Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
123
Overrated
Try to Avoid Going to Hell
This is the most overblown and fundamentally most irritat-
ing attraction on Grand C ayman. Hell is a tin y village in a
desolate ar ea, lying just under a k ilometer (about half a
mile) from the sea. C overing about a quar ter-hectare (half-
acre) of jagged limestone in West Bay, near the island's most
northwesterly point, Grand C ayman's earliest settlers (who
wisely avoided this area) labeled this inhospitable location
as “hellish” . . .
ergo,
Hell.
Don't even think of walk ing upon the t errain: First of all,
it's restricted. If you defy the signs and take a walk, you have
a good chance of spraining your ankles or gashing up your
shins. A jagged lunar landscape of somber-toned gray rock,
it ev okes a tr eacherous c oral f ormation—the k ind that
could easily tear open the hull of the sturdiest watercraft—
that happens t o be abo ve the sur face of the wat er. Except
for birds, most animals tend to avoid the place.
The big “attraction” here is a little post offic e where you
can get your cards and letters postmarked from Hell.
6
Pedro St. James National Historic Site
This is a r estored
great house dating from 1780, when only 400 people lived on Grand
Cayman. It outlasted all the island's major hurricanes, but was destr oyed
by fire in 1970. It has been rebuilt and is now the centerpiece of a heritage
park with a visitor center and an audio visual theater that pr esents laser
light shows. Because of its size, the great house was called “the Castle” by
generations of Caymanians. I ts primary historic impor tance dates fr om
December 5, 1831, when r esidents met her e to elect the Caymans ' first
legislative assembly, making the house the cradle of the island 's democ-
racy. The great house sits atop a limestone bluff with a panoramic view of
the sea. Guests enter via a US$1.5-million visitor center with a multime-
dia theater (shows are presented on the hour 10am to 4pm), a landscaped
courtyard, a gift shop , and a cafe. S elf-guided tours ar e possible. Check
out the house's wide verandas, rough-hewn timber beams, gabled frame-
work, mahogany floors and stair cases, and wide-beam wooden ceilings.
Guides (in 18th-century costumes, no less) ar e on hand to answ er ques-
tions. You can spend 30 minutes or 2 hours at this historic site, depend-
ing on whether you want to see a sho w in the theater.
Savannah.
&
345/947-3329.
www.pedrostjames.ky. Admission CI$10 adults, free
for children 12 and under. Daily 9am-5pm.
