6 Best Sights in South Caicos, Turks and Caicos Islands

The beaches of Bell Sound on the Caicos Bank side of South Caicos will take your breath away; lagoon-like waters are warm and shallow, perfect for lollygagging. Expect the beach to be au naturel. Amenities: none. Best for: walking.

Abandoned salinas (natural salt pans) make up the center of this island, the largest receiving its water directly from an underground cave system that is connected directly to the ocean through this "boiling" hole. Don’t expect anything too dramatic, other than a sense of what the industry once was. Multiple hurricanes have clogged the connection to the ocean.

The best natural harbor in the Caicos chain hosts the Big South Regatta each May. It began as a sailing regatta where all the families with traditional Caicos sloops would come over from Middle and North to race, but sloops are now being replaced with conch boats hosting 85-hp motors for a rip-roaring race.

To the north of South Caicos, uninhabited East Caicos has an exquisite 17-mile (27-km) beach on its north coast. The island was once a cattle range and the site of a major sisal-growing industry. Today, it's home to wild donkeys and is accessible only by boat, most easily from Middle Caicos but also from South Caicos. Visiting is best in the summer months when the winds die down, making boat access more comfortable. From South, the man to take you there is Captain Tim Hamilton with his son, Tamal, of T&V Tours. His service is excellent, and he knows the waters like no other. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; swimming; walking.

Due south of South Caicos is Little Ambergris Cay, an uninhabited cay about 14 miles (23 km) beyond the Fish Cays, with excellent bonefishing on the second-largest sandbar in the world. Amenties: none. Best for: solitude.

This endless stretch of beach can be susceptible to rough surf. However, on calmer days during the summer months, you'll feel like you're on a deserted island with no one in sight. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; walking.