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Overview

Get an up-close look at one of the Turks and Caicos Islands’ most popular local delicacies with a visit to the Caicos Conch Farm, on the east end of Providenciales. Queen conch are large marine snails prized for both their beautiful pink shells and their delicate meat, which is used in a variety of local dishes from fritters to a ceviche-like salad. The farm raises the shellfish sustainably in ocean pens, and visitors can see the creatures at various stages of their life cycle. There’s also a hands-on experience with a pair of resident conch, and the gift shop sells conch pearls, as well as jewelry and other items made from conch shells.

I was on a cruise in Italy when I heard about this place. I’d mentioned that I was heading to Portland, and a fellow cruiser, a native of the town, had told me that if they had one recommendation it would be the ice cream at Salt and Straw.

What she didn’t tell me was that the flavors are not your usual vanilla, chocolate, and raspberry ripple. In fact, the first thing I tasted at Salt and Straw was their new “Bollywood” recipe, which included carrot custard and cardamom, which sounds almost sensible when you considered that some of their most popular flavors include prosciutto and goat cheese.

There was a huge line, even on a Friday mid-afternoon, but it was worth it for the almond brittle with salted ganache, not to mention the apple pie with real chunks of cheddar cheese. They’re doing their best to “Keep Portland Weird” here...and it tastes good.

Sample Turks and Caicos’s only locally brewed beer right from the source on a tour of Turk’s Head Brewery. It’s located in the Discovery Bay area of Providenciales, known locally as Provo, about six miles west of Grace Bay. Tours include a walk through the brewing facility, lessons on how the beer is made, and free samples of the finished product. You can also stop by the brewery to pick up cases of beer for significantly less than you’d pay at one of Provo’s grocery stores.

A multipurpose contemporary art center that opened in November 2011 in the Ottoman Bank building, Salt has a library with thousands of shelves of art publications—the most important, impressive collection in the city.—Sylvia Kouvali

The only museum on the Turks and Caicos Islands sits on the historic Front Street of Cockburn Town, on Grand Turk. Occupying Guinep House, one of the area’s oldest standing buildings, the museum displays artifacts from the Molasses Reef shipwreck, a sunken caravel found off West Caicos. The ship, which dates from the early 1500s, makes this is the oldest European wreck to be excavated in the Americas. Salvaged items on display include cannons, pieces of the ship’s hull, and a variety of tools. There are also exhibits on local slavery and the indigenous Taino people who originally lived on the islands.

While most of the Grenadines’ most luxurious hotels cater to the one percent, Salt Whistle Bay, on Mayreau, offers a blissfully pared back—though no less exclusive—experience. You’ll feel like a modern-day Robinson Crusoe when holed up in one of the 22-acre property’s eco-friendly bell tents or stone bungalows, each outfitted with colorful rugs, fans, and plush linens, and positioned to capture ocean breezes. By day, swim with sea turtles, sting rays, and tropical fish in the surrounding reef-filled waters—snorkeling masks are free to guests, as are stand-up paddleboards—or try kiteboarding on the resort’s designated beach. By night, share those adventures over a dinner of grilled lobster at the on-site restaurant and bar.

If you were to picture the perfect Caribbean beach, it would probably look something like Salt Whistle Bay on Mayreau. Here, clear, turquoise waters lap at 2.5 miles of sparkling white sand, while palm trees, seagrape plants, and flowering bushes provide shady spots for lounging. At one end, you can walk the few yards of land that separate the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the island. The only catch is that you’ll need a boat to reach the beach, so rent your own or book a day sail to Mayreau.

In Grand Turk, the beach is only a few steps away from the docking point.

Salar de Uyuni, located in the Daniel Campos province of Bolivia, looks like it belongs on another planet. Stretching for more than 4,050 square miles—a little smaller than the state of Connecticut—it is the world’s largest salt flat, formed when several prehistoric lakes dried up 25,000 to 10,000 years ago, leaving behind hexagonal patterns of salt on the otherwise featureless surface. When nearby lakes overflow, or the area gets rain, a thin layer of water covers the expanse, transforming it into a massive reflective mirror that makes for jaw-dropping, dreamlike photos.


