Cayman Islands

Introduction

The Cayman Islands are a quirky kind of place. On the one hand, Caymanians are a devoutly Christian people who've outlawed topless beaches; but on the other, there's a place here called Hell. Then, of course, there's the fact that the Cayman Islands is a capitalist's paradise, with more financial institutions here than in New York. And finally, the Cayman Islands has become a favoured destination for elopers in search of an easy, beautiful place to get married and have a honeymoon.

Quirks aside, the basic charm of the Cayman Islands is quite similar to other Caribbean destinations: beaches, diving, fishing - all the basic water activities. There's trendy hotels, resorts and condos, with enough tourists to match. So go get that girlfriend or boyfriend of yours and book a trip to the Cayman Islands.

Brief History

The Cayman Islands were sighted by Christopher Columbus, on 10 May 1503 on his fourth and final voyage to the New World. He named them Las Tortugas after the numerous sea turtles there. The first recorded English visitor to the islands was Sir Francis Drake, who landed there in 1586 and named them the Cayman Islands after caiman, the Neo-Taino nations' term for alligator. The Cayman Islands remained largely uninhabited until the 17th century. A variety of people settled on the islands, including pirates, refugees from the Spanish Inquisition, shipwrecked sailors, deserters from Oliver Cromwell's army in Jamaica, and slaves. The majority of Caymanians are of African and British descent, with considerable interracial mixing.

Great Britain took formal control of the Cayman Islands, along with Jamaica, under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670. Following several unsuccessful attempts, permanent settlement of the islands began in the 1730s. The islands, along with nearby Jamaica, were captured from the Spanish Empire. They were governed as a single colony with Jamaica until 1962 when they became a separate British Overseas Territory and Jamaica became an independent Commonwealth realm.

Tourism began to take off in the 1950s with the opening of the airport, a bank and several hotels, plus a number of scheduled flights and cruise stop-overs. Politically the Cayman Islands were an internally self-governing territory of Jamaica from 1958 to 1962, however they reverted to direct British rule following the independence of Jamaica in 1962. A large degree of internal autonomy was granted by a new constitution in 1972, with further revisions being made in 1994.The Cayman Islands government focused on boosting the territory's economy via tourism and off-shore finance, both of which mushroomed from the 1970s onwards

The Cayman Islands historically have been popular as a tax-exempt destination. Legend has it that Caymanians in 1788 rescued the crews of a Jamaican merchant ship convoy which had struck a reef at Gun Bay during a hurricane, and that the Caymanians were rewarded with King George III's promise to never again impose a tax.

Geography

The Cayman Islands are located in the western Caribbean Sea and are the peaks of a massive underwater ridge, known as the Cayman Ridge (or Cayman Rise). This ridge flanks the Cayman Trough, 6,000 metres deep which lies 6 kilometres to the south. The islands lie in the northwest of the Caribbean Sea, south of Cuba and west of Jamaica. They are situated about 700 kilometressouth of Miami, 366 kilometres south of Cuba, and about 500 kilometres northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is by far the biggest, with an area of 197 km2 (76 sq mi). The two "Sister Islands" of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are located about 120 kilometres east north-east of Grand Cayman and have areas of 38 and 28.5 km2 respectively. All three islands were formed by large coral heads covering submerged ice age peaks of western extensions of the Cuban Sierra Maestra range and are mostly flat. One notable exception to this is The Bluff on Cayman Brac's eastern part, which rises to 43 metres above sea level, the highest point on the islands. Terrain is mostly a low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs.

Regions/Islands

• Grand Cayman is the largest island and home to the bulk of the population.

The two other much smaller islands are known as the Sister Islands.

• Little Cayman - Little Cayman is located in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 60 miles northeast of Grand Cayman and five miles (8 km) west of Cayman Brac. Little Cayman is by far the least populous, with a permanent population of about 270. The majority of the population are expat workers from Jamaica, Philippines & Honduras and from other Latin American countries as well as Canada, USA, India, South Africa, and England. There are a handful of local Caymanians compromising of less than 20. It is about 10 miles (16 km) long with an average width of 1 mile (2 km) and most of the island is undeveloped. Almost the entire island is at sea level. The highest elevation is about 40 feet (12 metres).
• Cayman Brac - Cayman Brac lies in the Caribbean Sea about 145 km (90 mi) north-east of Grand Cayman and 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Little Cayman. It is about 19 km (12 mi) long, with an average width of 2 km (1.2 mi). Its terrain is the most prominent of the three Cayman Islands due to "The Bluff", a limestone outcrop that rises steadily along the length of the island up to 43 m (141 ft) above sea level at the eastern end. The island is named after this prominent feature, as "brac" is a Gaelic name for a bluff.

