TURKS & CAICOS ROMANTIC ACTIVITIES

With the number of tourists relatively low, you'll find that the number of attractions are equally sparse. Don't expect the shopping of St. Thomas or the reggae clubs of Jamaica or the submarine rides of Grand Cayman at this destination. For most couples, the real attraction is being able to do nothing at all.Days are spent on the beach or in the water that's so clear it's often cited as the world's top scuba destination.

One unique attraction is the Conch Farm 649-945-5942, the only farm in the world that raises Queen conch, the shellfish that's become a favorite meal throughout much of the Caribbean. On a guided tour, you'll see conch in various stages, from the larvae in the hatchery to juveniles about 4 mm in length, to adulthood. In Provo, the product of this unique farm is served at the Anacaona Restaurant and the Tiki Hut.

Provo Golf Club (649-946-5991) has a nice clubhouse with restaurant, a good place to stop for a drink after playing a round.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are the top attractions of these islands. Visibility ranges from 80 to 100 feet or better and water temperatures hover at about 82 degrees in the summer and 75 or so in the winter months. Beneath the calm waves swim colorful marine animals as exotic as hawksbill turtles, nurse sharks, and octopus. With a one mile vertical coral wall located offshore, Provo is a diver's paradise.

You'll find top operators here as well. In Provo, call Dive Provo (800-234-7768), Turtle Inn Divers ( 800-359-DIVE). In Grand Turk, check with Blue Water Divers (649-946-2432) , Sea Eye Diving, (649-946-1407), and Aquanaut (649-946-2160); in Salt Cay call Porpoise Divers (649-946-6927).

Save a day to cruise over to Water Cay, an island inhabited by friendly iguanas and tropical birds.

History buffs will find reason enough to take a day trip to Grand Turk to visit the Turks and Caicos National Museum 649-946-2160. We think this is one of the most fascinating museums in the entire Caribbean. The main exhibit features the Molasses Reef shipwreck, which occurred in the Turks and Caicos nearly 500 years ago. The Spanish caravel hit the reef and quickly sank in only 20 feet of water where it remained until the 1970s. Once excavated, it was recognized as the oldest European shipwreck in the New World.

The museum, located in a 150-year old house on the island's main street, features artifacts from the wreck with interactive displays, video presentations, and scientific exhibits.

The name of this wrecked ship was never learned because, like drug-running planes of today, this was a ship with an illegal booty. Kept off the official records of Spain, the ship was carrying slaves probably bound for the plantations of nearby Hispaniola.