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Home » Destinations » Central America

Backpacking the Turks and Caicos

Modified: Jan 10, 2022 · Published: Nov 25, 2012 by Guest Blogger |

Beach in the Turks and Caicos
Beach in the Turks and Caicos (photo: Ben Ramirez)

The allure of the open road and the convenience of carrying all your possessions with you when you travel make backpacking an engaging way to see the world.

Backpacking demands a leisurely pace, perfect for delving into a culture and mixing with the locals in a way that is not possible from the decks of a cruise ship.

While backpacking in the Caribbean can present its own unique set of challenges, it is possible to utilize this form of travel in order to have a truly rewarding and meaningful Caribbean experience.

The primary challenge for backpackers in the Caribbean is traveling from one island nation to another.

While there are often ferries or boat tours from island to island within one particular grouping of islands, it can be challenging to find passage on a ship bound for another nation.

As most island chains in the Caribbean are sovereign nations, entry visas or other legal matters become a factor when backpacking across the region.

For this reason, there are no regular ferries traveling between many parts of the Caribbean, so meticulous planning would be necessary when plotting a route.

Travel by airplane is a viable, if expensive, option for traveling between islands.

Boats in the Turks and Caicos (photo: Rian Castillo)
Boats in the Turks and Caicos (photo: Rian Castillo)

Another alternative is to strike up a friendship with locals or visit city bulletin boards to see if private boats are traveling in the right direction.

Sometimes boat captains will exchange passage across the sea for work as crew members.

However, this is not a reliable option and should be saved as a last resort.

Some islands are equipped for tourists traveling on cruise ships or staying at resorts, rather than backpackers.

As there is sometimes a shortage of available camping areas, a good strategy is to remain flexible and utilize many different accommodation venues.

The countries bordering the Caribbean, such as Costa Rica, Mexico, or Colombia tend to have convenient sites to camp, while the smaller island chains such as Turks and Caicos focus on resort-style accommodation.

A backpacker could, for example, stay at a Club Med resort while visiting this island chain and sleep in a self-service cabana on the beach in other places where this option is readily available.

The U.S. and the British Virgin Islands or the Bahamas have a network of camping venues and good travel options between the islands, making this part of the Caribbean a good place to begin any backpacking journey.

Then, with a little luck and a lot of planning, a rich and rewarding journey across this stunningly beautiful part of the world can become a real possibility.

________

This article was brought to you by Club Med.

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About Guest Blogger

This post was written by a guest contributor. Please reference the author's byline in the post above for more information. If you would like to guest post on Go Backpacking, please read our submission guidelines. For information on advertising opportunities, go here.

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

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