 Facts at a Glance
Area: 100 sq miles (260 sq km)
Population: 32,000
Capital city: George Town on Grand Cayman (pop 16,000)
People: Mixed African and European descent
Language: English
Religion: United Church, Anglican, Baptist, Roman Catholic
Government: British dependency
 Environment
Sparsely populated, mostly flat and partly marshy, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have a corner of the Caribbean all to themselves. The largest, Grand Cayman, is shaped a bit like the Little Dipper and spans about 25 miles (45km) from the lip of the cup on the western end to the tip of the handle on the eastern end. It lies 150 miles (240km) south of Cuba and about 180 miles (290km) west of Jamaica. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac lie 80 miles (130km) and 90 miles (145km) to the east of Grand Cayman, respectively. They're both about 10 miles long and a mile wide (16km by 2km). There is also a scattering of uninhabited islets and cays.
The Caymans aren't lush, but they do support a fair swag of plantlife. Mahogany was once abundant but has been mostly logged. Poisonous species include maiden plum (a weed with rash-causing sap), lady's hair or cowitch (a vine with fiberglass-like barbs) and the vicious manchineel tree, which produces a skin-blistering sap. Take care not to shelter under a manchineel in the rain! Other indigenous plants are cochineel, used as a shampoo as well as eaten, and pingwing, whose barbed branches were fashioned into a natural fence. The fauna is less aggressive: the islands are crawling with critters, mostly lizards, but also a non-poisonous grass snake, the agouti (an introduced species known locally as rabbit) and prolific bird life. The most spectacular animal is the Cayman blue iguana, an endangered and magnificent throwback to the dinosaurs.
The Caymans are warm in the summer (May to October), when the average daily high reaches 85°F (29°C). This is also the rainy season but the showers are brief. Winter (November to April) is drier and cooler, with average daily highs of 75°F (24°C).
 History
Whatever aboriginal inhabitants the islands may have had left no trace of their existence. The first human known to have laid eyes on the islands was Columbus, who in 1503 spotted a swarm of turtles around Cayman Brac and Little Cayman and named the islands Tortugas in their honor. By the time Francis Drake got to Grand Cayman in 1586, the islands were commonly known as Caymanas, after a Carib word for crocodiles. For the next century or so, the Caymans were used by lurking pirates and turtle-hunting sailors, but there were no permanent settlers until the 1660s, when a couple of deserters from the British army came over from Jamaica. In 1670, the islands became possessions of the British Crown, falling under Jamaican administration. The Crown turned a blind eye to the use and abuse of the Caymans by privateers, pirates and parrots.
Aside from cotton farming and turtle hunting, the major early occupation was wrecking - the practice of salvaging the remains of ships that ran aground on the islands' many reefs. The most famous of these disasters is the Wreck of the Ten Sails, which occurred when a ship struck a reef in 1794, causing a chain reaction involving nine other vessels. According to legend, the Caymanians went to such lengths to aid the shipwrecked that a grateful George III granted the islands tax-free status then and there.
By 1800, the population was still under 1000, half of whom were slaves. After slavery was abolished in 1835, most freed slaves remained on the islands, and by 1900 the Caymans' population had quintupled. Cotton, mahogany, sarsaparilla and thatch rope (mostly exported to Jamaica) joined fishing, turtling and shipbuilding as the Caymans main industries until tourism and banking took the mantle during the mid-20th century.
Although divers 'discovered' the Caymans in the 1950s, islanders were slow to relinquish their isolation. By the next decade, however, Caymanians had been seduced by the idea of having rivers of cash flowing in and they begain fashioning the tax structure that's made Grand Cayman a center of offshore banking (there are more financial institutions here than in New York City), and the infrastructure that's made it a capital of Caribbean tourism. The 1960s also saw the islands shrug off Jamaican stewardship and place themselves directly under the British Crown. Since then, political contests have been fought by 'teams' (as parties are prohibited), though there have been few major issues and little sentiment for independence. The islands have also created several marine parks, bird sanctuaries and other nature reserves during this period.
