Cayman Islands

Getting Around By Air

Grand Cayman is connected to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman by internal flights run by Cayman Airways (website: www.caymanairways.com) and Island Air (website: www.islandaircayman.info).

Getting Around by Road

A good road network connects the coastal towns of all three main islands. Traffic drives on the left.

Bus: Public minibuses (tel: 945 5100) operate from George Town to West Bay (every 15 minutes), to Bodden Town (every 30 minutes) and to East End and North Side (every hour). The main bus terminal is located next to the public library, Edward Street, George Town. Services normally run between 0600-2300 (until 0000 at weekends for most routes). Routes are colour coded (with colours marked on the front and rear of the buses). Public buses have blue licence plates and standard fares are displayed inside.

Mopeds and scooters: Available for hire on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Riders are required by law to wear a helmet at all times.

Bicycles: Available for hire on all three islands. On Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, most hotels have bicycles available for complimentary guest use.

Taxi: There are taxis operating from all resorts, the cruise dock at George Town and the international airports. They offer a fixed rate per vehicle or per person to all points on Grand Cayman. A sign with current rates is posted at the cruise ship dock in George Town.

Car hire: Most major car hire companies are represented in George Town. On Cayman Brac and Little Cayman only 4-wheel drive vehicles and jeeps are available. Private limousine services are available on Grand Cayman for special events and airport transfers.

Regulations: Drivers must be over 21 years of age. Strictly enforced speed limits are generally 40-48kph (25-30mph) in built-up areas and 80kph (50mph) in rural areas. Seat belts must be worn at all times. Full insurance is required and must be arranged with the car hire company; some companies will not insure drivers under 25.

Documentation: A temporary local driving licence is required, which will be issued from the police station or car hire agency at a nominal charge on presentation of a valid licence from the traveller’s country of origin.

Journey Times

The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from George Town, Grand Cayman, to other major centres in the islands.

Note: Cayman Brac to Little Cayman is 10 minutes by air.

Main Airports

Grand Cayman (GCM) (Owen Roberts International Airport) is 2km (1 mile) east of the city. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the centre (journey time – 10 minutes), operating from 0600 to 2300, for a fare of about US$10. There is also an airport bus available that must be pre-booked. Facilities: Outgoing duty-free shop, banks/bureaux de change, ATM, post office, car hire, bars, restaurants, cafes, VIP lounge, and tourist information.

Cayman Brac (CYB) (Gerard Smith Airport)is 8km (5 miles) from the town. To/from the airport: Taxis meet all flights (journey time – 10 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, restaurant and car hire.

Getting There by Water

Main ports: Grand Cayman is one of the most popular Caribbean ports and a busy port of call for leading international cruise lines operating from North America, Mexico and Europe.

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Very warm, tropical climate throughout the year. High temperatures are moderated by trade winds. The rainy season is from May to October but showers are generally of short duration. The hurricane season is from June to November and, since the islands are low-lying, there is a high risk of flooding if a storm hits.

Required Clothing

Lightweight, natural fabrics; a light raincoat or umbrella for the rainy season. Warmer clothes may be needed on cooler evenings.

Hotels

The leading hotels are located on the coast. Some of the best-known overlook Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, a dazzling stretch of fine powdery sand said to be one of the world’s most beautiful beaches. Hotels providing accommodation with 100 rooms are considered large in the Cayman Islands, and are generally only found on Grand Cayman.

Prices are seasonal – the high season begins in mid-December and usually runs through to mid-April. During that time, visitors should expect to pay up to 50% more for a room. A 10% government accommodation tax is payable to the hotel on departure. Most also add a service charge (about 10%).

Grading: A government board of control monitors accommodation standards. Hotels vary in standard from luxury (very comfortable, with some outstanding features) to touristclass (budget hotel).

Self Catering

There is a wide variety of apartments and villas available, and some are quite luxurious. Most of Grand Cayman’s apartments are superbly situated on coastal areas, where guests can walk out onto beautiful beaches with crystal clear water. They often have central facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts.

Unique Accommodation

There is a fine selection of diving resort hotels and lodges, which can be a more economical option. The quieter Little Cayman has a selection of unique properties.

Accommodation Information

For further accommodation information, contact the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (see Contact Addresses), which also provides an online accommodation service.

Passports

1. Passport valid for at least six months required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except nationals of Canada and the UK, provided holding proof of nationality (such as a birth certificate or a notarised affidavit of citizenship) and provided return or onward ticket shows that the visitor will leave the Cayman Islands within one month. Photo identification is also required, such as a driving licence.

Note: As of 23 January 2007 all persons, including US citizens, travelling by air between the USA and Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean and Bermuda are required to present a valid passport or other approved document when entering or re-entering the USA. Similar requirements for those travelling by land or sea will be introduced as early as 1 January 2008. For further details about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, visit the website of the US Department of State: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cbpmc/cbpmc_2223.html.

Visas

Not required by all nationals referred to in the chart above except.

Note: Nationals not referred to in chart above are advised to contact the Passport Office to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).

Visa Note

(a) Cruise ship passengers do not require visas to enter the Cayman Islands. (b) Visitors are prohibited from engaging in any form of employment unless holding a Work Permit. A short-term Work Permit can usually be obtained within one to two weeks.

