With more than 200 dive sites, crystal-clear visibility and relatively
calm conditions, the Cayman Islands are one of the best places
in the Caribbean for families to go diving and snorkeling. On
land, families can also enjoy upscale resorts and great hotels.
The Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory, consist of
three islands: the 76-square-mile Grand Cayman, the 10-square-mile
Little Cayman and 14-square-mile Cayman Brac. The tourist hub
and site of famous Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman -- population
about 50,000, or 95 percent of the nation's total residents --
offers dive sites and upscale hotels. Little Cayman, population
150, lures dedicated divers, as does Cayman Brac, which also has
caves carved out of its limestone bluffs.
Because of the Caymans' lack of taxes and favorable financial
rules, Grand Cayman has attracted banks, trusts and hedge funds.
The island has -- or had, until the recent economic downturn --
more than 600 financial institutions, a fact that caused Grand
Cayman to be ranked as the world's sixth-largest financial center.
As a result, Grand Cayman is no sleepy, little Caribbean atoll.
High-rises with corporate logos dominate George Town, the capital
and business district, and traffic snarls are common. Many banks,
however, have closed in the current economic climate. There's
even talk that the Cayman Islands may have to introduce an income
tax, something that visitors find amusing. In the meantime, note
that the Cayman Islands dollar is worth more than the U.S. dollar,
which gets you only 80 cents of local currency.
For rich reefs but relatively few people, go to Little Cayman.
Traffic signs warn "Iguana! Drive Carefully." Since
most resorts package lodging, meals and dives, the island supports
only a few nonhotel restaurants, and nightlife is what you make
it. Experts claim Bloody Bay Wall off Little Cayman's north shore
to be one of the Caribbean's top dives. Some dive resorts do not
welcome children, and others prefer divers in their teens.
An especially festive time to visit Grand Cayman is during the
Annual 10-day Pirates Week Festival, usually held in November.
The theme harkens back to the days when seamen, pirates included,
sailed to the Caymans to replenish supplies, including rope made
from the leaves of the islands' Silver Thatch palms. Blackbeard
and Calico Jack are among the notorious sailors said to have come
ashore. During the festivities, swords-drawn swashbucklers "capture"
the city.
Although Grand Cayman will continue to host a fall festival,
and pirates will be an element, 2009 may be the last of the pirate-themed
parties, as the government plans to revamp the festival to focus
on different aspects of the culture.
Written by Candyce H. Stapen
Overview