Cities/Towns

• George Town, serves as the capital of the Cayman Islands, in the British West Indies. As of 2007, the city had a population of 28,836, making it the second largest city by population within the British Overseas Territories.
• Bodden Town

Sights and Activities

Wreck of the Ten Sails Park

The Wreck of the Ten Sails Park is part of the coastline at in the east of the main island. The park commemorates the islands most legendary shipwreck, the Cordelia. One night in February 1794, the Cordelia was leading a convoy of merchant ships bound from Jamaica to Britain when it ran aground on the reef at East End. Another nine more followed, so that's where the name comes from. Try to find the wrecks if you dare, but be aware that it is a legend.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is the biggest and most beautiful botanic park of the Cayman Islands and is located on the Grand Cayman. Actually, it is one of the best in the total Caribbean. It is a good place to experience the islands indigenous flora and fauna. There are trails winding through lush and flat terrain, featuring about 300 native species. These include buttonwood swamps, mahogany forests and native palms, orchids and many other tropical flowers. You will also witness the presence of see turtles, lizards, parrots and the charactaristic Cayman blue iguana which is highly endangered.

Pedro St. James Castle

Pedro St. James Castle is an impressive great house dating back to 1780, making it the oldest building in the Caymans. Since then, it has been functioning as a jail, a courthouse and a parliament before it was turned into a museum recently. The Castle is advertised as being the islands' 'birthplace of democracy': in 1831 the decision was made here to vote for elected representatives. It is also the place where the Slavery Abolition Act was read in 1835 and nowadays it also houses a museum featuring a multimedia presentation about 18th century Cayman.

Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach Sunrise

© johnnyphis

Seven Mile Beach is located on the island of Grand Cayman and is a coral-sand beach on the western shore of the island. In fact, it is not 7 miles long, but 'only' 5.5 miles (almost 9 kilometres). It's a public beach just north of George Town, the capital. Although beauty is always in the eyy of the beholder, this beach has won a few prizes, including one for the best beach in the Caribbean. It is also the most popular one on the Cayman Islands, and during peak holiday periods, it can feel a little busy. Also, loads of resorts and hotels mean it rarely is deserted. Your best bet might be to visit here during the off season months of August and September and hope there is no hurricane spoiling your beach break! Several good shallow reefs mean that snorkelling is a popular activity as well, next to swimming and sunbathing of course.

Scuba Diving

All three islands offer scuba diving, and some of the best reefs can be found here, the Cayman Islands is home to several snorkelling locations where tourists can swim with stingrays. The most popular area to do this is Stingray City, Grand Cayman. Stingray City is a top attraction in Grand Cayman and originally started in the 1980s, when divers started feeding squid to stingrays. The stingrays started to associate the sound of the boat motors with food, and thus visit this area year round

Hell

Hell is a group of short, black, limestone formations located in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands. Located in West Bay, it is roughly the size of half a football field. Visitors are not permitted to walk on the limestone formations but viewing platforms are provided. It makes for great pictures and post cards.

Other sights and activities

• National Gallery of the Cayman Islands - George Town, Grand Cayman
• Cayman Turtle Farm - Boatswain's Beach, Grand Cayman

Events and Festivals

Taste of Cayman Food and Wine Festival

During the last Saturday in January, over 40 of Grand Cayman’s finest restaurants serve up some of their tastiest treats during one of the Caribbean’s largest food and wine festivals. Foodies from around the world can enjoy cooking contests, children’s games, live entertainment, and tastings of some of the Cayman Islands’ finest rum. Guests can enjoy meals at casual beach barbecues, formal dinners or friendly brunches.

Little Cayman Mardi Gras Festival

Little Cayman’s annual Mardi Gras celebration begins on the last Saturday before Ash Wednesday. Among the festival’s highlights is a lively float parade which begins at Head O’Bay and ends at Edward Bodden Airfield. Participants come from as far as Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman to dance and celebrate. Local musicians perform during the masquerade ball and dinner follows the procession. All proceeds are donated to the Little Cayman National Trust.

