The Location of South Caicos
South Caicos is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 627 miles (1,009 km) from Miami, Florida. The island belongs to the British Overseas Territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands, an archipelago of limestone islands that is 28 miles (45 km) southwest of the Bahamas and 87 miles (140 km) north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
South Caicos is located on the southeastern end of the Turks and Caicos Islands archipelago, which is made up of two island groups: the Caicos Islands and the Turks Islands. South Caicos belongs to the Caicos Islands group, which includes the islands of West Caicos, Providenciales, North Caicos and Middle Caicos, and East Caicos.
A string of small cays to the north of the island separates South Caicos from East Caicos, one of the largest uninhabited islands in the Caribbean. To the east of South Caicos is the Turks Islands Passage (formerly known as the Columbus Passage), a 6,000-foot-deep (1,829 m) and 20-mile-wide (32 km) rift that separates the Caicos Islands from the Turks Islands of Grand Turk and Salt Cay.
South Caicos is the seventh-largest island in the Turks and Caicos Islands by landmass, measuring a collective area of 8.2 square miles (21 km²). It is the fishing and seafood center of the Turks and Caicos Islands and the location of the annual Fisherman's Day festival. Locally, the island is known as The Big South.
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Population of South Caicos
South Caicos has a population of approximately 1,139 people. This is according to the last government census, which was performed in 2012. It is the third-most populated island in the Turks and Caicos.
How to Get to South Caicos
South Caicos has one airport, the South Caicos Airport (XSC) (also known as the Norman B. Saunders Sr. International Airport). American Airlines offers the only international flight to South Caicos. This flight departs Miami twice weekly on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Two domestic airlines offer flights to South Caicos from the main island of Providenciales, where nearly all international flights land. The flight time between Providenciales and South Caicos is approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Flights that stop over in Grand Turk (passengers traveling onward typically stay on the plane) can be about 30 minutes in duration.
A passenger ferry also offers service from Providenciales to South Caicos. The boat trip is typically under two hours, but can take longer depending on ocean conditions. Due to ferry times, it is not possible to visit South Caicos on a day trip by ferry.
Locations on South Caicos
Cockburn Harbour is the main settlement on South Caicos. It is the center of the island's small-scale fishing industry—which primarily exports the local delicacy of queen conch and Caribbean spiny lobster—and the former center of the now-defunct sea salt industry.
Two resorts are located near Cockburn Harbour, including the brand new Salterra Resort & Spa. Cockburn Harbour is the easiest access point for exploring the South Caicos salinas, where you can find the Boiling Hole attraction (and often, small flocks of Caribbean flamingos).
Points of interest on South Caicos include Salterra Beach, Cove Beach, and Long Beach, and the incredible natural locations of Highlands Bay, Jerry Camp, and Bell Sound.
South Caicos is in boating distance of several interesting cays, including Dove Cay and Long Cay. Several coral reef systems are located in the waters off Long Cay, making it an interesting site for snorkeling, diving, and spotting colorful reef fish and sea creatures.