Just south of Jamaica, the
Cayman
Islands have truly grown up the
past thirty years, driven by tourism
and banking. The Cayman Islands rank
as the world's fifth largest
offshore financial centre. Bank
secrecy laws make it illegal to
reveal the identities of accounts
owners - unless of course, shady
dealings are suspected. Through the
years, regulations have been
severely tightened making it nearly
impossible to launder cash here.
On the tourism side of
development, the islands have been a
scuba-diving paradise since
the 1960s. The Cayman Islands, like
all islands, are essentially the
tips of underwater mountains, and
the submerged terrain around these
islands is especially dramatic. The
spectacular underwater walls,
caverns and healthy coral reefs have
made these islands one of the
world's best spots for diving and
snorkelling. Add to that their
virtually crime-free ambience
(thanks to tight government controls
and the high per-capita income
enjoyed by most Caymanians) and it's
easy to see why so many people
choose the Cayman Islands for a
Caribbean holiday.
Though people from around the
world visit to scuba dive and enjoy
the tropical climate, US
travellers predominate. The
islands are just a 90-minute flight
from Miami, Florida, and being a
British territory, English is the
official language - making these
islands a quick, convenient and easy
getaway for Americans. In fact, the
hotels, fast-food chains, products
and many of the service industry
workers hail from the US (many
Canadians also work here).
An abundance of natural
attractions make the islands an
ideal destination for those who
enjoy watersports, birdwatching,
laid-back day hikes, clear water and
sandy beaches (Grand Cayman's Seven
Mile Beach is among the finest
in the Caribbean). If rousing
casinos and wild nightlife are what
you seek, these are not the islands
to visit. There's no gambling of any
kind here, and beach nudity is
forbidden.
Grand Cayman is the most
developed of the three islands
and where you will find the largest
choice of accommodation, restaurants
and attractions. The sister islands
Cayman Brac (pronounced "brack")
and Little Cayman have far fewer
choices in lodging and dining and
most travellers to these islands
choose all-inclusive meal packages.
Compared to Grand Cayman, the pace
is far mellower here. They've yet to
put up stop lights on either island,
and Little Cayman only recently got
its first full-time police officer.
All three of the islands are low-lying
and arid , though Cayman Brac
does have a ridge that rises to 140
feet above sea level, the highest
point of the three islands. The
vegetation throughout is
predominately scrub brush and
mangrove. There are also colourful
flowering plants and trees such as
the brilliant flamboyant tree
that grows as high as 50 feet and
develops a blossoming orange canopy
that spreads across the roadways. Bougainvillea
flowers almost year-round, dotting
island homes in vibrant swatches of
fuchsia, white and lemon-yellow. A
variety of tropical birds also flock
to these islands, especially to
Little Cayman.
