The coral-surrounded Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands that comprises of the three Islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are in the western Caribbean Sea. This 264 square kilometers Island is about 240 kilometers south of Cuba and about 268 kilometers to the northwest of Jamaica.

It is a British Overseas Territory.

When to visit

Mid-December to mid-April, the phase of dry winters, is when tourism peaks here.

How to reach

Cayman is fairly accessible. All the three Islands have an airport. In George Town, Grand Cayman, is the Owen Roberts International Airport.  There is also an international airport at Cayman Brac.

You can reach Cayman Islands in 70 minutes by flight from Miami. The Cayman Airways and Cayman Express also provide inter-Island services within Cayman.

Attractions of Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands, surrounded by coral reefs, make for a good diving and snorkeling destination. There are ample of sites and facilities for the same. You can possibly come across stingrays at the Stingray City on Grand Canyon. Walls of Bloody Bay on Little Canyon and the wreckage of Russian ship that works as an artificial reef off the Cayman Brac are other good diving and snorkeling sites in Cayman.

For those who are inhibited of diving or snorkeling, there is a submarine tour on Grand Cayman to enjoy that takes you down to 100 feet!

The Cayman Islands also have their share of cultural heritage that make for a good exploration. Some of these historic sites are the Pedro Saint James, the National Museum, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, Boatswain Beach or the Cayman Turtle Farm – home to about 16,000 sea turtles, to name a few. The Islands have a number of crafts market such as the Cayman Craft Market in George Town and centre worth hanging around at and shop for souvenirs. There are impressive galleries around reflecting the cultural heritage of the Cayman Islands.

Among the natural sites, there are the Blowholes. A blowhole is a cavity formed in the ground at the inland end of a sea cave. The water moving through natural tunnels cut in the rock by the coast and with tunnels getting closer to the coast, they turn upwards creating a fountain and a spectacular show. Winters are the best time to see these creations. The Frank Sound Road in Grand Cayman and the all across the Cayman Brac are the sites of these Blowholes.  Hell is another scenic site here. The iron shore rock formations, dating back to 1.5 million years, offer a spectacular view.

For a quiet time by the beach, or for snorkeling, picnic, volleyball, windsurfing or parasailing on the waters, the flat sand beach of Rum Point on the north coast of Grand Cayman is perfect. The Seven Mile Beach is another popular attraction of Grand Cayman.

You can enjoy bird-watching here in the bird sanctuaries. Grand Cayman has about seven of them including the Colliers Pond, Salina Reserve and others. In Cayman Brac is the 180-acre parrot reserve while the brown and red-footed boobies live in the Booby Pond Reserve in Little Cayman. The Cayman Islands have about 50 native bird species.

There are quite a number of hiking trails here such as the Grand Cayman’s Mastic Trail and the others, amidst subtropical forests.

Other than the attractions mentioned above, there are fortifications such as the Fort Prospect, old buildings and small villages that are worth exploring.

All in all, The Cayman Islands are most popular among divers. The attractions are diversions that bring all kind of tourists here. Even as diversions, there are plenty on the platter of every visitor and you can certainly be assured of a great vacation here.