From Wikitravel

The Cayman Islands [1] are an island group in the Caribbean Sea, nearly one-half of the way from Cuba to Honduras. The outstanding coral reefs and outstandingly clear waters have made this island group a favorite destination of divers. Great beaches and fine restaurants and resorts make it an excellent tourist destination as well.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 Climate 4.2 Landscape 5 Get in 5.1 By plane 5.2 By boat 6 Get around 7 Talk 8 Buy 8.1 Costs 9 Eat 10 Drink 11 Sleep 12 Learn 13 Work 14 Stay safe 15 Stay healthy 16 Respect 17 Contact

Regions

• Grand Cayman - The largest island and home to most of the population and tourist facilities.

The other two islands are called the Sister Islands by locals and are also tourist destinations. They are:

• Little Cayman
• Cayman Brac

Cities

• George Town - the capital

Other destinations

• Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman
• Rum Point on the North Side of Grand Cayman
• Boatswain's Beach - Home of the Cayman Turtle Farm on Grand Cayman
• Stingray City in the waters off Grand Cayman

Understand

The Cayman Islands were colonized from Jamaica by the British during the 18th and 19th centuries. Administered by Jamaica from 1863, they remained a British dependency after 1962 when the former became independent.

In addition to banking (the islands have no direct taxation, making them a popular incorporation site), tourism is a mainstay, aimed at the luxury market and catering mainly to visitors from North America. Total tourist arrivals exceeded 1.2 million in 1997, with 600,000 from the US. About 90% of the islands' food and consumer goods must be imported. The Caymanians enjoy one of the highest outputs per capita and one of the highest standards of living in the world.

Christianity is pervasive here and religion is taken quite seriously. Cayman Islands ports are even closed to cruise ships on Sundays and other religious holidays.

Climate

Tropical marine. Warm, rainy summers (May to October) and cool, relatively dry winters (November to April). In 2004 the Cayman Islands, and especially Grand Cayman, were hit hard by Hurricane Ivan. Recovery is still under way in 2006.

Landscape

Low-lying limestone base surrounded by coral reefs. Highest point: The Bluff on Cayman Brac, at 43 meters (141 ft).

Get in

By plane

• Owen Roberts Airport (GCM) is near George Town on Grand Cayman and is the main airport. Several major carriers, as well as Cayman Airways [2] provide service from the US. It is about a 65 minute flight from Miami, Florida.
• Gerrard-Smith Airport (CYB) is a small (5800 ft) airstrip located at the western end of Cayman Brac.
• Edward Bodden Airfield is located just west of South Town, Little Cayman, on the southwestern coast.
• Providing air service between the three islands' airports are:
  • Island Air, Phone: 345-949-5252, email: iair@candw.ky.
  • Cayman Airways, Phone: 345-949-2311, [3].

• Owen Roberts Airport has plenty of taxi availability. Neither of the smaller islands have airport taxi services, however hotels pick travelers up.
• There's no ferry service from Grand Cayman to either of the sister islands, but private boat operators will shuttle you between Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for about US$20 (20 minutes).

By boat

George Town on Grand Cayman is a popular port for cruise ships.

Get around

• Car rentals are readily available. You must be 21 years old to rent a car. Driving is on the left hand side of the road and seatbelt use is mandatory. Visitors must get a temporary driver's license from the police station or car rental agency. This is obtained by showing a valid drivers licence from their home state, county or parish and paying a US$7.50 fee.
• Providing Car Rental service at Owen Roberts International Airport are:
  • Coconut Car Rentals, Phone: 1(800) 941-4562, email: coconut@candw.ky.
  • Andy's Car Rental, Phone: 345-949-8111, [4].

Mopeds and scooter rentals are available on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. Helmet use is required. Usual daily rate is US$25 for helmet and permit.

• Providing air service between the three islands' airports are:
  • Island Air, Phone: 345-949-5252, email: iair@candw.ky.
  • Cayman Airways, Phone: 345-949-2311, [5].

Talk

English is the primary language and is spoken by virtually everyone.

Buy

Most shopping is in George Town and Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman.

• Caymanite is the Cayman Islands' own semi-precious stone.
• Black Coral is often used in jewelry here.
• Rum cake from Tortuga Rum Company is very popular with visitors to Grand Cayman.
• There are many tourist shops where you can buy t-shirts, hats, postcards, and much more. Don't buy any seashells though; beachcombing is much more fun and cheaper.

Costs

• As most everything must be imported and is subject to a 20% import tax, food and other items are relatively expensive.
• US currency is accepted everywhere. Be careful and always know if you're paying in CI or US. The basic conversion is US$1.25 to CI$1.00 ($1.00=CI $0.80).

Eat

Jamaican and English influences can be seen in Cayman cuisine. Local specialties such as fish, turtle and conch may be less expensive as they don't need to be imported. A wide range of restaurant types is available on Grand Cayman, serving meals costing from $10 to over $30 for dinner at the high-end restaurants.

Drink

Sleep

Accomodations tend to be relatively expensive here, but there are ample accomodations, even on the two smaller islands. There are several luxury resorts with all amenities.

Learn

• St. Matthew's University, Toll free: 800-498-9700, [6]. Medical and veterinary studies.

• Stop by Pedro St. James on Grand Cayman to learn about the founding of the Cayman Islands.

Work

Grand Cayman has growing offshore banking and tourism sectors. Tourism represents about 75% of the economy. About 25% of residents are working on "work permits" and unemployment is very low.

Stay safe

• The Cayman Islands are a relatively low-crime area.
• Hurricanes are possible from June through November.

Stay healthy

• Many locals will eat barracuda. Be aware that it and other reef fish (groupers, amberjack, red snappers, eel, sea bass, and Spanish mackerel) can cause ciguatera (fish poisoning).
• No natural fresh water resources; drinking water supplies must be met by rainwater catchments.
• Make sure you have sunscreen on if you plan on walking around town. It is sunny all year.

Respect

Caymanians are very respectful. Greetings and pleasantries are common and expected, even to shopkeepers when entering their stores. Most islanders use titles of respect, such as Mr. and Miss, when addressing other islanders.

Contact

This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!