A long time ago, they were called “The Islands That Time Forgot.” We promise you this: Spend a few days in the Cayman Islands now and you’ll have a vacation you’ll never forget!
Located just 480 miles due south of Miami, this island trio comprises Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman — each with a beauty and personality of its own. The islands are British dependencies and are English-speaking.
Grand Cayman is the largest and most populated island and has become synonymous with international banking. It is the fifth largest financial center in the world.
Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach is unquestionably one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The warm azure waters of the Caribbean Sea are perfect for snorkeling, diving and other watersports.
The islands are safe and relatively crime-free, the scenery is charming and the Caymanian people are genuinely warm and welcoming.
Although it’s understandable not wanting to leave the sugary-sand beaches, you really should explore Cayman’s rich past by visiting the Cayman Islands National Museum, Fort St. James as well as attractions such as the Cayman Turtle Farm and Hell — that’s right…Hell. (You’ll understand when you get there.)
Or go shopping! There are great duty-free prices to be found on such items as jewelry, cameras, and perfumes, among others.
Cayman Islands Facts
Climate: Temperatures range between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit year-round.
Visa: Entering the Country: U.S. and Canadian citizens may enter the country with proof of citizenship and a photo ID: a passport, driver’s license, birth certificate or voter’s registration card, together with a return ticket. Passports and return tickets are required for all other visitors. Tourists normally will be allowed to enter and reside for a period of up to six months. Employment is strictly prohibited under a visitor’s permit.
Landscape: The Cayman Islands, unlike most Caribbean islands, are NOT of volcanic origin. Rather, they were formed by sea deposits. The terrain is flat and generally rocky, with sloping beaches. The islands are low-lying except for Cayman Brac, which has a large central limestone bluff.
Time: Eastern Standard Time. Daylight Saving Time is not observed.
Money: The Cayman dollar is the official money of Caymans but US dollars are accepted everywhere. You will notice that prices are in Cayman dollars and your bill will be in US dollars. Don’t freak out (like I did). Cayman Dollar is $1.25- $1 USD. When you do go, bring money, because this island like most of the Caribbean is not cheap. Visiting on a budget is tough, as a beer is around $6-10, wine is usually over $10 a glass and tours under 3 hrs long run you over $60. But finding cheap alternatives or not is half the fun.
Getting Around
Taxis are expensive, no doubt when you consider 1 gallon of gas is over $8. Bank on spending $15-$20 to go just about anywhere on 7-mile beach. Little shared buses are a nice alternative and cost $2 Cayman Dollars and traverse up and down the touristy strip of 7-mile highway. They usually honk at you as they are passing, just throw out your arm and they will stop.
Best Things to Do
Grand Cayman, at 76 square miles, is the largest of the island trio. It is also the most developed and the center of business and tourist activity. A wide selection of condominiums and hotels exist (see Accommodations), most of them on the beautiful Seven Mile Beach (this beach isn’t really seven miles long; it’s about five-and-a-half, but the sand is so soft and white, and the water so crystal clear, who notices!).
Grand Cayman has five districts, each of which has a charm of its own and is worth exploring: George Town (the capital city and commercial), West Bay, Bodden Town, East End and North Side.
Cayman Brac (rhymes with sack) and Little Cayman are the two “Sister” Islands, located 89 nautical miles northeast of Grand Cayman and seven miles from each other.
Cayman Brac is 12 miles long and a mile wide. Its most dominant feature is the Bluff, which rises along the length of the island to a height of 140 feet at the eastern end before falling in a dramatic cliff to the sea. Cayman Brac has a resident population of 1,400.
Little Cayman is 10 miles long, less than two miles wide and flat. Fewer than 75 people reside there.
The waters off these Sister Islands are becoming famous for world-class diving and fishing. If either of these pursuits appeal to you, start planning your trip!
Here are some things not to miss:
Georgetown
This is the main city of the Cayman Islands and where you will usually see a cruise ship just off the coast. The city is basically catering to these day trippers and has 1 jewellery shop for just about every none jewellery shop.
