Salt Cay travel guide

Seven miles south of Grand Turk, Salt Cay is out of the past, with windmills, salt sheds and other remnants of the old salt industry and little else. The island was first visited by the Bermudans in 1645; they started making salt here in 1673 and maintained a thriving salt industry until its collapse in the 1960s. Production ceased all together in 1971. Plant life was curtailed during the salt raking days to prevent rainfall. Look into some of the ruined houses and you will find salt still stored in the cellars. The main village is Balfour Town, divided into North Side and South Side, noted for its Bermudan buildings and pretty cottages with stone walls around the gardens. The White House, which dominates the skyline, was built in the 1830s of Bermudan stone brought in as ballast by the Harriott family during the height of the salt industry. The Methodist Church nearby, one of several churches on the island, is over 130 years old. Snorkelling is good and diving is excellent; there are 10 moored dive sites along the wall, with tunnels, caves and undercuts. Between January and March you can often see the humpback whales migrating through the channel as they pass close to the west coast. The island has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.