 Economic Profile
GDP: US$900 million
GDP per head: US$23,800
Inflation: 2.5%
Major industries: Tourism, finance
Major trading partners: USA, UK, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, Japan
 Culture
Grand Cayman has been heavily influenced by American mores, especially in George Town and the resorts along Seven Mile Beach. In the smaller villages and on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, the culture is more traditionally West Indian, although the British influence is close to the surface. English is, after all, the only language spoken on the islands, and the Queen's birthday is celebrated every June with a parade and a 21-gun salute. West Indian traditions are noticeable in the soca, calypso and reggae you'll hear emanating from locals' jeeps, clubs and bars.
The Cayman's most prominent living artist is Gladwyn K Bush, an elderly painter known to most as Miss Lassie. Born in 1914, Miss Lassie didn't begin painting until encouraged by a spiritual experience in 1984. Her vibrant 'markings' (as she calls them) are mostly representations of biblical scenes as envisioned in her dreams. Miss Lassie's home on South Sound Road (ask a local for directions) is covered in paintings and is a bit of a landmark.
There are lots of churches in the Caymans and lots of Christians of every stripe frequenting them. Sunday is very much a day of churchgoing, and visitors are welcome to attend most services. Whether it's a part of the religious ethic or a throwback to straitlaced British behavior, politeness and modesty are much appreciated by Caymanians: a 'good morning' will go a long way, topless bathing is illegal and it's definitely not acceptable to wear bathing suits off the beach. Unlike some other well-touristed Caribbean destinations, there is no beach-hawking culture in the Caymans.
 Events
Grand Cayman's answer to Carnival is Batabano, a weekend of costumed hedonism and hangovers held around Easter. The local equivalent on Cayman Brac is known as Brachanal, held a week after Batabano. Pirate's Week, which features fireworks, mock battles and assorted skulduggery, gives bankers, barworkers and locals the chance to break out the gold earrings, eye patches and stuffed parrots during the last week of October. There's a month-long fishing tournament every June where locals and visitors test their skills against one another and the fruits of the sea. Hefty cash prizes are doled out for record breakers.
Public Holidays
January 1 - New Year's Day
Easter Holidays - Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter Monday
Second Monday in April - Queen's Birthday
May 18 - Discovery Day
July 6 - Constitution Day
November 9 - Remembrance Day
December 25 - Christmas Day
December 26 - Boxing Day
 Facts for the Traveler
Visas: US and Canadian citizens don't need visas or passports, only proof of citizenship. Citizens of the EU, the UK or the Commonwealth, Israel and Japan need passports but not visas. Travelers from elsewhere may need visas as well as passports.
Health risks: Sunburn, poisonous plants
Time: EST (GMT minus five hours)
Electricity: 110V, 60Hz
Weights & measures: Imperial (see the conversion table).
Telephone: Country code 345
 Money & Costs
Currency: Cayman Islands dollar (CI$)
Relative costs:
Budget meal: US$10-20
Moderate restaurant meal: US$20-30
Top-end restaurant meal: US$30 and upwards
Budget room: US$70-120
Moderate hotel: US$120-200
Top-end hotel: US$200 and upwards
The Caymans offer many options for comfortable travel, including full-service resorts and five-star dining. Those on a top-end budget will be shelling out US$300 or more a day, depending on their proclivity for duty-free perfume or chartered boats. Moderate costs can run to US$200 a day or more. Budget travelers will be able to keep costs under US$100 a day by sharing self-catering accommodations and doing more lounging on the beach than diving. Note that accommodation is much cheaper in the quieter summer months and that organizing your own diving excursions is more expensive than taking the dive packages offered by many hotels and resorts.
US dollars and travelers' checks are widely accepted, as are credit and debit cards. Banks offer the best exchange rates. There are ATMs in George Town from which you can withdraw cash, either in US dollars or Cayman dollars. It's not a bad idea to take the cash you will need to the sister islands as banking facilities are few and far between.
