Grand Cayman

The island country consists of Grand Cayman, largest and most populous of the trio; and the Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, which lie approximately 89 miles east- northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each other by a channel about seven miles wide.

The Cayman Islands is a British Crown Colony located in the western Caribbean, 480 miles south of Miami, 150 miles south of Cuba and 180 miles northwest of Jamaica.

The total land mass of the three islands is 100 square miles. Grand Cayman occupies 76 square miles; Cayman Brac, 14 square miles and Little Cayman, 10 square miles. Grand Cayman is approximately 22 miles long and 8 miles at its widest point, reaching a maximum elevation at East End of 60 ft.

Between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica lies the deepest part of the Caribbean, the Cayman Trough, which is over four miles deep. South of Cayman is the Bartlett Deep where depths of over 18,000 ft. have been recorded. All three islands are surrounded by healthy coral reefs which lie at the top of dramatic walls and drop-offs close to shore, creating ideal conditions for diving and sportfishing.

The three islands are limestone outcroppings, the tops of a submarine mountain range called the Cayman Ridge, which extends west southwest for the Sierra Maestra range off the southeast part of Cuba to the Misteriosa Bank near Belize. The islands lack rivers or streams because of the porous nature of the limestone rock. Is it this lack of runoff which gives the surrounding Caribbean Sea exceptional visibility, often well over 120 ft.

Here are several other points of interest thay you may want check out when your not diving, snorkeling or enjoying the beaches.

Cayman Islands Turtle Farm - Visitors may leisurely walk around the tanks observing the green sea turtles from the tiniest hatchlings in shaded tanks, to the massive adults swimming in the breeding pond. A selected group of young turtles are set aside to be held for that unique photo opportunity.

Bodden Town - Caymans First Capital originally called 'South Side', the name Bodden Town appears to have first been used in 1773 when a visiting British navy surveyor, noting the predominance of families with the name 'Bodden' remarked: At this time there are 21(families) at the South Side, which we have called Bodden Town.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park - You see a wide variety of plants, birds and small animals, and you might just see including the agouti (often referred to as the Cayman rabbit) and the indigenous blue iguana.

The Sister Islands

The Sister Islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are cated approximately 89 miles northeast of Grand Cayman, a 45- minute plane trip away. Island Air offers twice daily service between Grand Cayman and the Sister Islands.

Cayman Brac...

Cayman Brac offers world renowned scuba diving on the spectacular walls offshore. They have dive operations providing state of the art equipment and services. Brac has mysterious caves for the adventurous, and a climb to the top of the Bluff is a must.

Cayman Brac (Gaelic for 'Bluff') gets its name from the huge bluff rising from sea level to a height of 140 feet. A gem of an Island, 89 miles east-northeast of Grand Cayman, the 'Brac' is about 12 miles long and little more than a mile wide. Here are beaches lapped by calm waters, ideal for swimming, sunning, snorkeling and diving. Those who may find Grand Cayman a little too 'hectic' will enjoy lingering on Cayman Brac where the population is about 2,000. Closely united, they are a warm and friendly people.

In Cayman Brac, diving is what attracts most people to this small island. The newest attraction for divers is the wreck of the 330 ft. M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts, a Russian destroyer which was sunk off the island's northwest coast in September 1996. It is already the home for a variety of marine life. There are two other small wrecks off the Brac's coast.

Cayman Brac has car and moped rentals and several restaurants and shops. There are miles of uncrowded beach and ironshore for exploration and shelling. On the West End of the Brac you can see Little Cayman only five miles away. But perhaps the best treasure of all is the warmth and hospitality of Cayman Brac people.

Little Cayman...

On Little Cayman, diving is the main attraction. Birding, and light tackle fishing action for bonefish, small tarpon and permit are exciting activities which distinguish this island.

Enjoying Little Cayman's tranquil isolation no longer means adapting to 'island living.' Here five small resorts, cottages, luxury condos, professional dive operations and other services have civilized the Little Cayman experience with many 90's comforts.

What continues to lure most people to Little Cayman is the opportunity to really get away from the world and discover nature. Little Cayman is a ideal paradise, it offers relaxation in hammocks, the chance for uninterrupted vegetation and when ready, gentle adventures above and below the sea's surface. Little Cayman is only ten miles long; less than two miles at its widest point, and flat: 40 feet at its highest point.

For divers, Little Cayman offers one of the world's most invigorating experiences: Bloody Bay wall which begins at only 20 feet, descending in a sheer drop into turquoise infinity. Today, more than 25 years after the late Phillipe Cousteau canonized this area as one of the greatest dives of his life, Little Cayman still enchants divers. Its clam, clear waters offer encounters with rich and unpredictable variety of marine life. From spotted eagle rays and sea turtles to passing pelagics including sharks and rarely, whales.

Little Cayman is unspoiled and remote by most people's definition. You can get away and escape from as much of life as you want on this idyllic island any day. On Island Air, the locally- owned airline provides twice daily service between Little Cayman and both Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.