Worth Its Salt

Salterra resort brings a whole new flavor to relaxation in the Turks and Caicos.  

This article was written by Christopher White. Photography courtesy of Salterra.

Dignitaries flew in, including the governor of Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) and members of her cabinet. According to Miami Living, the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Zhavargo Jolly proclaimed, “We remember when South Caicos was the thriving heart of commerce in the TCI. Today, it stands ready for a new beginning. This direct international flight is not just a symbol of progress; it’s a clear message to the world that South Caicos is back, stronger and more vibrant than ever.”

Prior to March, if you wanted to get here, you first had to land in Providenciales, TCI’s tourism hub. Most travelers never bothered continuing, and so this once-busy destination lay dormant for years with only one high-end resort in operation. But that also changed in March, when Salterra, a new member of The Luxury Collection, opened its doors to guests. And, no, the synced timing with American Airlines wasn’t a coincidence. 

The resort’s founder and CEO, Michael Tibbetts, explains. “Salterra won’t be a success unless South Caicos is successful,” he says. “I led negotiations with American, and we tied the new direct flight to our opening. The move has already created ancillary jobs—agents, a taxi business.” 

Tibbetts actually became involved with Salterra’s property back in 2021, when his family’s multi-generational company, JEM Worldwide, purchased the East Bay Resort. He rebranded it Reef Divers South Caicos before deciding to complete a major renovation and reopen as Salterra. One of his goals was to root it more deeply in the history of the island.

“The story had to come first,” he says. “So we spent time researching and developing a coherent framework for design decisions. The Taino people were the original inhabitants of South Caicos, and we’ve tried to weave in parts of their story using replicas of relics such as duho chairs that were discovered in local caves. We wanted to create a sense of place.” 

To this end, Tibbetts and his team also worked with regional suppliers, using coral rock from the Dominican Republic, for example. “The front doors are carved from acacia wood, a recurring theme,” he says. “And both inside and out, we sourced native plants like cacti and agave.” 

Salterra sits between its white sand beach and the salinas, or salt flats, that take up 455 acres—or about 20% of the island’s land mass. These salinas once produced more salt than any other island in TCI, but the market collapsed in the 1960s, and they’ve been abandoned ever since. Now they function more like a bird sanctuary where American Flamingos, Tricolored Herons, and Reddish Egrets hunt alongside Dowitchers and Plovers. 

The salinas are unforgettable. Just a short walk from your room and you’re in this tableau of reflected light and crumbling salina walls. A dilapidated windmill stands near the road. A sluice marked with bright-colored posts runs through the dunes to the sea. If you walk down the beach from Salterra, you’ll come to the other end of this, with two sliding gates that once regulated the water flow. Though industrial production has ceased, the salinas still produce salt, and sometimes guests can gather it themselves. It also makes its way onto your plate at Brine, Salterra’s fine-dining restaurant overlooking the salinas. Don’t miss the “White Gold” tasting menu that pairs each course with a different flavor of salt (as well as a different vintage of wine). 

South Caicos today is a community of about 1200 people, but it’s also the TCI’s fishing capital thanks to its abundant and healthy reefs and flats. Tibbetts understands the responsibility that comes with promoting tourism, which is one reason he sponsors the South Caicos Coral Reef Consortium. Project manager John DeBuysser told me the partnership began in 2023. “Salterra wasn’t even open yet,” he said, “but they wanted this to be a part of the guest experience.” SCCRC operates out of the School for Field Studies in Cockburn Harbour, so they’ve been able to draw on more then 15 years of reef-monitoring data as they work to preserve and grow different corals. 

Salterra has created programs to bring guests on board, as well. A couple of times a week, the resort offers an hour-long tour of the lab, and its activities office features a Coral Reef Restoration excursion, where guests dive and participate in hands-on work. Tibbetts says, “Yes, we’re all about great food and spa treatments, but what we really want is to make memories.”

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