Providenciales is the country’s most developed island and tourism magnet. This is where it’s all happening. Numerous bars, restaurants, duty-free shopping and the only island with multiple casinos, Providenciales has it all. But with all this and dozens of high-class lodgings, activities and entertainment, the island still manages to retain its laidback charm. No effort is necessary, the atmosphere and friendliness of the locals forces the body to mellow allowing one to wring every iota of pleasure from your island getaway.
Largely recognized for its 12-mile award-winning Grace Bay Beach and 18-hole championship golf course, Provo boasts a variety of attractions to suit your taste. Come swim with the resident famous Bottlenose Dolphin Jojo, traverse the local craft markets or sample local delights that will please even the most discriminate palette. This little piece of paradise is the perfect place to tie the knot or work on your tan.
Rent a bicycle or scooter and zip your way around the island. There is nothing like the cool ocean breeze whipping your hair around you.
Providenciales is also the focus of most real estate activity with dramatic increases in land value and a flurry of commercial development. But this was not always so. In the early 1900’s, Provo was a quiet secluded home to around five hundred residents with no electricity and other amenities. Slaves farmed cotton on the Cheshire Hall Plantation owned by Loyalist Thomas Stubbs in the late 1700s.
In 1966 a small group of investors arrived, formed an agreement with the Government and there began the development of this now bustling hub. An airstrip, roads, the Turtle Cove Marina and the nation’s first resort led the way to accelerated development. As Provo flourished, residents from other islands abandoned their homes and traditional livelihoods in favour of employment here, reducing once thriving communities to virtual ghost towns.
Now the entry point and main destination for over one million visitors per year to the Turks and Caicos Islands, Providenciales’ tourist infrastructure now far surpasses anything on Grand Turk, the Turks and Caicos Islands seat of government.
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