An amazing group of three islands
The Cayman Islands are a group of three islands, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. If you are unsure of where they are, they are south of Cube and to the north west of Jamaica.
As a group they offer fine dining, snorkelling, and outstanding scuba diving in a Caribbean setting, with sun kissed beaches and calm turquoise seas.
It offers pristine powdery white sand beaches and an untouched wilderness. It is a favourite of divers, photographers and naturalists.
It is a paradise where the time stands still, giving you barefoot luxury. There is very little to do and not enough time to do it in.
For bird watchers there are around 200 different species to see and over 20,000 red-footed boobies call Little Cayman home. Most can be seen at the Bird Outlook on Booby Pond. Booby Pond is a designated wetland of international importance. In the winter it is a haven for large numbers of migrant land birds, herons, waders and terns.
For nature lovers there is the Salt Rock Nature Trail, where you can discover orchids, butterflies and birds. There is also a pirate's well and the remnants of phosphate mines from the 1800s.
The sea is incredible here, where you can dive Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Wall. These reef walls plummet into the depths and are home to over 500 species of fish and over 150 kinds of coral. For the less adventurous you can always just snorkel in the shallow reef protected sounds.
Cayman is also home to around 2000 iguanas. Because of this the speed limit on the island is 25mph, and there are dozens of road signs reminding drivers that iguanas have right of way.
Cayman Islands truly are a hideaway island, a chance to get away from it all. But it isn't always peaceful here. Each year there is Halloween parties and Mardi Gras festivities, which bring out imaginative costumes and floats. It is the idea place to go for privacy. Burgess Meredith used to hideaway here.
When you land at the airport you may be taken aback by the terminal building. It's basically a shed. The runway has only just been upgraded from grass to tarmac and could just as easily be part of the road running up to the airport.
If you find the slow pace of life on Cayman Islands too hectic, then you can escape to Owen Island, which can be reached by small boats, or if you want to show off, a 200 metre swim.
For holiday makers there is really only the choice of staying in one or the four resorts, or at one of the four villa/condo complexes. If you stay in a condo or villa, then the resort restaurants are available subject to guest numbers. There is a bar on the island, the Hungry Iguana next to the airport that also does food.
The four resorts are the Little Cayman Beach Resort, which is the largest, Pirates Point Resort, Southern Cross Club, which is the oldest and Sam McCoy's Diving & Fishing Lodge, which is the most basic on offer.
You may find that your preferred resort is closed during October, so take care when planning your trip,
The condos- Conch Club, Sir Turtle Beach Villas, The Club and Paradise Villas are open year round, but if travelling in October you will find that your dining options are even more limited.
Cayman islands really does give you the chance to send some time in paradise, with the added advantage that you probably won't know anyone who has been there, and very few friends who know where it is, making your trip that little more exclusive.
What is representative for the Cayman Islands?
Like every country throughout the world, the Cayman Islands have national symbols. National symbols are intended to unite people by creating an iconic representation of the nation. They can be physical, visual or verbal.
National symbols are often rallied around as part of celebrations of patriotism or aspiring nationalism and are designed to be inclusive and representative of all the peoples of the national community.
The Cayman Islands have a national song, flower, bird and tree.
The national flower is the Wild Banana Orchid. There are two varieties of this orchid, one which originated on Grand Cayman, Schomburgkia thomsoniana var. thomsoniana, and the other Schomburgkia thomsoniana var. minor, which came from Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Both varieties have scented flowers with purple lips. The petals are predominantly white on the Grand Cayman variety, and the Sister Islands' variety has slightly smaller flowers, with pale yellow petals. The flowers appear at the top of a long curved spike at the bottom of which cluster banana-like pseudo-bulbs that give this orchid its name.
The national bird is the Grand Cayman Parrot. This bird is a subspecies of the Cuban Parrot (Amazona leucocephala). It is endemic to the Cayman Islands - which means they are found nowhere else in the world.
The national tree is the Silver Thatch Palm. This tree has played an important role in the lives of Caymanians since the first settlers arrived on the islands in the early 1700's. Like the national bird the tree is endemic to the Cayman Islands.
Its slender trunk often grows more than 30 feet tall. It leaves were was mainly used for thatching, but they were used to weave hats, baskets and fans.
The National Song was written in 1930 by Mrs. Leila Ross-Shier, who was an organist in the Presbyterian Church. "Beloved Isle Cayman" was composed in 1930.
BELOVED ISLE CAYMAN
O, land of soft, fresh breezes, or verdant trees so fair
With Thy Creator's glory, reflected ev'rywhere.
O sea of palest em'rald, merging to darkest blue,
Whene'er my thoughts fly Godward, I always think of you.
Chorus
Dear verdant island, set in blue Caribbean Sea,
I'm coming, coming very soon, O beauteous isle to thee.
Although I wandered far, my heart enshrines thee yet
Homeland fair Cayman Isle, I cannot thee forget.
Away from noise of cities, their fret and carking care,
With moonbeams' soft caresses, unchecked by garish glare,
Thy fruit with rarest juices, abundant rich and free,
When sweet churchbells are chiming, my fond heart yearns for thee.
When tired of all excitement, and glam'rous worldly care,
How sweet they shores to reach, and find a welcome there.
And when comes on the season, of peace, goodwill to man,
Tis then I love thee best of all, Beloved Isle Cayman.
The official national anthem is still God Save the Queen.
History
Found just to the south of Cuba and to the north west of Jamaica, the Cayman Islands rank as the 5th largest offshore banking centre in the World. Since the 1960s these islands have grown to one of the most popular scuba-diving destinations in the World. They boast spectacular underwater walls, caverns and reefs. Despite being a British Overseas Territory, the majority of the tourists are Americans. It is only around 90 minutes flying time from Florida. With its short flying time and English as the official language, along with a low crime rate, it is no wonder that thousands of Americans have a Cayman Islands holiday each year.
After getting blown off course while sailing between Panama and Hispaniola (the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1503 Christopher Columbus accidentally discovered the smaller two of the three island that now make up the Cayman Islands. As there was a high concentration of turtles on these islands, Columbus called them 'Las Tortugas', which is Spanish for turtle. These two islands are now known as Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
The name didn't last as when Sir Francis Drake sailed through, he renamed them after another animal, the now extinct caimans (related to crocodiles). The Islands became part of the British Empire in 1670 under the Treaty of Madrid. The Cayman Islands where then governed as a Jamaican dependency until 1962 when Jamaica became an independent country. The Cayman Islands chose to remain as a British Colony.
The old sea based industries such as fishing and working about merchant ships have been replaced by finance and tourism as the major providers for the Cayman economy, with most locals and expats working in one or the other.