Many hotels add a service charge of 5% to 10% to your bill; restaurants usually add 15%. If no service charge is added, a tip of 15% is expected. Most businesses will happily calculate a straight conversion from CI$ to US$ at a 1:1.25 ratio - you'll need the colorful Cayman dollars for market stalls and kiosks but not much else. Bargaining is not a common practice.
 When to Go
Given that mid-December to mid-April (winter) is the peak tourist season, when rates are substantially higher and beaches and lodgings more crowded, it's best to go in the summer. There is more rain in summer, but it tends to come in downpours that clear as quickly as they arrive. Nervous Nellies will tell you that this is hurricane season, but the chances that you'll get swept up in the big one are slim. Even so, it's best to keep an eye on the weather reports in the days before your arrival.
 Attractions
George Town
Bursting with condos and bristling with satellite dishes, the capital would resemble a generic North American urban area were it not for its undeniably Caribbean seaside setting. George Town's attractions include a modest historical walking tour that takes in the remains of the late 18th century Fort George and the Cayman Islands National Museum, situated in the town's oldest building. The museum, one of the Caribbean's best, features changing exhibits on the islands' human and natural history. The Cayman Maritime Treasure Museum has dioramas on the islands' seafaring days and a robotic Blackbeard that spins yarns about the Caymans' swashbuckling past.
Otherwise, George Town functions mostly as a supply center and shopping mall. Stretching north along West Bay is Seven Mile Beach, which, if you don't mind the daisy chain of hotels, offers pristine white sand and good diving.
Hell
The jagged black rock formations in Grand Cayman's northwest once inspired a local official to exclaim, 'This is what Hell must look like.' The result has been a bonanza for the local post office, now painted fire-engine red and containing a resident 'devil.' This rather benevolent Satan (actually a devout Christian) asks 'How the hell are you?' and 'Where the hell are you from?' as he dispenses souvenirs.
Nearby is the Cayman Turtle Farm, the only one of its kind in the world. This government-run operation raises green turtles for purposes benign - increasing their population in the wild - and slightly more base - selling their meat and shells. As a tourist attraction, the much-promoted turtle farm is a bit lame. If you do want to look at a bunch of turtles hanging out in concrete tanks, keep in mind that you're probably not allowed to take turtle souvenirs home. Under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species, the green sea turtle is an endangered species, and the importation of products made from it is illegal in countries that have signed the convention.
Pedro Castle
History buffs that promise not to be disappointed by a castle without ramparts, moat or drawbridge might consider dragging their carcass from the beach lounge to Pedro Castle. This imposing Caribbean great house dates from 1780, making it the oldest building in the Caymans, and it's been everything from jail to court house to parliament before recent refurbishments turned it into a museum. The Castle is touted as the islands' 'birthplace of democracy': it was here in 1831 that the decision was made to vote for elected representatives. Just as momentously, this is the place that the Slavery Abolition Act was read in 1835. The spic and span grounds showcase native flora, and there's a traditional wattle and daub house to look at and wonder where they fitted the pool table.
Pedro Castle is east of George Town; from the road towards Bodden Town, take a right at the
Savannah turnoff.
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
If you need any proof that above-ground life is as diverse as the underwater themepark, Grand Cayman's botanic park is hard to beat. A well-marked mile-long trail winds through lush, easy terrain, featuring about 300 native species. The park is home to orchids (in bloom late May through June), iguanas (elusive) as well as parrots and other birds. The nearby Mastic Trail meanders through the old-growth forest that once supplied early settlers with timber. The park is halfway between the eastern edge of North Sound and the eastern coast, about 20 minutes' drive from George Town.
