Car Hire Grand Cayman - Mini guide to Grand Cayman
Gran Cayman is the largest and most developed of the Cayman Islands. Heavily developed, it has traded-in its Caribbean character for dive resorts, winter condos and offshore banking, but retains its historical value and attracts plenty of tourists to its sunny weather and excellent beaches.
George Town’s historic attractions have almost been swallowed up by rampant development of condos and shops, but the laid back it Caribbean atmosphere can be experienced around the waterfront. A morning’s walk can take in late-18th-century Fort George and sprinkling of historic buildings from the town’s colonial past. The Cayman Islands National Museum and Cayman Maritime Treasure Museum are both excellent insights into the Island’s historic and natural history past, including intriguing piracy tales. Seven Mile Beach, to the north, is lined with hotels, and has a good beach and clear water.
Also nearby is the Island’s oldest remaining structure, Pedro Castle, dating from 1780. Today it is a museum. Although most the Cayman’s attractions are beneath the water, the lush botanical gardens are a pleasant respite from the beach and features more than 300 native species, including orchids.
A coastal road follows the north and south coasts revealing some pretty scenery and secluded resorts. The most unusual part of the coast is found in Hell (literally), a small settlement among the strange jagged black rock formations on the western promonitory. It has a fascinating Turtle farm dedicated to preserving the island’s unique green sea turtle.
Bodden Town Pirates' Caves is a commercial, slightly tacky, family tourist attraction for those bored with snorkeling and diving. Piracy is one of the Caribbean’s fascinating legacies, featuring characters, like Blackbeard, who apparently stashed their booty in these caves.
Many come to the Caymans to dive and although there are many dive operations on Grand Cayman, many invariably take you to the better, quieter reefs of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
Numerous carriers fly between Grand Cayman and Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and other US cities. Connections to selected Caribbean destination, usually via Jamaica are regular, but there are no direct flights from Europe.
