Relating Our First Visit To Grand Turk!

[lambs2]

Sorry if this is long winded...but thought it might be helpful to some.

 

 

We were on Grand Turk with the Costa Magica during our Thanksgiving

 

week cruise in Nov. 2006. We did not prebook a scooter and thought we

 

would just find one to rent when we got there, as we were the only ship

 

in port that day. There was qute a line at the scooter rental booth, and

 

we hate to wait in lines. I saw a group of scooters by the road about 1/3

 

mile from the visitor's Center so DH and I decided to just walk over there

 

and rent one. When we got there saw the group of scooters, a

 

pickup truck and a hand-lettered sign saying $55. However, when there

 

there was NO ONE in sight to rent them from! We stood around for a few

 

minutes but nobody showed up, so since we had already walked that far

 

DH and I decided to continue walking...all the way to Cockburn Town!

 

 

There were NO sidewalks until you got to the "town", so that made the

 

walking a bit more challenging, but the traffic is not heavy on the one

 

main road. We made a stop by the airport where there is a big display of a

 

model of the Friendship 7 - the orbiter in which John Glenn made his

 

historic 3 orbits of earth in 1962 and that splashed down in the sea a few

 

miles off Grand Turk.

 

We also wandered down to a deserted rocky beach where ours were the

 

only footprints! Luckily, I had brought our watershoes along so we

 

changed into those for our walk along the beautiful, but rocky coastline.

 

Two rather large dogs (no people anywhere around that we saw) started

 

following and barking at us so we decided to play it safe and headed back

 

to the road and followed it into the "town". We figure we walked about 3

 

miles or so (?) from the ship to the town, but we are great walkers and it

 

was a gorgeous day. DH and I are in our early to mid fifties and

 

walk every day for exercise.We had to ask some other tourists we saw

 

along the way just WHERE the town was, and the guy said,

 

"You are basically IN the town."

 

So you can see just how small it is!...A few government building, a couple

 

non-functioning clock towers, a bank or two, a couple small local

 

bars,.that's about it.

 

We found a gas station with a convenience store where we bought some

 

bottled water and then continued exploring the little town. Saw many of

 

the salt ponds along the way. At the waterfront we saw the oldest

 

church, St. Mary's (oldest church on the island), several bars, the one

 

bed and breakfast on the island (the Grand Turk Inn - a lovely restored

 

vintage home owned by two sisters from Virginia), and the Grand Turk

 

Museum with ship wreck exhibits and other artifacts. Small but very nice.

 

Also saw the plaque commemorating the first landing in the New World by

 

Christopher Columbus. Took lots of photos. Would have liked to have made

 

it to the lighthouseat the far end of the island, but that was another 5

 

miles from the town! A scooter would have come in real handy and next

 

time we visit we will definitely rent one (ahead of time!)

 

It is very obvious that Grand Turk is a brand new tourist destination for

 

the cruise lines (only since Feb 2006), as it still has that calm peaceful

 

non-commercial feeling (except for the Visitor Center area with

 

Margaritaville). I was on a cruise with my parents that stopped in Cozumel

 

in 1974 and remember how unspoiled that island

 

was back in those days! There was no visitor center at all, and our ship

 

just had to tender us in to the town.

 

I even remember going to Nassau in the 1960's when I was a child and

 

that it was a completely different experience back in those days and very

 

non-commercial! Anyway, Grand Turk is still like those places were "in the

 

old days", but the prices are high because it costs so much to live ther

 

and EVERYTHING has to be imported. They have no crops at all, and no

 

drinkable water supply, either. Grand Turk was just an island where they

 

dried salt for export. The many salt ponds were dug on the island, just for

 

that purpose after Grand Turk was first discovere by some Bermudans and

 

then further settled by Jamiacans.

 

After walking around Cockburn Town for awhile we caught a taxi back to

 

the ship for $5. per person. We were the first ones picked up by the taxi,

 

and soon realized that the driver aimed to fill every last spot in that 9

 

passenger van to make the trip worth her while. I certainly can see why

 

they do this, as gas is $8. a gallon

 

on this small island!! After we were all stacked like cordwood in the van

 

we proceeded back to the Visitor Center. We then checked out all the

 

shops near the newly built Visitor Center (many shops are still vacant) and

 

walked to the rocky beach and the tip of the island all the way to the left

 

of the Visitor's center before heading back to the ship before sail-away

 

time.

 

If and when we visit Grand Turk again we will pre-book a scooter and get

 

to the lighthouse area, but we still had a fantastic day visiting Grand Turk

 

and exploring it (mostly) by foot!

[jerseycruzers]

thanks for the great review. it is nice to see someone put a positive spin on something for a change. we will be there in july with our 2 teenage daughters. do you suggest doing any excursions?

[lambs2]

I, personally, did not see any excursions offered there that I wanted to spend my time and $$'s on, but some folks have stated that you can buy a day pass to one of the resorts or the bed and breakfast there and that might be a nice day!

 

Dh and I I really preferred to just get an overview of this new island (for us) and chose to do what we did. A scooter would have been nice, though!

[MomGo]

We are a family of 4, arriving in Grand Turk on July 2. Want to see the town, go to the lighthouse, etc., then to Governor's Beach to snorkel. If we rent 2 scooters, Tony's Car Rental has quoted me a price of $55 each. We are thinking it would be better just to rent a car, $70 for the day. Did you see anybody doing this and are there disadvantages of renting a car, as opposed to scooters?

[lambs2]

For your group a car does sound like a better deal $$ - wise. The roads are good and there is not much traffic - at least there wasn't when we were there over Thanksgiving week. Gas is $8. per gallon, but the island is just not very big so that should not be too big an issue for you, just keep it in mind.

[MomGo]

For your group a car does sound like a better deal $$ - wise. The roads are good and there is not much traffic - at least there wasn't when we were there over Thanksgiving week. Gas is $8. per gallon, but the island is just not very big so that should not be too big an issue for you, just keep it in mind.

 

Thank you. A car it is!

[PACURN]

Any suggestions for car rentals?

Of course we aren't going to be there for a year and a half :p but thought I'd see what was out there. I am a fan of lighthouses so I definanatly want to see the one there.

Thanks

[MomGo]

Any suggestions for car rentals?

Of course we aren't going to be there for a year and a half :p but thought I'd see what was out there. I am a fan of lighthouses so I definanatly want to see the one there.

Thanks

 

The only one I know of is Tony's Car Rentals. $70 for a car, $90 for a jeep. Also $55 per day for a 2-person scooter.