Caicos Cays: Getting There & Getting Around

The Caicos Cays are reachable by boat, private plane, or air taxi; Pine Cay has a tiny airstrip that's used by island homeowners and Meridian Club guests. Guests staying 7 nights or more at Pine Cay's Meridian Club enjoy complimentary air-taxi transfers from the Provo airport and boat transfers to and from the island. The Parrot Cay resort arranges taxi and boat transfers for its guests from the Provo airport. A number of the uninhabited cays, such as Fort George Cay and Little Water Cay, are destinations on many local tour-boat operators' half-day and full-day beach excursions.

North Caicos: Getting There & Getting Around

There are no scheduled flights into North Caicos. Charters sometimes fly to the little North Caicos airstrip; the flight is 10 minutes.  

Most people take the ferry to get to North Caicos. Caribbean Cruisin' Ltd. (tel. 649/946-5406, cellphone 649/231-4191; http://tciferry.tciferry.com; $55 round-trip, cash only), offers the TCI Ferry service between Provo's Walkin Marina (Heaving Down Rock, Leeward) and Sandy Point Marina, North Caicos, five times a day from Monday to Saturday and three trips on Sunday; the trip is 25 to 30 minutes long. MV My Girl Ferry also has ferry service tp North, leaving Heaving Down Rock and arriving in Bellefield Landing (tel. 649/241-0599). Otherwise, you can get to North Caicos by chartering a water-taxi from one of the many tour-boat operators in the area; it's not cheap, however. Try Big Blue Collective (tel. 649/946-5034; https://bigbluecollective.com); the trip takes around 35 minutes. For ground transportation in North and Middle, call Gardiner's Taxi (tel. 649/946-7141).

Causeway Linking North & Middle Caicos

A causeway linking North and Middle Caicos opened in late 2007, replacing the weekend ferry service between Bottle Creek on North Caicos and Middle Caicos. The 40m (130-ft.) causeway was dedicated to two men, Marco Delroy Williams and Javern Stacey Misick, who died when their boat sank in the creek in January 2007. The causeway was severely damaged during the hurricanes of 2008 but has since been reopened and greatly improved.

Middle Caicos: Getting There & Getting Around

There are no scheduled flights into Middle Caicos. Charters sometimes fly to the Middle airstrip; the flight is 20 minutes. Most people get to Middle by taking the ferry from Provo to North Caicos and then renting a car (or hiring a taxi) and driving through North Caicos to Middle -- that way you get to experience North as well!

A great way to see Middle Caicos is on a full-day "Heart of the Islands" eco-tour ($275/per person) or bike trip ($255/per person) with Big Blue Collective (tel. 649/946-5034; https://bigbluecollective.com).

Middle Caicos native and guide extraordinaire Cardinal Arthur (tel. 649/241-0730) offers ground transportation, island and cave tours, boat excursions, and fishing expeditions.

South Caicos: Getting There & Getting Around

Both InterCaribbean (tel. 649/946-4999; http://intercaribbean.com) and Caicos Express (tel. 649/941-5730; www.turksandcaicosflights.com) fly daily to South Caicos from Provo; flights cost $116 to $145 and take 20 to 25 minutes. Taxis are available at the airport.

New twice-weekly TCI Ferry service with Caribbean Cruisin' Ltd. (tel. 649/946-5406; http://tciferry.tciferry.com) runs between Big South and Walkin Marina, Heaving Down Rock, Leeward, Providenciales. The 90-minute roundtrip fare is $110 per person. Keep in mind that cargo is limited (one bag and one carry-on per person; $1 per lb. over 25-lb. per-person max. weight).   

Grand Turk: Getting There & Getting Around

Most people fly into Providenciales and then take a short flight on a domestic airline into Grand Turk International Airport (also known as J.A.G.S. McCartney International Airport). Several daily flights between Provo and Grand Turk are offered by both InterCaribbean (tel. 649/946-4999; http://intercaribbean.com) and Caicos Express (tel. 649/941-5730; www.turksandcaicosflights.com). The flight from Provo to Grand Turk takes 30 minutes and costs $67.50 to $90 round-trip.

Grand Turk is also cruise-ship central in the TCI -- in fact, it has the only cruise-ship port on the islands, welcoming big ships from Carnival, Crystal Cruises, and Holland America. When the ships are in (4-5 days a week), the 13-acre Grand Turk Cruise Center (www.grandturkcc.com) is bustling with shops and eateries, including a Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. The center has a massive pool and a nice stretch of beach.  

On Grand Turk you can rent cars and scooters at Tony's Car Rental (tel. 649/231-1806; www.tonyscarrental.com). Cars and jeeps cost $80 to $150 a day, scooter rentals cost $60 a day. Tony's also offers scooter tours of the island.

Taxis are always available at the Grand Turk airport, and most drivers are more than happy to give visitors a tour of the island; expect to pay around $50 to $60 for a 45-minute island tour.

Grand Turk is great to explore by bicycle; rentals cost $25 to $30 a day and are available at Tony's Car Rental (tel. 649/231-1806; www.tonyscarrental.com)  

Salt Cay: Getting There & Getting Around

The notoriously tiny airstrip at the Salt Cay airport has been lengthened and resurfaced -- but you still need to arrive during daylight hours; the one-runway airstrip is not lighted for night. Most people fly into Providenciales and then take a short flight on a domestic airline into Salt Cay; flights also are offered between Salt Cay and Grand Turk International Airport (also known as J.A.G.S. McCartney International Airport). Several daily flights between Provo and Grand Turk are offered by both InterCaribbean (tel. 649/946-4999; http://intercaribbean.com) and Caicos Express (tel. 649/941-5730; www.turksandcaicosflights.com). The flight from Provo to Salt Cay takes 30 minutes and costs $180 per person roundtrip.

A government-subsidized ferry (tel. 649/241-1009) runs from Salt Cay to Grand Turk (and back again at the end of the day), weather permitting, every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday (leaving from Deane's Dock -- the island's only dock, by the way). The trip takes an hour and costs $12. You can also hire a private boat operator to take you between Salt Cay and Grand Turk (as long as the seas aren't too rough).

Salt Cay Divers (tel. 540/336-8600; https://saltcaydivers.com) offers a range of excursions, from diving to whale-watching to snorkeling.

No one needs a car to get around Salt Cay, which has more donkeys than cars to begin with; it has no paved roads and is the perfect place for getting around on foot, by bike, or by golf cart. Most lodging rentals offer bikes or golf carts for rent.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.