by Suzanne Carmel

The coastline around Middle Caicos is a little more dramatic than that of the other islands.

The debate over who discovered the Turks & Caicos Islands first - Christopher Columbus or Juan Ponce de Leon - is still in question, however it's an indisputable fact that many people are discovering the islands today. With an average of 350 days of sunshine annually, a constant breeze and mild temperatures between 80 and 90 degrees, the islands are the perfect place to break away from the daily routine - and not just in winter.

The islands are a study in contrasts. Here one can find the ultimate in luxury resorts, or bare bones beachside shacks; the bustling development on Providenciales or the slow and easy pace of life on more remote islands such as Salt Cay. Though the islands' capital and head of government and commerce is on Grand Turk, it is far less developed that Providenciales, where many tourists take their vacations.

Grand Turk and Salt Cay - two of the islands in the Turks group - are famous spots for diving. The 260 mile-long coral reef system here offers some of the best diving in the world. Interestingly enough, the islands are also known by avid stamp collectors for producing new series of high quality, well-designed stamps on a regular basis. There aren't many nations that can boast two such disparate claims to fame!

For those who are still among the uninitiated, the Turks & Caicos Islands are a British Crown Colony of over 40 islands and cays, located halfway between Miami and Puerto Rico. The two main groups of islands are separated by the Columbus passage. Of the islands, only eight are inhabited. Grand Turk and Salt Cay on the Turk side; and Providenciales (frequently called Provo), North Caicos, Middle Caicos, South Caicos, and the private islands of Parrot Cay and Pine Cay on the Caicos side.

The main islands cover about 193 square miles of land, 230 miles of which are white sandy beaches along the coastlines. There are only about 24,000 local inhabitants, comprised primarily of the descendants of former slaves brought here to work on plantations, and of expatriates primarily from Great Britain and anywhere else someone heard the call of this natural paradise. (CONTINUED...)