Introducing Cayman Islands
Three tiny islands make up the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands, balanced precariously one side of the enormous Cayman Trench, the deepest part of the Caribbean. While synonymous worldwide with banking, tax havens and beach holidays, there’s much more to this tiny, proud nation, even if you do need to look quite hard to find it.
What’s so surprising about the Caymans at first is how un-British they are – it would be hard to design a more Americanized place than Grand Cayman, where the ubiquitous SUVs jostle for space in the parking lots of large malls and US dollars change hands as if they were the national currency. Only the occasional portrait of the Queen or a fluttering Union Jack ever begs to differ. This contradiction is just the first of many you’ll discover while getting to know these islands. The key to understanding what makes the Caymans tick is getting away from the crowded commercialism of Grand Cayman’s long western coastline and exploring the rest of the island. Better still, leave Grand Cayman altogether and visit the charming ‘sister islands’ of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Here life runs at a slower pace and the natural delights that see people coming back again and again – from bird-watching and hiking to diving and snorkeling – are never far away.
The Caymans may lack the dramatic scenery and steamy nightlife of much of the rest of the Caribbean, but in their place you’ll find a charming, independent and deeply warm people spread over three islands boasting many of life’s quieter charms.
Ready to go?
These tours & activities make it easy:
Sights in Cayman Islands
Activities in Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman
To most of the world, Grand Cayman is the Cayman Islands, a glitzy shopping mecca and global financial center where five-star hotels line the fabulous white-sand Seven Mile Beach and the wealthy from around the world spend time sipping cocktails...
West Bay
North of George Town, West Bay is quietly suburban and home to an excellent turtle farm and the remotely alluring Barkers National Park – the first national park in Cayman.
Cayman Islands destination guides
East End
The East End is the place to head if you want a feel for traditional Caymanian life and don’t have the time to visit the sister islands.
Hotels in Cayman Islands
Apartments in Cayman Islands
Bodden Town
Historic Bodden Town (the surname Bodden will soon be a familiar one if you spend much time in Cayman) was the capital of the Cayman Islands until George Town scooped that honor in the mid-19th century.
North Side
North Side is geographically isolated from the rest of the island, and was the last district to be settled.