Smith Beach
Quiet little beach with plenty of shade south of Georgetown, great for snorkel or relaxation. Only amenities are bathroom, so pack snacks/water.
Kittiwake Shipwreck & Artificial Reef, West Bay
See a sunken ship and swim around it, pretty cool huh?
Water Activities
Have fun snorkeling, SCUBA diving, charter boat fishing, windsurfing, parasailing. Or take a submarine or glass bottom boat excursion or catamaran tour. A host of watersport operators will be glad to suit you up for an aquatic adventure – or take you on one themselves.
Island Tours
Most places have plenty of tours for diving, snorkeling, site-seeing, sting rays, etc.
Sting Ray City
probably one of the best ways to spend your money, book a tour and watch the gentle sting rays swim around you. Note: Sting rays have become so plump in recent years, they stopped letting tourists feed them and only the guides are allowed to now.
Cemetery Beach and Reef
On 7-mile highway and great place to snorkel and only costs the price of transportation
Mastic Trail
Here is one activity not involving water and gets you to the Northside of the island, one less inhabited by large resorts. See mangroves, wildlife on a wooded 2-mile stretch. You can walk it alone or as part of a tour.
Turtle Farm
On land, be sure to visit the Cayman Turtle Farm, the only breeding and research facility of its kind in the world. A trip to the Turtle Farm is both entertaining and educational. Visitors observe first-hand how the farm operates and also get a rare chance to handle some of its shelled inhabitants. A number of signs placed throughout the farm provide interesting information about turtles and turtle farming. Tours are self-guided, so visitors may wander freely around the many tanks separating young hatchlings from the mid-aged turtles and the adult breeding specimens which can weigh as much as 600 pounds and live to the ripe old age of 100. Open 7 days, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visit Hell
You REALLY can go to Hell in Grand Cayman – in fact, you can even mail post cards to friends to prove it! Hell is a site in the district of West Bay where black limestone rock emerges from the ground resembling some unearthly place. It’s a fun photo opportunity, and a post office there will postmark your postcard, “Hell, Grand Cayman.”
Cayman Islands National Museum
Located on Harbour Drive in in the small capital city of George Town, the national museum offers a fascinating glimpse into the county’s past. The museum’s natural history exhibition features a three-dimensional map of the undersea mountains and canyons surrounding the islands. A laserdisk presentation features colorful marine life so realistic that visitors will be convinced they are looking through a porthole of a submarine! The cultural history exhibit reveals how early Caymanians made their living through turtling, rope making and shipbuilding. The museum itself is an artifact. During its 150-year existence it has served as everything from town jail and courthouse to a meeting hall for church services and dances.
Food
There are restaurants galore in Grand Cayman offering everything from delicious native dishes to delectable international cuisine. There are world class places to eat. including Broken Conch, Cassanovas and Sunshine Suite Cafe, best and biggest burger on Cayman, are among the best. If you want to treat yourself check out the Blue Restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton. Eating here is not a meal but an experience, arguably one of the best restaurants on island. Eric Ripert’s protoges prepare $85 prix fixe menus to $150 tasting menus (without the wine).
Shopping
Grand Cayman offers a fine assortment of stores offering duty-free prices on fine china and crystal, jewelry, watches, leather goods, perfumes, liquor and cameras. Items made from black coral and Caymanite ( a semi-precious stone found in Cayman) make good gifts or souvenirs. Plan on spending a day visiting the stores downtown and along West Bay Road. There are also two shopping centers on West Bay Road: Galleria and Westshore.
Each US citizen is allowed a $400 duty free tax exemption by US Customs so long as they’ve been out of the United States for at least 48 hours and have not already used the duty free allowance within a 30 day period. Canadian citizens who have been away from Canada for seven days or more can return with C$300 in duty-free goods once each year. Citizens away for more than 48 hours can claim an additional exemption of C$100 once each calendar quarter. The yearly and quarterly exemptions may not be claimed during the same quarter.