Cayman Islands: A Splice of Paradise for Every Taste

By Roberta Sotonoff

Alongside the airport/post office/fire station is a sign proclaiming, “Iguanas have the right-of-way.” Little Cayman is wilderness and beaches, a place where the bank is open only two days a week and the two-celled jail was used only once – a lady stabbed her husband with a fork after she found him with another woman. And warning sirens? They are for Mardi Gras and Pirates Week celebrations. Probably the most swinging place on the island is a hammock.

Pristine Little Cayman, along with her sister islands, urbanized Grand Cayman, and small townish Cayman Brac, are located south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. All are premier diving destinations. Each has its own style.

GRAND CAYMAN

Grand Cayman, a collage of vivid rainbow colors — azure blue skies, deep green palms and the vivid reds, yellows and oranges of blooming buds–is pretty grand. Great food, great scenery and lots of activity or, if you prefer, do nothing at all. Some say Seven Mile Beach (really 5 ½ miles long) is the loveliest beach in the Caribbean. Its calm, crystal waters are mesmerizing. Summoning the desire to do anything but feel the silky, white sand run through your fingers and soft sea breezes brush your skin is difficult.

The beach faces west, so it is the place to be at sunset. After dark, the bordering West Bay Road’s bistros and bars swing. No need to dress up, but beachwear and tank tops are taboo at better restaurants. There are a variety of cuisines. Sample the seafood and don’t hesitate to try the tasty, local fare. Turtle soup and stew are an island specialty. Feel like dancing on the beach? You can groove to the tunes of local bands at the Royal Palms.

Five days a week, Georgetown, the capital, overflows with cruise ship escapees. They scour the usual souvenir, jewelry and tourists shops that you’d expect to find in a premier port stop. Tucked between the shops is Cayman Islands National Museum. The former courthouse/jail/dance hall/ post office brims with Caymans’ history, flora, fauna and geology. Its relief of the Caribbean floor shows the walls on which the Caymans sit. They are awash with undersea creatures and stunning coral formations.

Walls and water lure divers from all over the world. Visibility often exceeds 100 feet. At Stingray City, snorkelers can hug a shark or feed a stingray.

Terra firma also offers attractions. The West End has Hell, a touristy patch of fenced off craggy rocks and a gift shop where you can get cards postmarked from Hell. Nearby, the Cayman Island Turtle Farm’s tubs and “touch tanks” are crowded with the brethren of the island’s national symbol, Sir Turtle. Hopefully, this upright, peg-legged reptile pirate with the sword and red hat doesn’t realize that some of his brethren are destined to become soup, jewelry or cosmetics.

At the East End, catch a glimpse of the island before bikini babes and cruise ships invaded the island. Originally built in 1780, Pedro St. James Castle sits on a bluff and sports a spectacular sea vista. Before exploring its grounds, check out the hourly multi-media, historic presentation complete with rain, mist and smoking pots.

Old fort ruins and a 19th century wall built by slaves still stands in the isle’s first capital, Bodden Town. Legend has it that some of Bodden Town’s cemetery residents were pirates.

Continue to the Mastic Trail, home to several island birds. It once served as a shortcut to the island’s north side. Figure about two hours for the round-trip, forested trek. Farther east are the Blow Holes. Their crashing waves against the rocks are hypnotic.

CAYMAN BRAC

Unlike Grand Cayman, the 14-square-mile Cayman Brac is more like a small, friendly town. Visit one of its white, sandy beaches on Sunday and come away knowing almost everyone on the island. The Brac is so low-key, that the waiter/chef at La Esperanza Restaurant usually has to be lured off the beach to take an order. He then goes shopping for provisions at the grocery store next door.

Awesome scenery complements this affable atmosphere. A limestone ridge, the brac, runs down the spine of the island. It gradually ascends to 140 feet at the eastern tip and then plummets into the cobalt Caribbean. Stunning vistas appear out of nowhere on a Lighthouse Path hike. Caves are sculpted out of the limestone. Tree roots burrow through ceiling holes at Bat Cave. Exotic plants, flowers and colorful birds blanket the woodlands. If you have a good eye, you just might spot an illusive Cayman Brac parrot at the parrot reserve.

An abundance of sea life surrounds the island. The water is clear and you can snorkel from shore. Three wrecks, which lie off the island’s coast and the 1,000-foot Bloody Bay Wall, please divers. So does Atlantis. A sculptor, known as “Foots,” built an underwater city. He molded more than 100 concrete creations and sunk them 45 feet off the north shore. Divers can follow the undersea life and the Elders Way, a path lined with temple columns and “elders” — each modeled after a different person – to the Inner Circle of Light and a huge sundial.

Not a diver? Well then, laze on the beach. Rent a bike and explore the island. It’s difficult to get lost. If you do, there is always someone to help. Try and make it to the west end to see a drop dead sunset.

LITTLE CAYMAN

Believe it or not, Little Cayman is even more laid back then the Brac. So what is there about this 12-square-mile island that makes people want to visit? Well, if you want to leave the rest of the world behind, this is your spot. For honeymooners or families who find pleasure in hanging out together, it’s is a primo destination. Every now and then, you will see a human or two meandering along the 22 miles of coastline in search of magnificent frigate birds and red-footed boobies. Most come to dive. National Geographic’s David Doubilet rates Little Cayman the Caribbean’s best dive destination. Snorkelers can wade offshore and float over coral reefs that teem with life –over 150 kinds of coral and more than 500 species of fish.

The island has three all-inclusive resorts plus some villas and condos. Each resort has its own personality. Little Cayman Beach Resort is the biggest and most happening place. The resort’s spa gives massages on the pier where the only sound is water lapping the pylons.

Southern Cross Club has smashing views of the uninhabited Owen Island. Its duplex cottages have outdoor showers and a laid-back ambience that caters to divers and fisherman who relish catching bonefish and tarpon.

Pirates Point Resort’s owner Gladys Howard was trained by Julia Child so expect the best chow on the island. Since iguanas have a penchant for grapes, Gladys keeps an extra supply so that her guests can feed the four-legged creatures.

Little Cayman offers a few attractions like a small history museum and Tarpon Lake Walk. The path meanders into the wetlands, a hangout for tarpon. Palm trees and wilderness border Point o’ Sand. Shell, wade, snorkel or, on a clear day, see Cayman Brac on this desolate splash of white sand.

Visit any or all of the three islands. You won’t be disappointed.