The Cayman Islands are comprised of the 3 Islands of Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. They are situated in the Western Caribbean Sea about 150 miles south of Cuba, 480 miles southwest of Miami and 180 miles northwest of Jamaica. They are considered to be part of the Greater Antilles, within the Western Caribbean Zone.
The Islands are actually the peaks of a huge underwater ridge known as the Cayman Ridge which runs alongside the Cayman Trench, some 20,000 ft below the ocean to the south of the Islands.
No. They are a British dependency with a British Governor appointed by the ruling monarch of the UK on advice from the British government. They are most properly referred to as a British Overseas Territory.
The Governor can exercise complete legislative and executive authority if they wish through the use of a blanket power reserved to him/her under the constitution of the Cayman Islands but in reality this provision will never be used and is merely a symbolic gesture back to the motherland.
It is this close tie (offering a sense of security) with the UK that has enabled the Cayman Islands to grow and become one of the leading financial centres in the entire world.
Yes, the Cayman Islands have their own currency known as the Cayman Islands dollar (CI$).
This is tied to the US$ and does not fluctuate.
The cash exchange rate is typically CI$1.00=US$1.25. (although you will find bank rates buying at .80 and selling it to you at .84, and maybe some grey-market vendors offering 'street' rates!
You will find that both the US$ and the CI$ are freely accepted across the 3 Islands, although you will invariably receive your change in CI$ unless you ask for it in US!
The leading retail banks are usually open from 9am – 4pm Monday –Thursday and to 4.30pm on Fridays.
In recent years some banks have taken to opening on Saturday mornings.
There are many branches of the main retail banks, you can find them within the Ecay Online business directory (just search for Butterfield Bank, ScotiaBank, Cayman National Bank, Royal Bank Canada (RBC) amongst others).
ATM machines are Island wide and all Credit Cards and Travelers checks are welcome.
The hurricane season is from June – November. All major storms and hurricanes are closely monitored by the Government and ample warning will be given if and when necessary. All suggested procedures should be strictly followed.
We urge all visitors to the website to check the weather links thru the website regularly during the typical storm months.
110 volts. The same as the US and Canada.
Yes. There is city water thanks to the 2 main suppliers, including the Water Authority of the Cayman Islands which comes from our desalination plants, and is very safe to drink.
There are numerous bottled water suppliers and distributors on Island, and it can be purchased island wide if required.
The Cayman Islands geographical location being near to the equator has influenced the decision to maintain an all-year-round time zone of -5 hours Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
There tends to be not much more than 1 hr total daylight time whether its June 20th, or December 20th....thus, for half the year the Cayman Islands is on Eastern Standard Time with the US eastern seaboard.....until the USA switches to Daylight Savings Time, from when Cayman shares Central Daylight Time with cities such as Chicago and Houston.
The 3 Islands each have their own airports and boat docks! Of course, the larger Island of Grand Cayman has the major international access ports.
There are numerous airlines that fly into Cayman on daily schedules, and even more on seasonal. Please do check the directory for full details, and also see our links to live flight information on the homepage of this website. However, just as brief guide:
The National airline is Cayman Airways, which fly daily to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. They also offer daily scheduled services to Jamaica and Miami, and frequent scheduled services to Tampa, New York, Chicago, Havana, Honduras, Dallas and more!
We are also lucky to be served daily by American Airlines, Delta and United...and other major airlines with regular scheduled services include British Airways (to London, UK), Air Canada, JetBlue, WestJet and more! The locations that these airlines offer direct flights from include: New York, Washington, Houston, Dallas, Toronto, Nassau (Bahamas), Charlotte and others on a seasonal basis.
OMG!! What a question.....nearly EVERYTHING!!! as long as it's legal....;-)
The beach on Seven Mile is world renowned, you will not believe how clear the waters are.
The diving in Cayman is the best in the world. There are many different trips you can book through a variety of extremely popular and competitive dive operators. Snorkeling is a great way to pass the time with frequent boat trips out to Stingray City, taking in Coral Garden and the Reef as part of the trip. You can also enjoy para-sailing, banana boat rides, jet skis, sailing, kayaks, horse-riding and many interesting nature trails.
There is culture through the National History Museum, Archives, Gallery.
You can visit the local brewers and distillers.
You can eat in some of the finest restaurants in the world.
You can do absolutely nothing and have the time of your life.....you should come here, you'll never want to leave!
The Cayman Islands Museum is situated on the harbor front in Georgetown which provides a fascinating insight into the history of the Islands.
Pedro St. James is an original Plantation House, extensively modernized and offering a glorious tranquil setting with superb sea views, lush gardens and a ‘theatre’ style implementation of Cayman life and history.
The Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park, is a great way to relax and enjoy the Islands fauna and flora. Many nature trails, delightful walks, serene atmosphere, tearooms, gift store and the chance to meet the blue Iguana and lots of Cayman Parrots.
The worlds’ one and only Turtle Farm is situated on the north-west Point of Grand Cayman and is home to over 16,000 sea turtles.
and so much more.....
