The 6 Best Things to do in Salt Cay, Salt Cay

Reviewed By BoilerDaveNH - Hudson, United States

We started our trip just before the stuff hit the fan with the Corona virus on March 13 and got out the second from the last day before the island shut down. Airport. It is terribly undersized. I couldn't imagine it when its busy. Upon arriving to the airport, we took a comfortable Intercaribbean flight to Grand Turk and then a nine-seater "Islander" to Salt Cay. The five minute flight to Salt Cay was actually really fun. Salt Cay is not for people looking for fancy restaurants, casinos or to have their feet massaged. If you have any sense of adventure, history, nature and deem yourself as flexible-it is heaven. We stayed at the Tradewinds-which is a perfect location for those viewing whales, enjoying scuba diving and it's closes to the "action." (using that term loosely). There are some very nice AirBnB rentals but none would be considered luxury. There was no need to air conditioning as this tiny island has a constant winds. I never once locked the doors at night or while we were away for the day. Every person (all 50 or so) stops to talk to you. We became friendly with the other dozen tourist on the island and most of the adorable and friendly donkeys. We never once put on mosquito repellent. It does not matter if you stay on the north side or south side of the island as it is so small. The northside is better for access to the dock. The south part of the island is more quiet. We explored a part of the island every day via bicycle, others use golf carts. The North Beach is a stunning mile and half of seclusion and beauty. We came here each afternoon and NEVER saw another person-although I did startle a bull in the abandoned remains of an old resort. Each morning, we explored a different part of the island: South point, Northwest Point, the Ruins of the Taylor Plantation, the beautiful South Creek and North Creek and the historic salinas. Each day, a few people gather at the Dunscomb Point-which is the island's swimming pool-so to speak. Salt Cay takes planning. Bring lots of food, have your host shop for you. The stores are very tiny. Order your meals ahead of time at one of the four restaurants and be flexible as they run out of a lot of stuff. Oceanaire is the best, Coral Reef is reliable and the star is Miss Pat's place where you dine on her front porch and converse with a living historian of the island. Fresh Catch wasn't all that great but it was a fun place for a drink trying to communicate with the Domincan staff. We really got to know the dozen or so tourist by name and started to enjoy happy hour each evening. Everything is pretty much done at 9 p.m. You can lie in a beach chair, without threat of mosquitoes and view the most beautiful stars you may see in your entire life. Stunning! The architecture is straight, both active buildings and ruins, from the 18th century. A typical relic was coming across an old coffin in the abandoned fraternal building. We discovered new and old things each of the seven days we were there. Honestly, we could have stayed another month. There is talk about building a cruise ship terminal and/or resort on this tiny island that will forever change its character. To experience history-go!