cayman islands

This post is a bit similar to the mazatlan because this is another destination my family owns a timeshare in, therefore I have been there more than a few times. Compared to Mazatlan, I know a bit more about the Cayman Islands mostly because we started going over there when I was a bit older. There is also a lot to do on the island rather than just on the resort itself. I highly suggest checking out these magical little gems of islands (the best time to go is during the Winter). Enjoy!!!

Mini Lesson about the Cayman Islands

• The Cayman Islands, a British oversees territory, is composed of three islands: Grand Cayman (where we stay), Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman
• The total landmass of the three islands is 100 square miles 
• Its nickname is "Las Tortugas" dubbed by Christopher Columbus himself, due to the amount of sea turtles on the island
• Little Cayman has only 100 permanent residents 
• Cayman Islands is a tax-free destination supposedly thanks to the Wreck of Ten Sail and King George III giving them this gift in order to thank them for their generosity when they saved the crew members of the ten ships (which according to legend included Prince William) 
• Although the Island is protected by a reef, it gets hit, or brushed, by hurricanes on average every 2.23 years (I was there before and after Hurricane Ivan in 2004 and it was really scary/interesting to see the damage and how things had changed) 
• There are more registered businesses than people, though most of them are closed on Sundays
• The Islands were a popular pirate hideout and the annual "Pirate's Week Festival" is one of the largest festivals on the Island 
• The Islands have their own currency, Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD), which has a fixed rate of 1 KYD= 1.25 USD (But USD are excepted pretty much everywhere on the Islands) 
• The Islands are the fifth-largest banking center in the world (they have more than 449 banks!) 
• There are 10 mammalian species on the islands, including the Blue Iguana and their own native Cayman Brac Parrot
• The Tortuga island in Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean" is based on the Cayman Islands
• The name 'Cayman' derives from the Carib word "Camanas" meaning crocodile 
• "Haven" the 2006 movie starring Orlando Bloom is about the Cayman Islands (but is pretty inconsistent) 
• It is a popular Cruise Stop Destination (I stopped here with the Disney Caribbean Cruise) 
• Want to go to Cuba? You can take a boat trip to Cuba from the Islands (they don't turn away Americans) 
• It is a very popular scuba diving location with over 159 dive sites 
• The coat of arms is very symbolic: the pineapple representing the tie to Jamaica, the turtle representing the significance of the turtle throughout the Island's history, the rope representing seafaring tradition and the thatch rope industry, the lion acknowledging the Crow Colony, and the white and blue bands represent the sea with three green stars representing the islands 
• I think that the Grand Cayman Island looks like a mermaid, others have said a footprint :P

Favorite Dishes

• Rum cake!
• SEAFOOD
• Rum
• Cayman Beer: Caybrew, Caybrew Light, White Tip and Ironshore Bock
• Conch
• Traditional Caymanian food includes turtle (I've never had it though) 
• Anywhere on Seven Mile Beach 
• I had the best food of my life, New Years Eve dinner, at Rum Point 

Top 7 Recommendations:

• Trip to Stingray City where you feed and swim with stingrays, then go on a snorkeling/scuba trip after
• Relax and walk on the Seven Mile Beach, and stopping at Rum Point for some drinks and rum cake
• Visit the other Islands: Little Cayman and Cayman Brac
• See one of the many shipwrecks near the island
• Visit "Hell"(even though it's a tourist trap) and the nearby Turtle Farm to learn all about turtles (they have 16,000) 
• Visit George Town (the capital) 
• Hike the "Mastic Trail" 

"Cayman Islands: Where the rum is never gone." -Me