Middle Caicos

At 48 square miles (124 square km) and with fewer than 300 residents, this is the largest and least developed of the inhabited islands within the Turks and Caicos chain. A limestone ridge runs to about 125 feet above sea level, creating dramatic cliffs on the north shore and a cave system farther inland. Middle Caicos has rambling trails along the coast; the Crossing Place Trail, maintained by the National Trust, follows the path used by the early settlers to go between the islands. Inland are quiet settlements with friendly residents. This is the real thing.