Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Cayman Brac
A 17th-century Scottish fisherman named this “middle”
19km-long (12-mile) island of the Caymans
Brac
(Gaelic for “bluff”).
The Bluff is a towering limestone plateau rising 42m (138 ft.) abo ve
the sea, covering the eastern half of Cayman B rac. Caymanians refer
to the island simply as B rac, and its 1,400 inhabitants, a hospitable
bunch of people, ar e called B rackers. Pirates occupied the Caymans
in the early-18th centur y, and E dward Teach, the infamous B lack-
beard, supposedly spent quite a bit of time around Cayman Brac. The
island is about 143km (89 miles) east of G rand Cayman.
More than 170 cav es honey comb the limestone heights of the
island. Some of the caves are at the Bluff's foot; others can be reached
only by climbing o ver jagged limestone r ock. One of the biggest is
Great Cav e, which has a number of chambers. H
armless fr uit bats
cling to the roofs of the caverns.
You won't see many people on the south side of the B luff, and the
only sound is the sea crashing against the lav a-like shore. You'll find
the island's herons and wild green parrots here. Most Brackers live on
the north side, in traditional wooden seaside cottages, some of which
were built by the island's pioneers. Looking at the v ariety of flowers,
shrubs, and fr uit trees in many of the B rackers' yards, it's clear that
many islanders hav e gr een thumbs. You'll see poinciana tr ees, bou-
gainvillea, Cayman or chids, cr oton, hibiscus, aloe, sea grapes, cac-
tuses, and coconut and cabbage palms. G ardeners gr ow cassav a,
pumpkins, breadfruit, yams, and sweet potatoes.
No actual towns are on the island, only settlements—such as Stake
Bay (the “capital”), Spot Bay, the Creek, Tibbetts Turn, the Bight, and
West End—which are clustered by the airport.
Warning:
Cayman Brac was severely damaged by hurricane winds
in late 2008. S ome of the smaller businesses w ere wiped out, and
many may not reopen as the same establishments.
Other more established properties should have restored their struc-
tures by the time of y our arrival. Look for lots of changes going on
here in the lifetime of this edition.
Hotels quote their rates in U.S. dollars, wher eas most r estaurants
give you a choice of paying in the Yankee dollar or else in the local
Caymanian currency.
