Just south of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands have truly grown up the past thirty years, driven by tourism and banking. The Cayman Islands rank as the world's fifth largest offshore financial center. Bank secrecy laws make it illegal to reveal the identities of accounts' owners - unless, of course, shady dealings are suspected. Through the years, regulations have been severely tightened, making it nearly impossible to launder cash here.
On the tourism side of development, the islands have been a scuba-diving paradise since the 1960s. The Cayman Islands, like all islands, are essentially the tips of underwater mountains, and the submerged terrain around these islands is especially dramatic. The spectacular underwater walls, caverns and healthy coral reefs have made these islands one of the world's best spots for diving and snorkelling. Add to that their virtually crime-free ambience (thanks to tight government controls and the high per-capita income enjoyed by most Caymanians) and it's easy to see why so many people choose the Cayman Islands for a Caribbean holiday.
An abundance of natural attractions make the islands an ideal destination for those who enjoy watersports, birdwatching, laid-back day hikes, clear water and sandy beaches (Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach is among the finest in the Caribbean). If rousing casinos and wild nightlife are what you seek, these are not the islands to visit. There's no gambling of any kind here, and beach nudity is forbidden.
While there, you may want to do some exploring. With a total landmass of 78 square miles, Grand Cayman is the largest, most populated and most developed of the three Cayman Islands. As such, it receives the greatest number of visitors and certainly feels the most traditionally Caribbean, with a small colonial capital, a beautiful stretch of beach, and lots of typical resorts that will set your whole holiday up for you.
Each week thousands of cruise ship passengers shoulder their way along the narrow sidewalks of George Town, where duty-free shops hawk everything from fine emeralds to Cuban cigars. Once you've covered downtown, it's easy to explore the rest of the island in a day or two. Just a ten-minute drive from George Town is Seven Mile Beach, arguably one of the finest stretches of sand in the entire Caribbean.
About eighty miles northeast of Grand Cayman, and accessible by a quick plane hop, lies tiny Cayman Brac (pronounced "brack"). With none of the fast-food outlets or tourist bustle of the larger island, the Brac (as it's colloquially known) offers the chance for an isolated Caribbean vacation, though growing numbers come here for outdoor activities such as scuba diving and hiking.
The best way to explore the Brac is to get on one of its numerous trails, the best of which traverse the bluff that runs along the island's spine and culminates with great ocean views on the eastern coast - a perfect place to catch the sunrise. You'll need a car or motor scooter to reach most of the trails, as few are within walking distance of the main hotels. You might also consider renting a bicycle to get around, though if you're serious about cycling, it's best to bring your own as most here are of the no-speed coaster-brake variety.
On string-bean-shaped Little Cayman, road signs read "iguanas have the right of way" – fitting for an undeveloped island on which the two thousand or so of these primordial-looking creatures greatly outnumber people. Even more so than Cayman Brac, this least-developed of the Cayman Islands attracts visitors looking for untrammelled seclusion, not to mention scuba and wildlife enthusiasts eager to take advantage of a top dive site and an inland nature sanctuary.
The mangrove-filled wetlands in the center of the island are home to many birds, including West Indian whistling ducks, egrets, herons, frigates and a large nesting colony of red-footed boobies. In fact, this area has been preserved as a National Trust bird sanctuary.
Given the clear warm sea, it's no surprise that watersports predominate in the islands, the greatest variety being available on Grand Cayman. Scuba diving and snorkelling are by far the most popular, but deep-sea fishing, bonefishing, windsurfing, jet skiing, parasailing, sailing, swimming, hiking, birdwatching and even golf are available. To read more about scuba diving on the islands, click through to Scuba Diving.
History buffs maybe interested in knowing that Christopher Columbus was the first European credited with discovering the islands in 1503. While en route between Panama and Hispaniola, he got blown west off course and recorded seeing two small islands (Little Cayman and Cayman Brac) "full of tortoise." He dubbed them "Las Tortugas," Spanish for turtle, but the name didn't last. In 1585 British explorer Sir Francis Drake passed through and recorded that the islands were flush with "great serpent-like lizards," or caimans, and so the islands were renamed. To learn more about the early development of the islands, click through to History.
To learn about Festivals held in the Caymans, click here. To find out when it's best to go to the islands, click here. For information on money and costs, click here. For insight into island foods and drinks, click here.
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