Atlantic City Weddings - The Cayman Islands

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The Cayman Islands, just south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica, are a great, romantic honeymoon destination. (See Map) The 3 islands which make up The Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Brac, offer a warm, tropical climate, beautiful beaches and some of the best diving and snorkeling in the Caribbean. Hiking and day trips offer some remote, exotic locales for honeymooners and you'll find some spectacular island wildlife from iguanas and turtles to the magnificent frigatebird on interior hikes of the islands. You'll find the widest range of activities on Grand Cayman - for those who really want to get away from it all, Cayman Brac or Little Brac might be your choice.

Weather:
The weather in the Cayman's ranges from the mid-70's to 80's most of the year with temperatures climbing into the 90's during the summer months. Expect 10-15 degrees cooler during the evening. Rainy season runs from Sept.-Nov. Check the current weather now on the weather cam at the Cayman Turtle Farm.

Beaches:
The most spectacular beach on Grand Cayman is Seven Mile Beach, although it is actually less than 7 miles long. Known for its white sand, this is where you'll find most of the hotels and resorts on the island. If you're prone to sunburn another beautiful beach is Rum Point, just past Cayman Kai. Parts of the beach are shaded by Pines and this beach offers picnic facilities as well as a restaurant.

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Diving & Snorkeling: Often called a divers & snorkelers paradise, The Cayman Islands are famous for their spectacular dive sites with close to 200 dive sites among the 3 islands.
	There are over 100 sites off Grand Cayman alone and roughly 40 sites each off Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. One of the most popular sites for diving and snorkeling on Grand Cayman is Stingray City, where stingrays swim in 12 feet of water.
According to Joan Maddox of East Coast Diving, The Cayman Islands are a great place for diving. "Because they have experienced dive guides and many of the dives are easy and in shallow waters, The Cayman Islands are a lot of fun and one of the safer places for diving."

Hiking:
On Grand Cayman you'll find a variety of short hikes, most considered moderate or easy in difficulty. On the north side, The National Trust's Mastic Trail runs 2 miles through scenic woodlands. You'll also find hiking in the 65 acre Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in Frank Sound. Look for Grand Cayman Parrots and other exotic birds, freshwater turtles & The Grand Cayman blue iguana. For additional hiking ideas, see our list of books on the Caymans.

Other Sports
On Grand Cayman you'll find a number of other activities besides diving and snorkeling including Deep Sea Fishing, golf, ocean kayaking, water skiing, sailboat rentals & waverunner rentals. Tennis courts can be found at many of the resorts. Bicycle and moped rentals are also available and there are a few places for horseback riding including Coral Stone Stables where you can ride horses along some of the beaches of the island.

Romantic Excursions:
In Grand Cayman there are many sunset or dinner cruises offered by local watersports operators including one aboard a replica Pirate ship and one aboard the Valhalla, a 19th century tall ship. Another romantic excursion, often touted as a honeymoon hotspot is Owen Point or The Cay. This remote 11 acre island - your own Gilligan's Island for the day - is located 200 yards offshore of Little Cayman. Day trips are often available from the two smaller islands, Little Cayman or Cayman Brac.

Sightseeing:
For sightseeing, some recommended places include, The Blow Holes on the east end of Grand Cayman where surf shoots through holes in the coral. In West Bay, combine a trip to the Cayman Turtle Farm, the only one if its kind in the world, with a trip to Hell and send a postcard or get a T-Shirt from ...

On a historical note, check out the Cayman Island National Museum or The Pedro St. James Historic Site. And, somewhere along the way, perhaps not high on the list of "romantic" things to do, you can check out the local brew from Stingray Brewery.

For non-divers, don't miss the opportunity to explore what's underwater in the Caymans. Atlantis submarine tours operates 2 subs with underwater tours: a 46 passenger submarine which dives to 100 feet and a more expensive tour on a 2 passenger submarine which can plunge to depths of 800 feet. Also look for other tours aboard glass bottom boats and other boats run by local watersports operators such as Nautilus Undersea Tours.

