SIX18 TRAVEL

The Turks & Caicos Islands have the perfect antidote for your hectic lifestyle: blindingly white sand fringed by shimmering azure water, colorful coral reefs, crispy conch fritters and an easygoing vibe – despite its knack for attracting the rich and famous to its shores. Turks & Caicos holds tight to its reputation as an exclusive and secluded getaway, and regular vacationers to these skinny strips of alabaster sand will tell you that they wouldn't have it any other way.

Of the roughly 100 islands and cays, only nine are inhabited, with three receiving the bulk of tourist interest. There's glamorous Providenciales, or "Provo," which shelters a bevy of luxurious hotels. Laid-back Grand Turk – once the landing point for John Glenn’s Friendship 7 space capsule – is a cruise ship hub, and the archipelago’s historic and cultural nucleus, best seen in the Turks & Caicos National Museum or along the shores of Cockburn Town. Turks & Caicos is home to one of the largest reef systems in the world, and tiny, flat Salt Cay is one of the best places to explore it thanks to its exceptional wall dives.