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Grand Cayman

10 Apr £543

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The Ritz-Carlton
A name synonymous with style, stay at the Ritz Grand Cayman & relax!Packages avail Coconut Car Rentals
See the island in style with family and friends in a smart air-conditioned SUVBook now! Cobalt Coast Resort
For a very special honeymoon, book a luxurious oceanfront suiteBook today! more offers...

Off the beaten track

Brac Reef Beach Resort
Dive tour holidays - do wreck dives, coral gardens & swim-throughsFr £60 a dayCayman Villas
Villas by untouched beaches, Little Cayman is the perfect hideawayBook now!!Island Day Tour
See the highlights of the vibrant, bustling capital of GeorgetownFr £41more offers...

Island by Island

Introduction
The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean, 150 miles south of Cuba, 480 miles south of Miami and 180 miles north west of Jamaica. Comprised of three separate islands, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, the Cayman Islands offer the holidaymaker the pristine white sand beaches of the Caribbean, a plethora of outdoor activities and a fascinating and rich cultural history.

Grand Cayman
The best known, most developed and largest of the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman is home to most of the resorts as well as the capital George Town. Stunning Seven Mile Beach, arguably one of the finest beaches in the Caribbean is the most popular place to stay for most visitors to the Cayman Islands and boasts a wide range of hotels. Other must-see attractions for the visitor to Grand Cayman include the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Garden, the National Museum, Pedro St James, and Boatswains Beach.

Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac, the second largest of the three Cayman Islands is home to the most breathtaking scenery – indeed the origin of the islands name comes from the Gaelic word for “bluff”. It is this limestone ridge that forms the backbone of the island, stretching the 14 miles from west to east. With a population of just 1300, the island is relaxed and peaceful, yet still has plenty to offer the visitor. The flora and fauna of the island are an added attraction, as are the numerous dive sites, caves and of course, unspoilt beaches.

Little Cayman
The smallest of the Cayman Islands, and largely uninhabited, Little Cayman is as close to a desert island as you can get! Unspoilt, pristine beaches juxtaposed with unspoilt tropical wilderness, make this the ideal getaway-from-it-all holiday destination. However, there are plenty of activities: diving on Little Cayman is renowned and the island is home to Bloody Bay Wall, a sheer coral wall that sharply descends 6000ft below sea level. Little Cayman is also home to a number of indigenous species.

Fast Facts
Capital City – George Town, Grand Cayman
Population Size: 52,000
Island Size: 100 square miles in total. Grand Cayman measures 22 miles long by 8 miles wide, Cayman Brac 14 miles long and 2 miles wide, Little Cayman 10 miles long and a mile wide.
Currency/FX rate: Fixed rate of 1US$ = 80 cents/ 1 Cayman $ = US$1.25
Time Zone: -5GMT
Language: English
Weather: Average year round temp of 26 degrees C, rainfall mainly falling between May and October.
Visa: British travellers to the Cayman Islands do not need a visa.

Getting there/getting around
Direct scheduled flights to the Cayman Islands (Grand Cayman) from the UK operate four times a week on British Airways (BA), or alternatively travel to Miami with any transatlantic carrier for example Virgin Atlantic (VS), Continental Airlines (CO), and transfer to Grand Cayman on Cayman Airways.
Find the cheapest flights to Grand Cayman using the fare finder – just enter your destination (Grand Cayman) into the form and the fare finder will find the cheapest fare we have.

Once in the Cayman Islands, getting around is straightforward. Self drive is a great way to get out and explore all the islands have to offer, and car hire in the Cayman Islands with a wide range of car rental operators can be arranged by your travel agent. You must be at least 21, and in some instances 25, to hire a car in the Cayman Islands.

History and Culture
Discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503, the Cayman Islands, originally named Las Tortugas and since renamed, are named after the Cayman crocodile. The original population comprised of British deserters from Oliver Cromwell’s army, refugees fleeing the Spanish Inquisition and sailors and pirates shipwrecked on the Cayman Islands shores. The Cayman Islands’ current population includes around 90 different nationalities, the non-Caymanian residents making up one third of the total. This mix of cultures has generated a fascinating history, and plenty of historical and cultural landmarks can be found around the Cayman Islands, perhaps the most interesting of which is Pedro St James, the Cayman Islands National Historic Site, which has worldwide importance as the venue for the proclamation of independence for all slaves of the British Colonies in 1835.

