caymanluxury.com
Cayman Islands,Cayman Properties,Cayman Beaches,Cayman Hotels,Cayman Golf,Cayman Luxury,Cayman Villas,Cayman Restaurants,Cayman Diving
An Introduction to the Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands are a group of just three islands in the warm, turquoise waters of the Caribbean. They are known as Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
History
The Cayman islands were first discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1503 on his fourth and final voyage to the new World. He actually came across them by accident when strong winds blew his ship off course.
From the 16th to the 18th centuries the only visitors to the islands were explorers and buccaneers who needed to replenish their boats with supplies of fresh water and food which included sea turtle meat and wild fowl.
The Three Islands
The colorful capital city, George Town, is on the most developed of the islands, Grand Cayman, which has great restaurants and shopping. The lesser populated islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman are 89 miles east-northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each other by a 7-mile channel.
These idyllic islands are part of the British Overseas Territories and are particularly known for their sun-kissed beaches, superb snorkeling and diving and their banking and financial services.
The islands are actually the tops of a deep limestone mountain range known as the Cayman Ridge which extends from the southeast of Cuba to the Central American country of Belize.
None of the three islands can be considered large as Grand Cayman is 22 miles long and 8 miles at its widest point, covering 76 square miles. Cayman Brac covers 14 square miles and Little Cayman covers even less at 10 square miles. The high point of the islands is on the bluffs of Cayman Brac and reaching less than 152 feet above sea level.
Little Cayman makes up for its size with some of the best diving in the world at the famous Bloody Wall Marine Park. It is also a nesting ground for the clumsy but cute red-footed boobies.
Flights to the Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands are very easy to reach being just 480 miles south of Miami, Florida. The flight takes just 70 minutes to reach the Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman. Cayman Airways and American Airlines provide 28 direct flights each week. There is the smaller Gerrard Smith Airport on Cayman Brac and frequent flights between the two.
Image: Georgetown
