There are three islands in this British Overseas Territory, which has long been associated with buccaneers and pirates.
Grand CaymanMost of the population lives on this island, surrounded by water rich in colorful marine life and spectacular coral reefs. There is a 6km- (4 mile-) stone wall at Bodden Town, known as Grand Cayman’s ‘Wall of China’, built to protect residents from pirate attacks. Seven Mile Beach is the main tourist center. Although highly developed, it retains its charm and the new developments are not as overwhelming as in some places. The peculiar
rock formation at Hell evolved from skeletons of shells and corals solidified by salt and lime deposits. A close examination reveals petrified forms of sea life supposedly up to 20 million years old. Close by Seven Mile Beach is the unique Cayman Turtle Farm. Owing to conservation pressures, turtle meat is now usually only consumed locally (See the
Shopping section). The capital of Grand Cayman is George Town. Along the harbor front are traditional Caymanian gingerbread-style buildings and, close by, modern banks and finance houses. The Cayman Islands National Museum, based in the center of George Town, offers a complete history of the islands. The Pedro St James historic site on Grand Cayman features an historically accurate restoration of the early 19th-century Pedro St James great house and grounds in Savannah. The site has a visitor center and a multimedia theater, and also organizes historic tours. A 45-minute drive from George Town is the popular Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park with a 2-acre heritage garden, visitor's information center, 2-acre lake, and 2.5-acre floral garden with a vivid array of cacti, shrubs and native flowers. The park has become an important habitat for the endangered Cayman blue iguana. Other wildlife that can be spotted are tri-colored herons, black-necked stilts, cattle egrets and rare West Indian whistling ducks.
Cayman BracThis island, (pronounced ‘brack’, which means ‘bluff’ in Gaelic) is inhabited by fewer than 1500 people. It gets its name from the huge cliff which rises 42m (140ft) from the sea on the eastern side of the island. The Brac, which is 143km (89 miles) northeast of Grand Cayman, is about 19km (12 miles) long, and not much more than a mile wide. The rocky cliffs provide excellent opportunities for exploring an area riddled with caves, some of which have barely been explored. The dozens of wrecks scattered around the Brac attract many divers. The island also has a rare bird sanctuary and provided the basis for Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel
Treasure Island.
Little CaymanHome to approximately 170 people, and many more wild birds and iguanas, Little Cayman is 11km (7 miles) southeast of Cayman Brac. This tiny island is just 16km (10 miles) long, and at no point more than 3km (2 miles) wide. Expert anglers consider it the world’s best place for bone fishing.
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