Dining:
For dining you'll find the most variety on Grand Cayman - everything from inexpensive fast food to more expensive and elegant restaurants that often require a jacket & tie. Two highly recommended restaurants, according to the books, include the well-known Grand Old House & Ristorante Pappagallo where you can dine among tropical birds.

Nightlife
Nightlife - in the Caymans, there's not a lot in the way of nightlife, especially on the smaller islands and there is no gambling on any of the islands. However, there are a few nightclubs for dancing and live music on Grand Cayman as well as a few comedy clubs including Coconuts Comedy Club at Legendz Bar and Chuckles at West Polo Bay.

One of the first things you'll want to do when you get to Grand Cayman is check the local papers for a list of what's happening - some of these include Cayman After Dark, Caymanian Compass & What's Hot.

One of the best local bands to check out on Grand Cayman is The Barefoot Man Band. You can often catch live music and dj's include the bars in many of the hotels and resorts along Seven Mile Beach. One of the hottest, we hear, is a nightclub called The Next Level on West Bay Road, Seven Mile Beach.

For big name concerts, The Spectrum of Grand Cayman is The Lions Centre in Red Bay which features top name concerts from the Caribbean music scene as well as US rock groups at various times throughout the year. Two theaters on Grand Cayman which present plays and cultural exhibitions include The Prospect Playhouse in Red Bay and The Harquail Theatre.

Shopping:
Famous for its duty free shopping, most shops in The Cayman Islands are closed Sundays.

Special Events:
Pirates Week Festival, on Grand Cayman, is usually held the last week in October.
Taste of Cayman Food Festival - usually the first weekend in July.

Recipes:
Want to try a taste of the islands before you go? You'll find some great recipes (with funny asides) for Paradise Salsa, Caribbean Tartar Sauce, Beer Batter Fish, Mango Chicken and much more at this no frills site for recipes.

Cayman Brac
Cayman Brac, the 2nd largest of the islands - 12 miles long by 1-2 miles wide, has a population of about 1,400. If you really want to get away from it all this island or Little Brac may be your island of choice. Cayman Brac is home to 150 species of resident and migratory birds. Things to do?...Besides honeymooning?...diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, caving and hiking are pretty much it with some nighttime entertainment in a few of the hotel bars. More Info on Cayman Brac.

Little Brac
The smallest of the three island, Little Brac has a population of roughly 100 residents. There are only a handful of hotels on the island - one of the most noted is McCoys Lodge, recommended by many travel books for its affordability and the friendliness of the owners. Another, The Little Cayman Beach Resort, caters to divers.

Perhaps the most notable features of Little Cayman are offshore. Owen Island, a remote and exotic island 200 yards offshore is touted as a romantic honeymoon spot with day trips offered from Cayman Brac & Little Brac. Bloody Bay, just offshore as well, is rated as one of the world's best dives.

Wildlife on the island includes many species of butterflies, tropical birds and iguanas and there are two cross-island trails for hiking as well as other paths on the island. Outside of diving, snorkeling and hiking...there's not much to do here but kick back and honeymoon.

For more info on Cayman Brac & Little Brac:
See our Links or Books section or write to:

Sister Islands Tourism Association
P.O. Box 187, State Bay, Cayman Brac, Cayman Island, BWI

What to Pack
Rather than give you a complete list we're highlighting a few items you won't want to overlook. Snorkeling equipment, wet suits, fins, jacket & tie for fine dining, cool, long sleeve shirt for the beach in case you get sunburned, sweater and/or windbreaker - it gets cooler at night on those sunset cruises, sunglasses, insect repellent, hiking shoes, bathing suits, lingerie and plenty of sunscreen - even if you don't burn in the states, you may here!

When to Go:
When to go pretty much depends on when you're planning your honeymoon. A few things to know: Prices are a bit higher during Peak Tourism Season from Dec. 15 - Apr. 15 than in the summertime, June-Aug.
Summer months are the best for diving due to greater visibility. Rainy season runs Sept.-Nov.

Sources:
Sources used in researching this article include numerous internet sites from our Links Section, books including Fodor's Carribbean & The Cayman Islands: The Beach & Beyond, by Martha K. Smith.