Cayman Islands / Places of Interest

By Tim Ecott

George Town is a small capital with just a few streets leading away from the seafront. Shopping in the centre of town is geared mostly towards cruise ship passengers with a high proportion of shops selling jewellery, watches and gemstones duty-free. There are a large number of high-end jewellery shops catering to this market, and if you are looking for a special gift to celebrate an occasion it’s worth doing a bit of research before you travel – so that you can be sure of making the most of a good deal when it’s offered.

Several of the historic sites are a little way out of town, and you’ll need a vehicle if you want to explore the island properly. For a general introduction to the natural setting of the islands the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Gardens are a must-see, and it’s also the place to find the rare and spectacular ‘blue dragons’ – Cayman’s endemic iguana species rescued from virtual extinction a few years ago. For an insight into the history of the islands it’s worth spending an hour or two in George Town and visiting the National Museum, and then heading eastwards to visit the Pedro. St. James historic house and gardens. It’s not far from there to Bodden Town where the Mission House is a beautifully restored example of an early wooden home filled with period artefacts.

Cayman’s Motor Museum is not just for petrol heads – the collection is a fun experience for the family and the immaculately preserved examples of early and retro vehicles are an unexpected delight, especially as so many of the vehicles are so far from ‘home’.

Both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman have their own small museums, and chatting to the curators is as good a chance as any to learn more about the tough pioneering spirit that was needed to carve out a life here in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

A visit to any of the art galleries and shops that crop up on Grand Cayman will reinforce the essential elements that impress visitors to Cayman – its natural beauty and the ever present themes of stingrays, iguanas and ocean views.