About Salt Cay

About Salt Cay:
Salt Cay is a tiny island (3 square miles) in the Turks & Caicos Islands that for years was one of the largest salt producers in the world. And now, a place where you can experience the Caribbean as you imagined it. Have longed to find and experience it. It's a place that rests gently in the back of your mind and after a visit makes the day-to-day a better place
When you go you will find spectacular and completely undeveloped beaches with great snorkeling and you can even bring up conch for your dinner, intriguing rocky coastlines, and the Salinas, where the salt was produced, now a "UNESCO World Heritage" site, an intriguing glimpse into history and a scene of beauty if you're lucky enough to stroll under the full moon.

Salt Cay is home to about 100 folks, several historical and interesting churches, old Bermuda-style plantation homes, built high so salt could be stored in cellars before shipping to dinner tables throughout the world, Taylor's Hill where the ruins of the old whaling industry, that is gone but the whales are still here, lively bird watching, roving donkey, chickens, cows and horses. And some good hiking for great views, unbelievable sunsets, and maybe you will get to see the green flash, a flash of green around the sun as it vanishes for the day.
In stark contrast to the laid back atmosphere on shore, is the lively excitement just off shore. There are pristine reefs teeming with fish, turtle, rays, spectacular coral formations and sponges. And January through March, "The Whales". The humpback whales migrate through the Columbus Passage, just off shore, and can be seen, heard and perhaps even dove with. And it is all within a short boat ride to the numerous dive sites

Here's what "Rodale's Scuba Diving" says about Salt Cay

What's Salt Cay all about? With a resident population of under 100, Salt Cay is a wonderfully underdeveloped and underpopulated triangle of earth a 10-minute plane ride south of Grand Turk. If you think the pace is laid-back on Grand Turk, wait until you get to Salt Cay.
Who goes there? American investors are snatching up real estate, and divers are going for dive sites that get fewer divers a week than some spots in Alaska. If you're looking for total peace and quiet, this is it.
What are the dive sites like? Regularly visited sites are scattered along the island's protected lee, except for the HMS Endymion, which lies an hour's skiff ride south. Off the western shore of Salt Cay, a gently tumbling wall bristling with sea rods and barrel sponges starts in just 35 to 50 feet of water.
What are my diving options? Very few—there are only two dive operations on the island, though operators on Grand Turk occasionally dive Salt Cay and the Endymion.
Where do I stay? Accommodations are less like the dictionary definition of "hotel" and more like the abstract—small, quiet guest houses and inns. Golf carts greet planes at the island's gravel airstrip to shuttle divers to their lodging. Some even offer home-cooked meals eaten family-style with other guests. Hope you're a social creature.
How do I get there? Board a puddle-jumper from Provo or Grand Turk on Interisland Airways, SkyKing or Turks & Caicos Airways. The short five-minute flight between Salt Cay and Grand Turk stays under 500 feet—we're not condoning it, but some divers have been known to fly to Salt Cay for the day to dive and return to Grand Turk at night.
How do I convince my nondiving significant other to go there? It'll be a tougher sell, but promise them lots of hammock time and a fruity drink or two. There's also good snorkeling at Point Pleasant, with tarpon and sweepers in a small cave. Nondivers can stroll through the island's salt pans and tour its cricket pitch.
What are some good insider travel tips? Seasoned Salt Cay veterans head for the Mount Pleasant Guest House on Friday nights for their late-night jam sessions. Everybody has to play an instrument, regardless of their musical experience.
What Our Readers Say About Salt Cay:
Favorite Dives: HMS Endymion, Kelly's Folly, Turtle Garden.
Overall Comments:
"Fantastic trip! Salt Cay is small and remote—no nightlife, just diving, reading, biking and relaxing on a beautiful white beach with clear turquoise water." K.B., Florence, S.C.

"Salt Cay is a quiet island that time has forgotten. The people are friendly and it's a great place to get away." A.L., Atlanta, Ga.