Continuing with my weekly recaps of my Eastern Caribbean cruise, today I'm talking about Grand Turk! I wrote about the breathtaking scenery of St. Thomas and the history of the Bahamas, and now I'm going to talk about the charm paradise has to offer. First, let's talk about the island.
The largest of the Turks & Caicos Islands, although only 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, Grand Turk is the capital of this Caribbean nation. If it weren't for the cruise lines and a few resorts (which I didn't even really see) it would literally be a desert island. Pulling up to the dock (no harbor because it's too small) it's quite a sight. You can see the entire chunk of land and beyond. It's crazy how tiny it is. Look at this picture. You can see ocean on the other side of the island!
Despite it's size, the beauty Grand Turk possesses is huge. Of all the stops, this one had the most beautiful water. Underneath the boats you can see their shadows - that's how crystal clear the ocean is.
Upon docking, there's a beach just for people from the cruise lines. We hung out here for a few hours drinking coconut drinks, playing in the water, and soaking up the sun. I got such a bad sunburn that three weeks later I am still peeling. There's red, there's lobster, then there's the color I was. Not cute.
Later that afternoon we went snorkeling in that otherworldly teal water. In addition to seeing coral and fish, we also had a shark encounter! I'm pretty sure these sharks are "tame" but they are not captive. They live in the ocean, they are sharks...so when we first jumped in the water and saw one about 4 feet long, it was a tad surprising. It was spooked and swam away pretty quickly, but there was another that swam over to the boat and people were able to touch it. I'm so mad I missed out on that. I probably should've been more scared that I was - especially since the shark was scared of us. But who can say they swam with a wild shark?!
The sunset after leaving the island was probably most beautiful of the entire trip. So tranquil and serene!
Be sure to read my St. Thomas and Bahamas recaps!
Next week is my last recap and it's all about Puerto Rico.
Linking up for Travel Tuesdays with Bonnie & Tina & Megan
Next week is my last recap and it's all about Puerto Rico.
Linking up for Travel Tuesdays with Bonnie & Tina & Megan
13 comments:
Oh wow! The water is sooooo crystal blue! And I would've been freaked out if I has seen a shark! Other than that, going on a cruise sounds like sooo much fun :)
The water looks absolutely gorgeous. Sounds like bliss - hanging out on the beach, drinking from a coconut :)
Claire xx | somewhere... beyond the sea
Ahh! How beautiful! I was supposed to go to Grand Turk last year on my cruise but the captain skipped it due to illness of other passengers. I can't wait to book my next cruise with of course adding Grand Turk to my list. Thanks for sharing!
The water is just so blue!! I don't think I ever want to say i swam with a wild shark. That is brave girl!
Sooo jealous! I have been on a few cruises now [we love in Florida, so it's easy to book and drive a few hours], but haven't been to Grand Turk...I think next trip, we need to go!
looks gorgeous! a friend of mine used to work at a T$C resort. he said it was paradise!
Stunning photos! This has me so excited about our cruise this summer. Time to amp up the workouts. Ha!
That water is so BLUE! And I love snorkeling, so I would love to swim with a shark or two one day. :) Thanks for linking up again!
Gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing. The Bahamas, is one of our favourite spots to go on holiday. Now, I am dreaming of summertime. :)
/Madison
http://fashiontalesblog.com
So beautiful! I really need to make a visit!!
Oh, how I wish I could be there right now! The beach and the sea just look absolutely gorgeous!
The picture of people swimming right next to the huge cruise ship freaks me out for some reason. Haha! This looks sooo pretty! I'd pass on the shark encounter though. :)
Oh that water looks amazing!! How cool that you were on the beach so close to that ship!
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