Things to do

Diving
The Cayman Islands are world-renowned for the wide range and high quality of dive locations. The waters around Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, where underwater visibility is up to 30m, and year-round temperatures are 26 degrees provide ideal conditions for viewing marine life and the surrounding coral. Of particular interest are Stingray City, a shallow sand bar where stingray congregate in open water, and the Bloody Bay Wall, off Little Cayman, with depths of 2000m. The extensive network of coral reef surround the Cayman Islands has proved treacherous to seafarers in the past, and there are numerous wrecks that can be explored. Also of interest, and located off the coast of Cayman Brac is the MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts, a Russian frigate deliberately sunk in 1996, and now the only diveable Russian warship in the Northern Hemisphere.

All the dive sites in the Cayman Islands are located within a short 15 minute boat ride off the coast, enabling divers to enjoy more time in the water. Equally importantly, one dive vessel only is allowed at each dive location at a time, ensuring a more peaceful dive – another reason the Cayman Islands ranks as one of the finest dive centres in the world. Specialist accommodation is available on all three of the Cayman Islands, notably Compass Point, Cobalt Coast and Sunset House on Grand Cayman, Brac Reef Resort on Cayman Brac and Pirates Point on Little Cayman.

Adventure
The Cayman Islands offer more than just a fabulous beach holiday; for thrill seekers there is an extensive list of activities and adventure, including helicopter and submarine trips, kite surfing, paragliding, kayaking, hiking and water sports. One of the main attractions is Boatswain’s Beach and the Cayman Turtle Farm, Grand Cayman, where visitors can swim or snorkel with turtles and reef fish, and for an extra thrill, the predator tank contains sharks! Back on dry land, the Black Pearl Skate and Surf Park is the largest outdoor skate area in the world, and also boasts the world’s largest free standing wave. The Formula One Boat “Thriller” is a must for adrenalin junkies.

Sports
The Ritz Carlton on Grand Cayman boasts a Nick Bollettieri tennis centre and a Greg Norman designed golf course. Water sports including sailing and windsurfing are widely available throughout the Cayman Islands, especially at the resort hotels of Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman.

Wildlife
The Cayman Islands are home to a wide range of indigenous species. Grand Cayman is home to the Blue Iguana, whose existence was once threatened in the wild but is now more assured due to the work of the Captive Breeding Programme. Also to be found are turtles, tree frogs, and more than 180 species of resident and migratory birds, making the Cayman Islands a bird watching paradise.

Shopping
Shopping is a great pastime in the Cayman Islands as products usually subject to duty are duty free! Best buys include jewellery, cosmetics, and alcohol and local arts and crafts and specialities (such as Hell Sauce) are also great value and of a very high standard.

Events
The Cayman Islands boast a varied and extensive programme of events, cultural, sporting, musical and culinary. Check with your tour operator for details during your holiday in the Cayman Islands. Major events include May’s “Cayman Classic”, a culinary festival showcasing the best of the Cayman Islands’ specialities; the Deloitte Rugby Sevens Tournament in June has put the Cayman Islands on the international sporting calendar; the “Pirates’ Week” in November commemorates the Cayman Islands’ fascinating history with parades, street parties, fairs and more. And Decembers Cayman Jazz Fest attracts some of the world’s finest jazz musicians for a fantastic three day extravaganza.

Accommodation and Eating Out
There is a wide range of hotel and self-catering accommodation on Grand Cayman, with most of the hotels concentrated in the beach resorts along Seven Mile Beach. However, both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman offer an array of accommodation options, including condominiums and dive properties.

The options for eating out are equally wide-ranging, with over 150 restaurants throughout the Cayman Islands serving both local specialties and international dishes. Much of the Cayman Islands own cuisine is centred on fresh seafood, including turtle, bred on the islands and served as soup, stew or steaks.

9 things not to miss in the Cayman Islands

1. Dive the Bloody Bay Wall
2. Dive or snorkel with stingrays at Stingray City
3. Visit Pedro St James
4. Shop duty free and enjoy great savings
5. Visit Boatswains Beach and the Cayman Turtle Farm
6. Go bird-watching on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman
7. Take a helicopter ride and admire the Cayman Islands from above
8. Visit the indigenous animals, the blue iguana at the Botanic Park, Grand Cayman, and the red-footed boobies on Little Cayman.
9. Relax and unwind at the first ever La Prairie spa in the Caribbean at the Ritz-Carlton on Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach.

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