Cayman Islands

⚠️ Entry rules and local regulations change without notice. Before booking, check entry requirements and local rules — visas, access, nature reserves, visitor quotas — with the official authorities.

The Cayman Islands lie in the western part of the Caribbean Sea. They comprise three islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The capital, George Town, sits on the west coast of Grand Cayman. These islands are world-renowned for their exceptional diving, notably at Stingray City where you can swim with the rays.

Three very unequal islands

Grand Cayman holds almost everything: George Town and its cruise ships, Seven Mile Beach — in reality a little over six kilometres, but of exceptional sand — and nearly all the hotels. Cayman Brac, 140 km away, is a long limestone cliff riddled with caves, favoured by walkers and climbers. Little Cayman, finally, has fewer than two hundred inhabitants and lives to the rhythm of divers.

Because the archipelago's reputation is made underwater. Stingray City, a sandbar out at sea where you can stand and where a hundred or so stingrays come, well used to people, is visited with mask and snorkel. Bloody Bay Wall, off Little Cayman, is a drop-off falling from six metres to more than a thousand: it appears regularly in rankings of the world's finest dives. Add the deliberately sunk wreck of the USS Kittiwake, accessible from beginner level.

Dry from November to April

The dry season runs from November to April: 25 to 29 °C, low humidity, underwater visibility often beyond thirty metres. From June to November it is hotter, wetter and cyclone-prone, with noticeably lower rates. The sea stays at 27-29 °C all year, which allows diving in a thin wetsuit.

An expensive destination, and why

Better to say it plainly: the Caymans are among the costliest destinations in the Caribbean. A British Overseas Territory and a financial centre with no income tax, the archipelago imports almost everything, and the Cayman dollar is worth more than the US dollar — a bill quoted in KYD is therefore about 20 % higher than it looks. The US dollar is accepted everywhere, at a fixed rate.

Driving is on the left, English is the official language, and the island is safe and perfectly organised. Two practical tips: avoid Seven Mile Beach on heavy cruise-call days — the schedules are published online — and book dive trips at Little Cayman well ahead, since boat places are limited.

Essentials & your questions