My heart goes out to everyone who has suffered as a result of Hurricane Irma. It is hard for me to believe that I just visited Grand Turk and St. Maarten, and their welcoming people and those same islands have now been destroyed. It took years for Grand Turk to recover from Hurricane Ike, which struck in 2008, and it looks like that might be the case with Hurricane Irma.
Here are a few facts about Grand Turk:
- It is said that Columbus discovered the Turks and Caicos Islands in 1492.
- In the 17th century, Grand Turk became a major player in the salt industry.
- John Glenn and Scott Carpenter trained at the U.S. Air Force base and John Glenn was brought to Grand Turk after he landed in the Atlantic Ocean after his space mission.
While in Grand Turk, I had a wonderful time. I went on a tour of the island. Grand Turk is only 7 miles long. It was beautiful.
Donkeys are everywhere.
St. Mary’s Anglican Church
On the tour, I visited the Turks and Caicos Museum, which houses exhibits on Grand Turk’s history and environment. There also are exhibits on the Molasses Reef shipwreck. Additionally, I visited St. Mary’s Anglican Church and the Grand Turk Lighthouse.
I hope Grand Turk is able to rebuild again and that I’ll be able to go back for another visit.
Me at the Grand Turk Lighthouse
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Jennifer Britt 
It looks so beautiful. I hope it can comeback to being the wonderful island it was when you visited it. My husband and I are thinking of taking a cruise in the near future and this is one of the islands we wanted to visit. We may wait a bit on that particular trip. Enjoying hearing about your wonderful journey. Waiting to hear what’s next on your itinerary.
Grand Turk really is beautiful. I’m hoping it can recover quickly.
I lived there in the early 1970s. It consisted of the Naval Facility near the lighthouse and a small air force base where contract workers tracked missile flights from Florida. One of the few places to drink (besides the bases) was at the Turks Head Inn. Most of the islanders lived in small shacks. There were really no significant tourist facilities and few visitors. You could stand on the beach and never see anybody else. Sad to see it so badly damaged.
There is more tourism now, but the islanders still don’t have much. It’s sad to see what has become of their homes.