Cayman Islands Orchid Show

The wild banana orchid, the national flower of the Cayman Islands, is just one of a dozen orchid species on display during the early March orchid show at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Visitors can purchase these beauties, learn how to grow them, or simply admire the floral arrangements during this two-day festival whose proceeds go towards establishing a permanent garden in the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park.

Cayfest

A traditional boat launch reenactment at Seven Mile Beach kicks off this two week long showcase of Cayman Islands’ arts and culture each April. The international storytelling festival called Gimistory attracts performers from across the Caribbean. Other Cayfest highlights include live folk singers, fashion shows, and a historical treasure hunt. Short film and photography competitions are also important parts of the event.

Cayman Carnival Batabano

One of George Town’s liveliest events is this annual early May festival filled with live calypso and soca bands. Named after the tracks in the sand left by the sea turtles crawling towards their nesting place, the main Batabano parade sees more than 100 nationalities represented in colorful costumes and music. There is also a separate, but no less joyous, Junior Batabano parade for children.

Queen’s Birthday

In the middle of June, the Cayman Islands celebrates Her Majesty’s birthday with a 21-gun salute and full military dress parade in front of George Town’s Legislative Assembly. There is also a Government House open house and garden reception. Refreshments and steel band music accompany the formal event.

Cayman Islands Pirates Week

This festival began in 1977 as a way to boost Cayman Islands tourism during the beginning of the November low season. Pirate Week has now grown into one of the island’s most anticipated events. A highlight is the raucous costume parade where pirates and wenches capture the governor as they march through the streets of George Town. Smaller events held throughout the islands include sea turtle releases, cardboard boat races, and plenty of food.

Weather

The Cayman Islands have a perfect climate with warm and humid weather with almost constant sea breezes. Temperatures hoover around 28 °C to 30 °C during the day and 24 °C at night. The months of June to September are slightly warmer. During these months, extending into November is the rainy season on the other hand, with a small chance of a hurricane passing by now and then. December to April is the dry and slightly cooler period which is a good but popular time to visit. May and November are good months to visit if you want to avoid crowds, high prices and very bad weather.

Getting there

Plane

Cayman Airways is the national airline of the Cayman Islands. It is based on Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) on Grand Cayman. They fly to Havana, Kingston, La Ceiba, Miami, Montego Bay, New York and Tampa and seasonal to Chicago and Washington, D.C.. Continental Airlines flies to Newark and Houston, British Airways to London and Nassau, while several other airlines serve cities like Toronto, Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis, Charlotte, Boston and Philadelphia.

Gerrard Smith International Airport (CYB) on Cayman Brac has a few international flighs, including seasonal ones to/from Miami with Cayman Airways and regular ones to Montego Bay with Jamaica Air Shuttle.

Boat

Currently, there are no options of international ferries to or from the islands. Your only options are a yacht, cruise ship or cargo ship.

Getting around

Plane

Cayman Airways has many flights between Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

Boat

There is a ferry between North Sound and Rum Point on Grand Cayman which takes about 40 minutes each way.
The ferry departs from the Hyatt Regency Canal at 10:00am, noon and 4:00pm on Mondays - Thursdays, on Friday to Sunday the last one leaves at 6:00pm. The return times from Rum Point are 11:00am, 3:00pm and and 6:30pm Mondays - Thursdays, on Friday to Sunday the last one is at 9:15pm.
Private boat operators can arrange shuttles between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman but at a cost of course.

By Car

Renting a car is your only option on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, well apart from biking and hiking. But it's also a good way of getting around on the main island of Grand Cayman. There are a lot of rental agencies to choose from, in the airport and in George Town. You have to be 21 years old (some companies don't insure you when under 25!) and buy a special 7.50 USD permit. Remember that driving is on the left. On Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, you can only rent 4wd vehicles.

By Bus

On Grand Cayman, public minibuses travel from George Town to West Bay (every 15 minutes), Bodden Town (every 30 minutes) and to East End and North Side (every hour). They all leave from the main bus terminal next to the public library and run almost all day from 6:00am to 11:00pm. On the other islands, there are almost no public transport whatsoever, even no taxis. On Grand Cayman, taxis are abundant and have fixed rates. For an overview, check thebusschedule.com.

Red Tape

Visitors from the following countries do not require a visa to enter the Cayman Islands:

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Ecuador, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Latvia, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, United Kingdom, United States, Vanuatu, Venezuela and Zambia.

