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Caribbean
Aruba -
Bahamas -
Barbados -
British Virgin Islands -
Cayman Islands -
Cuba
Dominican Republic -
Grenada -
Martinique -
Puerto Rico -
St Vincent & the Grenadines
Cayman Islands
Area: 100 sq miles (260 sq km)
Population: 39,335
Capital city: George Town on Grand Cayman (pop 16,000)
Language: English
Sparsely populated, mostly flat and partly marshy, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and
Little Cayman have a corner of the Caribbean all to themselves. The largest,
Grand Cayman, is shaped a bit like the Little Dipper and spans about 25 miles
(45km) from the lip of the cup on the western end to the tip of the handle on
the eastern end.
The Caymans are warm in the summer (May to October), when the average daily
high reaches 85°F (29°C). This is also the rainy season but the showers are
brief. Winter (November to April) is drier and cooler, with average daily highs
of 75°F (24°C).
Given that mid-December to mid-April (winter) is the peak tourist season, when
rates are substantially higher and beaches and lodgings more crowded, it's best
to go in the summer. There is more rain in summer, but it tends to come in
downpours that clear as quickly as they arrive.
George Town
George Town's attractions include a modest historical walking tour that takes in
the remains of the late-18th-century Fort George and the Cayman
Islands National Museum, situated in the town's oldest building. The museum,
one of the Caribbean's best, features changing exhibits on the islands' human
and natural history. The Cayman Maritime Treasure Museum has dioramas on
the islands' seafaring days and a robotic Blackbeard that spins yarns about the
Caymans' swashbuckling past.
Pedro Castle
History buffs that promise not to be disappointed by a castle without
ramparts, moat or drawbridge might consider dragging their carcass from the
beach lounge to Pedro Castle. This imposing Caribbean great house dates from
1780, making it the oldest building in the Caymans, and it's been everything
from jail to court house to parliament before recent refurbishments turned it
into a museum.
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
If you need any proof that above-ground life is as diverse as the underwater
themepark, Grand Cayman's botanic park is hard to beat. A well-marked mile-long
trail winds through lush, easy terrain, featuring about 300 native species. The
park is home to orchids (in bloom late May through June), iguanas (elusive) as
well as parrots and other birds. The nearby Mastic Trail meanders through
the old-growth forest that once supplied early settlers with timber.
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