Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
16
after-dark activity. If you're a casino dev otee, know that gambling is
not allowed in the Cayman Islands and hustle yourself off to another
island like Puerto Rico or Aruba.
The islands hav e one of the highest standar ds of living in the
Caribbean. Most of their residents are hospitable and courteous, and
panhandling or aggressive souvenir hawking is rare. If safety is a factor
in your choice of a Caribbean v acation, you can rest assured that the
low crime rate in the Cayman I
slands is the envy of many small
nations in the Caribbean.
The downside? Although the Cayman I slands do have splashes of
floral and faunal color, along with r ows of royal palms and tall pines
swaying in the trade winds, far pr ettier and more geographically dra-
matic islands exist in the Caribbean. You won't see any spectacular
land vistas, although some of G rand Cayman's beaches, found pri-
marily on the w estern and nor thern coasts, rank among the most
beautiful in the region.
Most people come to the Cayman Islands to get away from it all in
a secluded, safe hav en, and many visitors come back after sampling
the Caymans for the first time, including honeymooners who r eturn
to celebrate their anniversaries.
GRAND CAYMAN
The largest of the three islands and a real scuba-
diving mecca, G rand Cayman has become one of the Caribbean 's
hottest tourist destinations in r ecent y ears. With mor e than 500
banks, its capital, George Town, is the offshore banking center of the
Caribbean. ( You won't hav e any pr oblems finding an A TM her e!)
Retirees are drawn to the peace and tranquillity of this B ritish crown
colony, site of a major condominium dev elopment. Almost all of the
Cayman Islands' 38,000-strong population liv es on Grand Cayman.
The civil manners of the locals r eflect their British heritage.
CAYMAN BRAC
Short on sandy beaches and devoid of the clichéd
Caribbean attractions, Cayman Brac may appear to be a poor sibling
of G rand Cayman. H owever, this island has its dev otees, mainly
adventure seekers and scuba div ers who are drawn to its 30 ex cellent
dive sites, snorkeling, bone- and deep-sea fishing, and bird-watching.
The island lies 143km (89 miles) nor theast of G rand Cayman and
7.4km (4
1
/
2
miles) from Little Cayman, and is 19km (12 miles) long,
with an average width of 3.5km (2
1
/
4
miles). In all, its landmass is a
total of only 39 sq. km (15 sq. miles), with its highest point being the
Bluff at 42m (138 ft.) above sea level. The island's population is under
2,000.
LITTLE CAYMAN
The smallest island of the archipelago, the aptly
named Little Cayman, 109km (68 miles) nor theast of G rand Cay-
man, is only 16km (10 miles) long with an av erage width of 1.6km
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