Bitesized guide: Cayman Islands

With three islands in this British Overseas Territory, Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, all offering wide, white sandy beaches and spectacular diving opportunities, you'll be spoilt for choice.

Arrive

The national airline is Cayman Airways, which flies direct from Miami, with connections from London and other European cities. British Airways flies direct from London.

Why now?

The Cayman Islands have idyllic weather throughout the year, but March is the month with the lowest rainfall and a balmy average temperature of 26°C (79°F), plus the greatest number of hours of sunshine, at an almighty 10 per day.

See

Go to Hell and back - literally. This area of Grand Cayman is named because of its peculiar rock formation, evolved from skeletons of shells and corals solidified by salt and lime deposits. A close examination reveals petrified forms of sea life supposedly up to 20 million years old.

Do

Snorkel with stingrays in the clear turquoise waters, and dive near offshore reefs or the celebrated North Wall off Grand Cayman - a sheer drop to the bed of the ocean. Various locations also offer wreck diving, particularly Cayman Brac, where a Russian warship was intentionally sunk.



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Taste

There is a strong Jamaican influence in Caymanian food, and there’s plenty of seafood on offer. Favourite dishes include Jerk curry with rice, peas and plantain, conch chowder, red snapper, sea bass and lobster.

Shop

George Town, with its boutiques and duty-free shops, is one of the leading shopping centres in the Caribbean. Delicious local foods can be bought or sampled at the Farmers Market Cooperative on Thomas Russell way or Frankie's Fresh Fruits and Juices on Red Bay Road. Good souvenirs include Caymanian-style birdhouses, Tortuga Rum, Caribbean speciality foods, coffees, spices and sauces, jewellery, Caymanite (the island's semi-precious stone), and woodcarvings. Underwater photography makes another excellent memento. Many luxury goods and essential food products have the added bonus of being duty-free.

Sleep

The leading hotels are located on the coast. Some of the best-known overlook Grand Cayman's Seven Mile Beach, a dazzling stretch of fine powdery sand said to be one of the world's most beautiful beaches. Hotels providing accommodation with 100 rooms are considered large in the Cayman Islands, and are generally only found on Grand Cayman.

Did you know?

Upon discovery of these islands, Christopher Columbus named them Las Tortugas (The Turtles) because they were utterly covered in them. More worryingly, the word 'Cayman' probably derives from the Carib word Caymanas (marine crocodile), suggesting that the islands were also the favoured home of scores of reptiles. In addition to this, the islands have long been associated with pirates, who once established hideouts here.

Photo credit: All © Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

01 March 2007

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