The natural wonder has served as a valuable source of salt and lithium for Bolivia, and it has long been a hot spot for tourism in South America. There’s even a hotel built out of salt bricks: the Palacio de Sal. If you’re planning a trip to witness the surreal beauty of the Salar de Uyuni salt flat, here’s what you need to know.



To see Salar de Uyuni’s breathtaking mirror effort, visit during wet season, from December to April—but be aware that when it gets too rainy, it can be hard to get around and you might not be able to access certain areas. May to November is the dry season, which means temperatures are colder, but the ground is harder and you can drive across the land more easily.



The ideal month to visit is May, when the seasons transition from wet to dry and you’ll have a good chance of seeing the salt flats both dusty and reflective.



Salar de Uyuni sits near the point where Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile meet, so tourists tend to come from three different starting places.



The town of Uyuni in Bolivia is the most popular place to embark on tours of the salt flats. The small town is so close to the flats, you can easily take day trips. If you’re traveling from La Paz to Uyuni, you can take a one-hour flight or an eight-hour overnight bus.



San Pedro de Atacama in Chile is another well-known starting point for tours of the salt flats, but because it’s about 200 miles away, most tours are three days long.



If you’re coming from Argentina, look into multi-day tours operating out of Tupiza, Bolivia, a good base less than 60 miles over the Argentinian border.



Tour operators in the region offer shared or private tours. Shared tours are more affordable, but they don’t offer much flexibility when it comes to your schedule. Also, most shared tours are led by Spanish-speaking guides, while private tours can offer English-speaking ones.



Many tours of the salt flats also go to other attractions in the area, such as the Polques hot springs, the Atacama Desert, and high-altitude lakes like Laguna Colorada. Look into tours originating in San Pedro de Atacama and Tupiza for itineraries that include these destinations.



Salar de Uyuni is located nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, so you might experience altitude sickness symptoms such as nausea and headaches and should plan accordingly.



To enter Bolivia, travelers must have a tourist visa, which costs $160 for U.S. citizens, and a yellow fever vaccination certificate if they are traveling from a country with risk of yellow fever.

Driving between Globe and Show Low in the White Mountains east of Phoenix, US 60 curves and descends dramatically into the Salt River Canyon. Some call it the ‘mini Grand Canyon.’ The highway snakes down some 2000 feet before climbing back up... Spring brings snowmelt and whitewater rafting...by late summer, the monsoon rains are keeping the river muddy and turbulent...Several parking areas allow you to pull off the two-lane road; breathe in the views, stretch your legs on Apache land.

In the early 20th century there was a Swedish health movement in which nutritious food, skinny-dipping, and abstinence from alcohol played an important role. Parts of that movement are still alive—reflected in the bathing houses around the coast where nudity is a must and the water never seems to be too cold for a swim. Saltholmen Kallbadhus is a beautiful building where men and women can enjoy the sun and the sea in separate sections. You pay the fee, find a spot for your blanket or sun bed on the pier, and get ready for a naked day outside. If you are too hot, you can always climb the ladder down into the sea and cool off. Of course you can do the same things—but with swimsuits—on the cliffs outside.

Downshift on this groovy Gulf Island, just a 35-minute seaplane ride from the city. Here, artist studios abound, as do makers of artisanal food and beverages. Classic stops include the summertime Saturday Market, the Blue Horse Folk Art Gallery, and the farmstead tasting room at Salt Spring Island Cheese. Hikers can get their fix at Ruckle, a lovely provincial park with 4.3 miles of coves, tide pools, and rocky headlands, while scuba divers can drift offshore, admiring octopuses and lacy fields of plumose anemones. No car? No problem. The islands have a designated hitchhiking program; just wait for a pickup at the “Car Stop” signs.

The northern coast of Gozo provides a fascinating introduction to one of the most important traditions on the island: sea-salt production. This three-kilometer stretch of 350-year-old rock-cut salt pans is a tourist attraction in its own right, but the salt pans remain a vital source of income for Gozitans. In the summer, locals scrape up the salt crystals and store them in nearby caves. Several local businesses package the salt in gift jars available to purchase from the island’s souvenir stores.