Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
need to worry about traffic. So little happens here, in fact, that there's only
one policeman (locals warn that he enjoys using his new radar speed gun)
and one taxi (but the driver has another job, so don't expect to be picked up
at a moment's notice).
Past the main road, side streets wind through Blossom Village, curving
past cheery neighborhoods where everyone knows one another and visitors
are greeted with waves and smiles. A small cemetery, many of its graves
marked with conch shells and white crosses bleached even whiter by the
Caribbean sun, marks the final resting place of former Little Cayman
residents.
Just offshore from Blossom Village stretches a protected
marine park
,
with some of the top snorkeling and dive spots on the island. Here, divers
find Grundy Gardens, Windsock, Harlod's Holes, Jay's Reef, Charlie's
Chimney's, Patty's Point, Pirates Reef and Preston Reef, each the location
of myriad varieties of marine life and underwater formations. Several dive
operators offer trips to these popular sites.
Beyond Blossom Village, the main road, known formally as Guy Banks
Road on the southern stretch of the island, winds north past scrubby brush
land. Soon the road passes the
Booby Pond Nature Reserve
, a brackish
mangrove pond. Trees are dotted with white birds, the red-footed boobies,
and overhead the distinct shape of the magnificent frigate bird can been
seen soaring on the trade winds.
Continuing north,
Owen Island
is seen just offshore to the right. This un-
inhabited island spans just 11 acres and is a popular day-trip destination
for picnickers, who can reach the island's sandy beaches by row boat.
Owen Island is in a bay called
South Hole Sound
, and this inlet marks
one of Little Cayman's few intersections. Here, the Crossover Road, more
formally called Spot Bay Road, crosses to the other side of the island.
The main road soon loses its pavement and gives way to packed dirt and
sand, safe for all vehicles. Stay on the road, however, because deep sand is
found at some turnoffs. Along this stretch you'll pass many shallow ponds
on the left side of the road, each lined with low-growing vegetation that
forms a home for the island's bountiful bird population. Birders enjoy a
drive by
Tarpon Lake
, a brackish 15-acre lake that is a favorite spot with
anglers. The tarpon caught here range from three to 15 pounds. Birders
will find plenty to interest them along the lake's shoreline.
