As you approach the Cayman Islands, the water is crystal clear. The sand is as white as snow and the sun is hot and feels good on your shoulders. The water is so clear that it beckons you and you can't help but feel the desire to jump in. There are several spots in Cayman that are a must see for any vacation. These include snorkeling with the stingrays, the city of Hell, Seven Mile Beach and the Turtle Farm.
The Cayman Islands are located in the Western Caribbean. They are British Overseas Colonies and are located 480 miles away from Miami. The Cayman Islands were discovered by Christopher Columbus during his fourth voyage to the New World on May 10, 1503. The islands that he discovered were Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. They are described as little rocks in a sea of turquoise. The Cayman Islands came under British control when Jamaica was won from the Spanish. The first recorded settlement of the Cayman Islands was in 1666-1667 by the Governor of Jamaica. Today, Cayman prospers off income from tourism and international finance and banking.
Grand Cayman is the best-known Cayman Island. Grand Cayman is also the largest of the islands. Grand Cayman has many tourist spots that you just can't miss. Seven Mile Beach is among the top of the must see list. The beach is seven miles long and filled with white sand. The beach has been called one of the most beautiful beaches in the entire Caribbean. Georgetown is the capitol of Grand Cayman and features great shopping and restaurants. There is not a sales tax in Grand Cayman and that makes Grand Cayman a hot spot for shopping for jewelry and alcohol.
Hell, Grand Cayman is also a must see. Hell is a very small town in Grand Cayman and features interesting rock formations coming out of the ground. Visitors to the site believed that this is what hell must look like and the town was named Hell. There is a small gift shop located at the site of the rock formations and features a variety of souvenirs. You can even write postcards to your family and send them from Hell.
The next stop on your trip should be the Cayman Turtle Farm. The Cayman Turtle Farm is a site where sea turtles are bred and raised. The turtles are later sent out to sea. The Cayman Turtle Farm helps propagate the species and insures their survival. The Cayman Turtle Farm is also the largest land based attraction in Grand Cayman. The farm features exhibits of the turtles from every stage in life. In the early history of the islands, the turtles were used as a source of meat for sailors and as a means of living on the island. By the 1900's the turtle's populations were dwindling and slowing disappearing. The Cayman Turtle Farm was established in 1968 as a means of growing turtles and selling them on the market. Today, the Cayman Turtle Farm is focused on conservation and releasing them into the wild, while maintaining the market demand as well. The breeding herd of the Cayman Turtle Farm consist of 355 green turtles with 147 wild "parental" stock. The parental stock are caught in the wild and used for breeding purposes to keep proper genetics in the community.
The last stop in Grand Cayman involves your swimming suit, some goggles and a snorkel, a water camera and a handful of calamari. These items are an absolute must if you are going to have a successful swim with the stingrays! Swimming with the stingrays is an exciting adventure that you will never forget. You will take a short boat ride to the "Stingray City". The "Stingray City" sand bar is out in the middle of the ocean, but the water is only about four feet deep. The site was originally discovered by divers who found the stingrays and began accustoming them to humans. Today, the stingrays will swim right up to you, brush your legs and eat calamari from your hand. Several boats visit the site and each has a guide for your trip. They will even catch a stingray and take your picture with it. The stingrays are also the most popular of the shore excursions offered on cruise lines. It is also one of the top snorkeling sites in the North Sound and Grand Cayman.
Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are 83 miles from Grand Cayman and are a short flight away. Little Cayman features the Little Cayman Musuem, which lets you learn, and experience life as it was originally on the islands. There is also a Red-Footed Booby Bird Nature Reserve. The reserve is a 206 acre site and has the largest community of Red-Footed Booby birds in the Western Hemisphere. The site also features other birds such as the Frigate bird, Egrets, Herons, West Indian Whistling Duck and Black-Necked Stilts.
Cayman Brac features the Christopher Columbus Botanical Gardens, the Cayman Brac Heritage House, Cayman Brac Museum, Nature Cayman and the Brac Parrot Reserve. The Christopher Columbus Botanical Gardens is located on the Bluff. The gardens feature a wall of five hundred names. These people were considered to be the most influential people in Cayman in the last five hundred years. The Cayman Brac Heritage House is located on an acre that extends to the edge of the Bluff. The Heritage House depicts the modern version of a Caymanian house and is open for functions. The Cayman Brac Museum shows visitors what life was like in the old days on Cayman Brac. Nature Cayman was created to entice visitors to Cayman Brac. The park features Cayman flora and fauna in their natural setting. The Brac Parrot Reserve is home to a variety of different birds indigenous to Cayman Brac and is also a part of the project to entice visitors to explore the Cayman Islands natural setting.
The Cayman Islands are a great place to get away and relax. The weather is beautiful all year and the water is always crystal clear. The islands are great for family vacations and even honeymoons. It is a place full of history and friendly people with all the amenities of home and more.
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