t Diver exploring one of the dramatic walls off the Cayman Islands
t Diver exploring one of the dramatic walls off the Cayman Islands
Experience Cayman Islands
This trio of low-lying islands – Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman – are the coral-encrusted summits of the Cayman Ridge submarine mountain range. The surrounding waters have a justified reputation for providing some of the best scuba diving, not only in the Caribbean, but anywhere in the world. Grand Cayman is the largest and most developed island, and includes the capital George Town (where more than half the population lives) and Seven Mile Beach, which is actually 5.5-miles- (8.8-km-) long. A short flight northeast from Grand Cayman takes visitors to Cayman Brac, a rugged natural paradise, and Little Cayman, the smallest and least populated of the islands whose 200 residents are outnumbered by iguanas ten to one.
Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands in 1503 and called them Las Tortugas due to the many sea turtles he spotted. However, they soon became known as the Caimanas due to the crocodile-like caimans found there. In 1670, the islands fell under British control. The earliest settlers are believed to have been deserters from Oliver Cromwell’s army in Jamaica, who survived on farming, and trading turtle meat with passing ships. Nowadays, the Cayman Islands are prosperous: as well as being a popular tourism destination, they are a major offshore financial center, and for that reason have the highest wealth per capita in the Caribbean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory, but in terms of their culture and lifestyle they feel undeniably American.