 Off the Beaten Track
Cayman Brac
Taking its name from the Gaelic word for 'bluff,' Cayman Brac rises to 140ft (45m) at its eastern end. The island is mostly wilderness, home to a nearly equal number of settlements and resorts. It's covered in fruit trees, orchids and cacti, and surrounded by good beaches. Spelunkers can go caving along the northern shore and under the bluff, where legend has it pirates used to stow away their loot. The road to the top of the bluff passes through the National Trust Parrot Reserve, nesting ground for the islands' emerald green native species. Unfortunately, it's not exactly a parrot-spotting bonanza - most of the parrots seem to hang around in town where the pickings are richer. The reserve also features guided hikes along a two mile (3km) nature trail. You can browse shipbuilding tools and kitchen utensils at the wee Cayman Brac Museum in Stake Bay on the northern shore.
The Brac's most famous dive site is a Russian destroyer, purpose-sunk in 1996 to give divers the opportunity to do their own post-Cold War reccy mission. The ship is also turning into a dandy artificial reef.
Little Cayman
Although it's only a tad smaller than Cayman Brac, Little Cayman is far more of a backwater. Estimates of the island's permanent population range from 40 to just over 100, though there are probably more divers about on any given day than residents. Aside from such famous dive spots as the Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Point on the northwestern coast, Little Cayman has great birding. The Booby Pond Nature Reserve is home to one of the hemisphere's largest breeding populations of red-footed boobies and a large colony of swooping frigatebirds. You can visit the lighthouse at the western tip of the island and gaze out northward at Cayman Brac, 7 miles (10km) across the channel.
There's a National Trust information center overlooking Booby Pond, with information on the feathered frolickers and a viewing platform with binoculars. Opposite the pond is a one room museum containing local artifacts and beach treasures.
Bodden Town Pirates' Caves
The fact that you have to walk through a giftshop to get to these caves should prepare the visitor for the kitsch to come. Rumor has it that pirates used to stash their booty in the dank inner passages and that treasure still lies hidden underground. These days it's all fluoro skulls and crossbones, lame scarecrows in pirate hats, and parrots squawking out 'aarrgh me hearty' as though it was an announcement of cardiac arrest. It's dumb but fun. There are pirate graves just over the road from the caves, and like most of the graveyards in the Caymans, the dead'uns have the best views going. Bodden Town is east of George Town on the main road towards East End.
 Activities
The Caymans have some excellent beaches, the best-known of which is Seven Mile Beach (actually a little over 5 miles [8km]), a long stretch of powdery white sand along West Bay. The main drawbacks are that it's also the most popular and most developed beach in the islands, so you'll be towel-to-towel with fellow sunbathers during the peak winter season. There are other, less crowded strands along the northern coast of Grand Cayman, west of North Sound; at the southwestern end of Cayman Brac; and at Point of Sand at the eastern tip of Little Cayman.
Coral-encrusted trench walls, year-round warm, clear water, and little or no current make the Caymans one of the best places to dive in the Caribbean. On the main island, West Bay and the reefs along the mouth of North Sound offer the most sites. West Bay's Victoria House Reef, just off Seven Mile Beach, features sea fans, parrotfish and brilliant orange tube sponges. The North Wall off Jackson Point on Little Cayman hosts sting and eagle rays, turtles and masses of coral. Cayman Brac has shallow elkhorn gardens off its southwestern coast and a steep virgin wall where the bluff continues below the eastern shore.
If you really want to get down, consider taking a trip on the Atlantis Deep Explorer. This research submarine takes two passengers at a time down to a depth of 1000ft (330m) - it's ghostly, dreamy, freaky, oh, and expensive. For a more interactive diving ding-dong, you can go for a hickey from a ray at Stingray City. Stingrays gather at this North Sound sandbar, where they know they'll get fed (fish food, not snorkelers), and there are lots of operators who will take you out for the half day trip.
Those same private operators will happily take you fishing. Though no license is required for deep-sea fishing, regulations require the angler to keep only that which can be consumed (some restaurants will cook your catch for you). Tarpon and bonefish are for sport only - all must be released.
