Cockburn Town has been the sleepy capital of the Turks and Caicos Islands since the 16th century. It is the sole settlement on Grand Turk Island. Cockburn Town has only two main streets, which are smothered in sand and lined with colonial buildings that are painted in pastel colors. Wealthy Bermudan expatriates that once dominated the salt trade have erected the numerous large wooden houses that can be seen in Cockburn Town.
The best sights in Cockburn Town are around the waterfront. A Columbus monument stands on a small plaza that is surrounded by several historic government buildings. Nearby are four large cannons that point out to the sea. The General Post Office has an interesting exhibition of beautiful stamps. The Turks and Caicos Islands are well known for their stamps among philatelists. Not far from the post office is the Turks and Caicos National Museum, where you can see exhumed shell tools, beads, stamps, locks, and greenstone celts, but its major exhibit is the wreck of the Molasses Reef. It is the oldest authenticated shipwreck in the Americas.
Not far from town is a beautiful coral reef. The reef is protected and included in the Columbus Landfall National Park.
There are several hotels and restaurants in Cockburn.
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