Cayman Islands holidays

GMT -5 hours

English

The Cayman Islands dollar. Shops also accept US and Canadian dollars.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Walk a woodland trail, wander through a garden of brightly-coloured flowers and spot wildlife at the lake. There’s also a blue iguana habitat.

Butterfly Farm
Grand Cayman’s Butterfly Farm is home to a tropical garden thriving with these pretty creatures.

Hell
See spectacular jagged limestone formations that are though to be over a million years old.

Turtle Farm
Situated on Botswain’s Beach, here you can touch and hold adorable yearlings.

Seven Mile Beach
Lounge on the coral sand and try thrilling watersports on this lively beach dotted with hotels and restaurants.

Spotts Beach
Unwind in seclusion on white sands lapped by calm waters.

West Bay
Stretch out on powdery sand and doze in the shade of a sea grape tree.

Rum Point
Take the kids paddling in the calm water and try a plethora of watersports.

Botswain’s Beach
Home to over 16,000 sea turtles, this beach is one of a kind and not to be missed.

Stingray City & Sandbar
Touch and feed graceful stingrays at this incredible attraction, where you can also snorkel.

January
Taste of Cayman Food & Wine Festival
Listen to live bands and try delicious Caribbean delicacies and rich wine.

April-May
Batabano Carnival
Dance to calypso rhythms at this annual carnival, with parades showcasing vibrant floats and bright costumes.

June
Flowers Sea Swim
From children to Olympic medallists, swimmers plough through sparkling water off Seven Mile Beach.

November
Pirates Week
Take the kids to this swashbuckling 11-day festival, with street dancing, a parade, local cuisine, music, games, fireworks and even a mock pirate invasion.

December
Cayman Islands Marathon
Watch as runners tackle a scenic route along the coast, spurred on by the beats of steel drums.

Shopping in the Cayman Islands is duty-free. Browse local handicrafts at the Cayman Craft Market; buy fresh local produce at The Farmers’ Market Cooperative; and peruse shops and plazas for clothes, jewellery, perfume and watches.

10 hours

• Book a game of tennis at the nearby Ritz Carlton.
• Go diving in wonderfully clear water – in some areas you can see up to 100ft in front of you.

Food
• The Cayman Islands’ speciality is turtle, eaten in soup and stew or just as steak.
• Fresh fish such as wahoo, conch and tuna is fried in coconut oil and served with fritters. Conch is also served in stew, chowder and salads.
• In recent years Cayman cuisine has been influenced by Jamaican flavours – popular foods include jerk, curry, rice ’n’ peas, plantains, breadfruit and cassava.
• A traditional desert is ‘heavy cake’, made with cassava, coconut milk, brown sugar and spices. The islands’ famous rum cake is also a delicious treat.
• Try local and international cuisine at one of the many restaurants.

Drink
• Stick to bottled water.

Religion
Christianity

Dialling code
+1 345

National Museum
Here you’ll see collections including Caymanian art, fossils and ship-building tools.

Pedro St James
This wonderfully restored 18th-century home is a living heritage museum, and will give you a glimpse of life back then with its period furniture and multi-sensory 3D theatre.

• Tortuga Rum Cake Visitor Centre - see how these famous cakes are made and taste them for yourself.
• Book a helicopter tour and see Grand Cayman from a unique bird’s-eye view.
• Go diving at some of the destination’s top sites – Stingray City, Bloody Bay Wall and Russian Destroyer.

If a service charge isn’t included in the bill, tip 15-20%.