudan architecture and used by donkeys as well. Stop at the National Museum, at the 150-year-old Guinep House, to learn about the islands' natural and cultural history, including the wreck of the Molasses Reef, the oldest European ship found in the New World.

Columbus Landfall Marine Park
Grand Turk
This ocean park marks not just the reputed site of Columbus' arrival in the New World but also an entrance to Grand Turk's famed diving sites. Grand Turk is essentially the tip of an underwater mountain. Divers explore great depths when they enter the surrounding waters, home to eel and octopuses, orange sponge and black coral trees, and schools of brilliantly hued fish.

Conch Bar Caves
Middle Caicos
Relics indicate that these caves, among the most extensive throughout the Caribbean, were used as sanctuaries by Lucayan Indians during the pre-Columbian era. In the caves, you'll see huge stalagmites and stalactites, as well as resident white owls and bats. The aid of a local guide is advised.

Crossing Place Trail
Middle Caicos
This coastal trail, dating back to the days of the Lucayan Indians, will allow you to hike or bike to many of Middle Caicos' most alluring sites. See the Flamingo Pond and the dramatic limestone bluffs of Mudjin Harbour, or take a detour to Indian Caves. The entire trail can be walked in less than five hours; but visitors who have learned to enjoy the relaxed pace of the islands will appreciate the sights more by breaking up this tour over a couple of days. The island's seldom-visited shores are great for simple pleasures such as collecting shells.

East Caicos
East Caicos belongs to sea turtles and wild cattle. Visitors to this unpopulated 18-square-mile island can explore caves with petroglyphs where bat guano was once mined. Though a mangrove swamp covers much of the island, the north shore offers 17 miles of beautiful beach.

Grace Bay
Providenciales
You'll probably agree with the numerous travel magazines that rate this among the finest beaches in the world. The sand is perfectly white and powdery soft. But even more inspiring are the treasures found just beyond in the peacock-blue waters. At house majestic Bight Reef, commonly known as White House Reef, the Turks and Caicos National Trust have recently established an underwater trail. Swim near the sea grass in the late afternoon, and you're likely to catch sight of sea turtles. Grace Bay is frequently visited by Jo Jo, an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin who, though wild, often swims close to shore. These waters are teeming with parrotfish, grouper, sergeant majors, and even manta rays.

Little Water Cay
Providenciales
Step off the boat, just a short ride from Provo, and West Indian rock iguanas will run out to meet you. These friendly creatures, found only in Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas, were at risk of extinction. Now they are protected on this uninhabited cay thanks to an award-winning effort of public and private organizations. This sanctuary and its short boardwalk trail are a hit among visitors of all ages. Little Water Cay is a prime example of TCI's successful balance, encouraging tourism while protecting the area's natural wonders. Boat trips to this cay are often combined with snorkeling and shelling on or around nearby shores.

North Caicos
North Caicos is the third-most popular island among visitors (following Grand Turk and Provo). An island of farming villages and swampland, it is inhabited by 1,300 residents, as well as numerous flocks of pink flamingos. Known as the "Garden Island," North Caicos is TCI's most verdant spot, growing mangos, papayas, avocados, and limes. Visit the Loyalist plantation ruins at Wades Green, swim or snorkel the quiet beaches, and enjoy the bird sanctuaries.

Provo Golf Club
Providenciales
Caribbean Travel and Life rated this Karl Litten-designed course one of the top-10 golf destinations in the Caribbean. The 18-hole course has been highly acclaimed by many, including Golf Week and Golf Digest, since its 1992 opening. Just off Grace Bay, the 12 acres feature lakes, marshland, and flocks of heron, flamingo, and ducks.

Salt Cay
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Salt Cay documents the long-gone Bermudan salt industry through its windmills and salinas (salt lakes). Once home to a busy whaling industry as well, Salt Cay has delightful beaches, where visitors can see herds of humpback whales pass by every winter. Two hundred people live on Salt Cay. Popular diving sites include the wreck of the H.M.S. Endymion, complete with a cannon and anchors.

Sapodilla Bay
Providenciales
To escape the resorts, visit the southwest corner of Provo, seen by few tourists. There, visitors can soak up the calm of the shallow pale-blue waters. Nearby is Chalk Sound National Park. On Sapodilla Hill, you can see rock carvings left by sailors grateful to have made their way ashore.

South Caicos
On South Caicos, visitors will find fishing villages and a harbor as well as scenic Sail Rock Hills, a good spot for hiking. Look for frigate birds on land and rays and sharks just offshore. Those who schedule a visit during May will be able to get in on the excitement of the annual Commonwealth Regatta.

Turtle Cove
Providenciales
An easy bike ride from the resorts at Grace Bay, Turtle Cove offers a bit of shopping, a handful of restaurants and cafes, and a small marina for those interested in a fishing expedition. Follow the path to the beach, and you'll find the highly acclaimed Smith's Reef just offshore, now with a marked trail for snorkelers.

West Caicos
A diver's paradise - that's the reputation of this now-uninhabited island. Visitors on land are treated to dramatic coastal views and can meander among the artifacts of the former sisal and salt industries. Ospreys make their home atop the ruins of abandoned Yankee Town. Look for flamingos and migratory birds at Lake Catherine.