Front Street
Old buildings.
Balou46 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Balou46 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · socaltraveler — CC BY-SA 3.0 · socaltraveler — CC BY-SA 3.0
Cockburn Town is the capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands, spreading across most of Grand Turk, the largest island of the Turks group. It was founded by salt collectors in 1681, making it the first permanent settlement in these islands, and it has been the seat of government since 1766. Duke Street and Front Street are lined with 18th- and 19th-century buildings in Bermudian style, with white walls and wooden shutters, and the town is known for its long, narrow streets and old street lamps. The old salt ponds that shaped island life for centuries still surround the town. The town is home to the Turks and Caicos National Museum, housed in an old colonial building called Guinep House on Front Street, partly built from shipwreck timber. The museum displays the wreck of the oldest known European ship in the region, and the town looks out over a beach and clear water good for snorkelling. Walking around town is free, and the museum charges entry. The town is quiet and small enough to explore on foot, and it gets busier when cruise ships are in port.
Old buildings.
Shipwrecks.
Island history.
Grand Turk
Yes, it is small and quiet.
Island history and the oldest known European wreck there.