Believe it or not, the Turks and Caicos Islands have tons of abandoned areas. In a recent study, Pinterest reported that searches for “abandoned places” were up over 125%, and we know exactly why. Exploring the unknown is cool, and where better to do it than Turks and Caicos? From deserted cays to a steam engine on wheels left behind hundreds of years ago, the Turks & Caicos abandoned areas are not something to be missed.
La famille express Turks & Caicos (Photo by: @its.a.janda)
La Famille Express
Today, the La Famille Express sits atop part of the coral reef in a few feet of water, abandoned and alone, roughly two miles from the shore on the east coast of Turks & Caicos. It was built in 1952 by the Russian Navy and sold to an islander in the mid-90s, only to be wrecked in 2004 during Hurricane Frances. Now, the rusting ship serves as one of the best Turks & Caicos abandoned areas on the islands.
Grand Turk’s US Navy NAVFAC 104 Base
The North Base, as many referred to it, was initially used as a surveillance base for the US Navy, providing underwater intelligence. It was also an important location during The Cuban Missile Crisis, handling all of the outgoing communication from Guantanamo Bay as well as serving as a stop-over place for flight crews. The base was active for 25 years until it was decommissioned in 1979. Now, parts of the large location house an airstrip and various offices.
Yankee Town
Located in West Caicos, Yankee Town is made up of less than a dozen roofless buildings with stone walls. This area is essentially a ghost town, with nothing and no one around for miles, except for a very popular steam engine on wheels that was left abandoned on this uninhabited area many years ago. The craziest part? The steam engine is at least 8 feet tall and weighs hundreds, if not thousands, of pounds.
Mega One Triton Ship Turks & Caicos (Photo by: @lct17)
Mega One Triton Shipwreck at Governor’s Beach
Grab a golf cart from one of the rental shops and make your way down to Governor’s Beach. Don’t expect any kind of luxury when visiting this Turks & Caicos abandoned area. This spot is nothing fancy but makes for a great adventure. The Mega One Triton was wrecked during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and washed ashore on Governor’s Beach. Due to a lack of funds to move it, this mega-size ship still remains on the beach.
A little hungry after reading about all of the Turks & Caicos abandoned areas? Check out our foodie’s guide to Turks & Caicos to ease your tastebuds. And if you’re ready to book your Turks & Caicos vacation, check out some of our great Turks & Caicos deals.