Money

See also Money Matters

The islands have the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD - symbol CI$) as the national currency. One dollar = 100 cents and notes come in denominations of CI$100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1, coins in denominations of 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents.

US Dollars are in wide circulation and the Cayman Islands is tied to the greenback 1:1. There are ATMs at all major banks.

Work

Grand Cayman has growing offshore banking and tourism sectors. Tourism represents about 60% of the economy. About 30% of residents are expatriates working on "work permits" and unemployment is very low.

Language

The official language is English. Spanish is also widly spoken.

Eat

The culinary influences of many regions are reflected in Cayman cuisine. Local specialties such as fish, turtle and conch are delicious and often less expensive as they don't need to be imported. With more than 150 restaurants, unwinding with a good meal in the Cayman Islands can include chic five-star dining as well as a more casual venue under the stars, or even a themed event. From traditional Caymanian seafood to Caribbean and Thai to Italian and New World cuisine, discerning diners are sure to find something to fit their taste. Other exciting options include dinner cruises on luxury catamarans and even an authentic tall ship. Meal prices range from $10 to well over $30 per person at high-end restaurants.

While in Cayman ask your taxi driver for their favourite local Jerk Stand (a must try).

Sleep

Accommodations are ample but tend to be relatively expensive, even on the two smaller islands. There are several luxury resorts with all amenities, as well as other less expensive options. In addition, the cost of food and drink is high in Cayman, but many visitors stay in condominiums with kitchen facilities and take advantage of the first class supermarkets and cook and barbeque on the beach.

Cayman is not known for all inclusive resorts, but there are two smaller Caribbean style properties that do offer this option.

The majority of hotels and resorts are in Grand Cayman, where the main hotel "strip" is Seven Mile Beach, home to several major chain hotels and numerous condominiums.

Drink

Alcohol is very expensive on the islands, even from the liquor stores. You can expect to pay approximately twice as much in the liquor stores as you would at stores in the United States, however it is still the cheapest way to purchase alcohol.

Typical drink prices in bars and clubs range from $4-7 CI ($5-8.75 US).

Health

See also Travel Health

There are no vaccinations legally required to travel to the Cayman Islands. It's a good thing to get your vaccinations in order before travelling to the Cayman Islands. The general vaccination against Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio (DTP) is recommended. Also a hepatitis A vaccination is recommended and vaccination against hepatitis B and typhoid are also sometimes recommended for stays longer than 3 months.

Dengue sometimes occurs as well. There is no vaccination, so buy mosquito repellent (preferably with 50% DEET), and sleep under a net. Also wear long sleeves if possible.

Finally, other possible health issues include diarrhea and other general travellers' diseases like motion sickness. Watch what you eat and drink and in case you get it, drink plenty of fluids (to prevent dehydration) and bring ORS.

Safety

See also Travel Safety

Hurricanes are possible from June through November.

Despite being more liberal than other Caribbean islanders, Caymanians are still relatively conservative. Public displays of affection (both Gay and Straight) are not usually acceptable. Acceptance of homosexual tourists is relatively new and visitors should refrain from any sort of public displays of affection. In past years Gay cruise ships have been barred from calling in the Cayman Islands, but recent policy is to remain non-discriminatory. Gay visitors can expect the same levels of hospitality and service as any other visitor, but should expect some hesitation from older Caymanians. Young Caymanians are very liberal and for the most part, won't care either way.

The Cayman Islands is a relatively low-crime area, especially compared to other vacation destinations in the Caribbean.
However, that being said, crime is on the rise on Grand Cayman. Walking or riding a bicycle at night along dark roads (for example, along Courts Road) puts one at risk for assault and/or robbery. Pedestrians also need to worry about being hit by cars along soft shouldered roads. Drunk driving/Hit and Run accidents have been a problem.
The capital city of George Town is generally safe. Tourists should avoid certain areas (Rock Hole, Swamp, Jamaica Town/ Windsor Park, Courts Road, and Eastern Avenue) and this shouldn't be a problem as these areas are all well out of the way for most activities. In addition, George Town is virtually deserted at night as there are few centrally located restaurants, bars, or nightclubs.

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

The country calling code to the Cayman Islands is 1-345 and tTo make an international call from the islands, the code is 011.

External Links

• Official Governmental Website
• Official Tourism Website