West Caicos
Encyclopedia
West Caicos is an island in the Turks and Caicos Islands
. West Caicos has an area of 11 square miles (28 km²), and has been uninhabited for over a century. The island is home to the 500 acre (2 km²) Lake Catherine, a protected wildlife reserve, filled with pink roseate flamingoes, manta rays, sea turtles and other indigenous wildlife.
In the 1890s, West Caicos was cleared for sisal
plantations, which was a major crop of the Turks and Caicos Islands
. On the island are the ruins of Yankee Town, which was the of centre of industry on the island. Remains of a railroad still exist.
At least two attempts have been made to purchase the entire island. The first was made by Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
, his intent was to use it as a hideaway. However, he was assassinated before the purchase was made. In 1972, an oil company tried to purchase the island to build a refinery, and built an airstrip. The deal was not made, and the airstrip remains to this day.
A new effort appears to be well underway to develop the island into a private high-end resort reserve, billing itself as 'West Caicos Reserve'. This effort is apparently targeted toward high net worth individual
s, as it is integrated with an exclusive 125 room Ritz-Carlton
Resort/Spa and Marina. The anticipated opening of this community was to be mid-2008. However, due to the collapse of Lehman Brothers
, the financers of the project, all construction work was halted in September 2008.
The West Caicos seawall
drops off to over 7,000 feet. Several different sea creatures live in these depths, from eagle rays to humpback whales.
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
. West Caicos has an area of 11 square miles (28 km²), and has been uninhabited for over a century. The island is home to the 500 acre (2 km²) Lake Catherine, a protected wildlife reserve, filled with pink roseate flamingoes, manta rays, sea turtles and other indigenous wildlife.
In the 1890s, West Caicos was cleared for sisal
Sisal
Sisal is an agave that yields a stiff fibre traditionally used in making twine, rope and also dartboards. The term may refer either to the plant or the fibre, depending on context...
plantations, which was a major crop of the Turks and Caicos Islands
Turks and Caicos Islands
The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...
. On the island are the ruins of Yankee Town, which was the of centre of industry on the island. Remains of a railroad still exist.
At least two attempts have been made to purchase the entire island. The first was made by Dominican dictator Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo
Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina , nicknamed El Jefe , ruled the Dominican Republic from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. He officially served as president from 1930 to 1938 and again from 1942 to 1952, otherwise ruling as an unelected military strongman...
, his intent was to use it as a hideaway. However, he was assassinated before the purchase was made. In 1972, an oil company tried to purchase the island to build a refinery, and built an airstrip. The deal was not made, and the airstrip remains to this day.
A new effort appears to be well underway to develop the island into a private high-end resort reserve, billing itself as 'West Caicos Reserve'. This effort is apparently targeted toward high net worth individual
High net worth individual
A high-net-worth individual is a person with a high net worth. In the private banking business, these individuals typically are defined as having investable assets in excess of US$1 million. As explained below, the U.S...
s, as it is integrated with an exclusive 125 room Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
Resort/Spa and Marina. The anticipated opening of this community was to be mid-2008. However, due to the collapse of Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers
Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. was a global financial services firm. Before declaring bankruptcy in 2008, Lehman was the fourth largest investment bank in the USA , doing business in investment banking, equity and fixed-income sales and trading Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (former NYSE ticker...
, the financers of the project, all construction work was halted in September 2008.
The West Caicos seawall
Seawall
A seawall is a form of coastal defence constructed where the sea, and associated coastal processes, impact directly upon the landforms of the coast. The purpose of a seawall is to protect areas of human habitation, conservation and leisure activities from the action of tides and waves...
drops off to over 7,000 feet. Several different sea creatures live in these depths, from eagle rays to humpback whales.
External links
- http://www.turksandcaicos.tc/westcaicos/ - West Caicos at TCI Mall
- http://web.archive.org/web/20071012135624/www.westcaicosreserve.com/V3/ - 'West Caicos Reserve', a Ritz Carlton development scheme
- http://www.molassesreef.com - Molasses Reef, a Ritz Carlton Reserve
- http://www.molassesreef.blogspot.com - Real-Estate on West Caiocs
- http://www-westcaicos.blogspot.com - Property on West Caicos
- http://www.ritz-carlton-reserve.blogspot.com - Luxury Residences on West Caicos