Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
128
Settlers established a for t and an outpost her e sometime in the latter
half of the 1700s—“ancient history” in Caymanian terms. You can see
a little monument mar king the site of P rospect Fort, the oldest for t
on the island. The village, which lies to the immediate east of Red Bay
Road along P rospect Point Road, has been mostly abandoned since
1932. The village's church, opening onto the coast, was left to decay .
Nearby, the Watler F amily Cemeter y dates fr om the 1800s and is
under the protection of the N ational Trust. The cemetery is open to
the public and y ou can still see the grav estones—some curiously
shaped like small homes. Caymanians called these family plots “G ar-
dens of M emories.” O f inter est to most visitors is the good sandy
beach lying just ar ound the point at P rospect. Both divers and snor-
kelers are drawn to the beach and sea her e. Beach shelters and public
toilets are available.
Red Bay Road turns into Jack Road at the Village of Prospect. As you continue east
along Jack Road (A2), you'll pass through the:
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Village of Spotts
Like Prospect, Spotts is a historic village. It is currently a private resi-
dential area, although the government has plans to turn the coast into
a public seaside park and to develop the area as a cruise ship docking
space should the waters at G eorge Town be too r ough for smooth
landings. A sandy public beach is nestled betw een the r ocks and is
good for swimming. You can also visit an old cemeter y, with 18th-
century grave markers painted white.
From Spotts, you can take a short detour to the north along Governor Spotts Newlands
Road to reach the:
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Gov. Michael Gore Bird Sanctuary
This bird sanctuary is open all day and is par ticularly interesting to
visit from April to June, when it is at its most beautiful and shelters
the most birds. At various times of the y ear, more than 60 species—
both land and water bir ds—inhabit the sanctuar y. I t is a bir der's
delight. At least a quar ter of the nativ e birds of the Caymans can be
seen here, and many of them use the fr eshwater pool at the center of
the .8-hectare (2-acre) refuge. Birds can be vie wed from an obser va-
tion platform and from the walkways that lace the sanctuar y. Admis-
sion is free.
Double back to the main road (A2) and continue east t o the:
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Village of Savannah
This village contains a 1940s schoolhouse that was r estored b y the
National Trust. I t's open to the public only b y r eservation, so call
&
345/949-0121
if y ou're inter ested. F rankly, w e don't think it 's
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