With nearly 200 native winged species, the islands have outstanding birding. Cayman Brac has a Parrot Preserve and colonies of boobies and yellow-bellied sapsuckers. Little Cayman is home to the Booby Pond Nature Reserve, where red-footed boobies, herons and egrets are common sights. Meagre Bay Pond, on the southern coast of Grand Cayman, features grebes, plovers, shovelers and snowy egrets.
The National Trust has produced self-guided walking tour booklets for George Town and Central West Bay, easing your passage to the past with explanation and anecdote. Most of the islands' hiking trails are flat, but you could try speed-walking the 140ft (45m) bluff at the eastern end of Cayman Brac if you're desperate for a workout. The Botanic Gardens on Grand Cayman have a carefully laid-out educational trail through acres of orchids and flowering fruit trees. Cayman Brac also has great caving, especially in the recesses of the bluff, where (as local legend has it) you might find pirate treasure - or a rusty bottle cap or two.
If those romantic sunsets are really doing it for you and your special someone, why don't you all get hitched? Increasing numbers of visitors come to the Caymans to get married - waiting time and fuss is minimal, you're sure to have a gorgeous background for the photos and it's not far to the honeymoon suite.
 Getting There & Away
The best access to the islands is from the US, and numerous carriers fly between Grand Cayman and Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and other US cities. Cayman Airways has a few flights between US cities and Cayman Brac. There are also flights between George Town and Jamaica on Air Jamaica. Travelers from Europe have to connect in the US. There's a departure tax of US$13. Cruise ships regularly dock at George Town on Grand Cayman and at Creek on Cayman Brac.
 Getting Around
Grand Cayman has a public minibus service, but it's elusive; renting a car is the best way to explore the island. On the sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, it's virtually the only form of transport. You can rent from agencies at the airport or have a car delivered to your hotel. The required driving permit is available from your rental agency for US$7.50; you must be at least 21 and carry a valid driver's license from home. Motorcycles and scooters are also available on all three islands. Traffic moves slowly, with refreshing courtesy and on the left.
You can take a taxi anywhere on Grand Cayman, though availability drops off the farther you get from George Town. Taxis are not available on Little Cayman or Cayman Brac. You can take a ferry between North Sound and Rum Point on Grand Cayman, which takes about 40 minutes each way. The Caymans are flat and small enough that getting about by bicycle is feasible, so long as you're not ferrying scuba gear. Bicycles are available for hire.
Short of chartering a private boat, the only way to get from Grand Cayman to the sister islands is by air. Island Air flies small prop planes to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in about half an hour. Cayman Airways flies 737s to Cayman Brac but doesn't offer a service to Little Cayman. Island Air's puddle jump between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman takes about seven minutes - you can see the runway you're approaching as soon as you take off!
Grand Cayman's Owen Roberts Airport is less than 2 miles (3km) south of George Town, and taxis are plentiful for the trip into town. Gerrard-Smith Airport is located at the western end of Cayman Brac. On Little Cayman, Edward Bodden Airfield is located just west of South Town, on the southwestern coast. Neither of the smaller islands have an airport taxi service, but hotels will pick travelers up. There's no ferry service from Grand Cayman to either of the sister islands, but private boat operators will shuttle you between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for about US$20 and 20 minutes.
 Recommended Reading
- The Cayman Islands: The Beach and Beyond by Martha K Smith is excellent for those who think beach bunny is boring.
- The Adventure Guide to the Cayman Islands by Paris Permenter and John Bigley focuses on activities in and out of the water.
- Patricia Bradley's Birds of the Cayman Islands is about as easy to find as a yellow-bellied sapsucker, but it's not a bad reference.
- The '32 Storm is a moving collection of recollections of the hurricane that killed 67 people and flattened almost every building on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman in 1932.
- Beyond the Postcards is available in souvenir shops on the islands. It's a funny little book that promises to tell you 'how it go' in the Caymans.
 Lonely Planet Guides
 Travelers' Reports
 On-line Info
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