Health Care

Modern medical facilities are available on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, including government- and privately-operated hospitals. There is also an island-wide, 24-hour 911 (or 555) emergency service. There are pharmacies across Grand Cayman. Private dental clinics are also available. There is no national health service and even the most remedial medical treatment is expensive. Private insurance is recommended.

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Food and Drink

There is a strong Jamaican influence. There are various standards of restaurants with good service, most of which accept credit cards. Bars and restaurants are well stocked with all beverages normally consumed in America and Europe. Draught beer is available in a few bars.

National specialities:

• Jerk curry, rice and peas and plantain.

• Conch chowder.

• Red snapper.

• Sea bass.

• Lobster.

National drinks:

• Beer.

• Cocktails.

Legal drinking age: 18.

Tipping: For most services, 5-10% is normal. Hotels and apartments state the specific amount. Restaurant bills usually include a 10-15% charge in lieu of tipping.

Nightlife

Grand Cayman has lively evening entertainment with bars, nightclubs and comedy clubs. Music is varied and clubs offer everything from live DJs to salsa, reggae, calypso and disco. Concerts are held at the Lions Centre, Red Bay and productions are shown at the Harquail Theatre, West Bay Road and the Prospect Playhouse, Red Bay. Dinner cruises onboard a replica pirate ship or a 19th-century tall ship can be booked through local watersports operators.

On Cayman Brac there are occasional weekend dances with local bands and community events, such as talent shows and other stage productions, at the Aston Rutty Center.

Local publications with nightlife information include Key To Cayman, What’s Hot, What to Do, Destination Cayman and Friday’s edition of the Caymanian Compass.

Shopping

George Town, with its boutiques and duty-free shops, is one of the leading shopping centres in the Caribbean region. Delicious local foods can be bought or sampled at the Farmers Market Cooperative on Thomas Russell way or Frankie’s Fresh Fruits and Juices on Red Bay Road. Local products include Caymanian-style birdhouses, Tortuga Rum company speciality rum and rum cake, other Caribbean speciality foods, coffees, spices and sauces, jewellery, Caymanite (the island’s semi-precious stone), tropical fruit and woodcarvings. Underwater photography makes another excellent souvenir.

Modern and sophisticated shopping centres offer a choice of north American and European fashion brands, furnishings and household goods. Many luxury goods and essential food products are duty-free but duty of up to 20% is charged on other items.

Note: Turtle products cannot be imported, even by persons in transit, into any country which has signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species – this includes the USA, Canada and the UK.

Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700 (on weekends some shops will stay open until 0000).

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•Dive near offshore reefs or the celebrated North Wall off Grand Cayman – a sheer drop to the bed of the ocean. Various locations also offer wreck diving, particularly Cayman Brac, where a Russian warship was intentionally sunk (website: www.divecayman.ky).

• Submerge underwater in the Atlantis Submarine, which offers hour-long trips to view the reefs (website: www.atlantisadventures.com).

•Snorkel alongside the friendly southern stingray at Stingray City.

• Be amazed by Cayman Turtle Farm, the only one of its kind in the world, home to over 16,000 sea turtles, ranging in size from 170g (6oz) to 270kg (600lb). Breeding season runs from May to October, during which time visitors can witness the turtles digging nests on the beach and producing eggs (website: www.turtle.ky).

•Fish for numerous species of large fish in the deep waters around Grand Cayman. Take part in the annual International Fishing Tournament (website: www.fishcayman.com).

• Let off steam at the Family Recreation and Motorsports Park, Breakers, a 12-hectare (30-acre) racetrack that claims to be the best in the Caribbean, with family recreation areas and a nature reserve. The Lakeview Raceway in George Town features stock car racing on the first Sunday of every month (website: www.cma.ky).

• Enjoy the Cayman Islands' connections to nautical adventure at the Pirates Week Festival (website: www.piratesweekfestival.com), in October/November, where events range from music, street dances, sports events and fireworks to (the highlight) the mock pirate invasion in George Town Harbour.

• Walk through one of the Caribbean's last remaining rainforests on the Mastic Trail, on the North Side of the Cayman Islands, linking Frank Sound to Old Man Bay. The trail dates back to the 19th century and is surrounded by stunning scenery and local wildlife (website: www.nationaltrust.org.ky).

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

• See the Cayman Islands' very own 'Great Wall of China', a 6km (4-mile) stone wall at Bodden Town, Grand Cayman; it was built to protect residents from pirate attacks.

• Relax on the huge, sandy Seven Mile Beach,Grand Cayman, flanked by tranquil, turquoise ocean. Although the main tourist centre and highly developed, it retains its charm.

• Go to Hell and back – literally. This area of Grand Cayman is named because of its peculiar rock formation, 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.

• Explore George Town, the capital of Grand Cayman. Along the harbour front are traditional Caymanian buildings that look like gingerbread houses.

• Learn the history of the islands in The Cayman Islands National Museum, George Town (website: www.museum.ky).

• See local, American and British art at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands, George Town (website: www.nationalgallery.org.ky).

• See a historically accurate restoration of the early 19th-century Pedro St James great house and grounds in Savannah (website: www.pedrostjames.ky).

• Admire the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park,a 0.8-hectare (2-acre) heritage garden with a vivid array of cacti, shrubs and native flowers. The park has become an important habitat for the endangered Cayman blue iguana and other unusual wildlife (website: www.botanic-park.ky).

• Discover many more wild birds and iguanas on Little Cayman.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.

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