 Nestled in the calm, turquoise waters of the
western Caribbean, lies the peaceful British Overseas Territory
known as the Cayman Islands. Consisting of three islands just 480
miles south of Miami, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman
remain our little piece of paradise.
Blessed with sun-kissed
beaches and waters teeming with fish flecked with gold, the Cayman
Islands offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the
world.
Location & GeographyThe
island country consists of Grand Cayman, largest and
most populous of the trio; and the Sister Islands of Cayman
Brac and Little
Cayman, which lie approximately 89
miles east-northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each
other by a channel about seven miles wide.
Size Isn't
Everything!
The total land mass of the three islands
is 100 square miles. Grand Cayman occupies 76 square miles;
Cayman Brac, 14 square miles and Little Cayman, 10 square
miles. Grand Cayman is
approximately 22 miles long and 8 miles at its widest point,
reaching a maximum elevation at East End of 60 ft.
Cayman Brac is 12
miles long and just over a mile wide and has the most dramatic
topography of the trio. Its majestic Bluff rises west to east
along the length of the island to 140 feet at the eastern tip,
ending in a sheer cliff. Many mysterious caves are carved
throughout this awe-inspiring natural attraction.
Little Cayman, only
10 miles long and a mile wide, is flat, reaching a maximum
elevation of 40 ft. Its famous Bloody Bay wall Marine Park has
been called one of the world's best dive sites. Inland, the
203 - acre Booby Pond Nature Reserve is a RAMSAR site and
nesting ground for the Caribbean's largest population of Red
Footed Boobies. |
The three islands are limestone outcroppings, the tops of
a submarine mountain range called the Cayman Ridge, which extends
west southwest for the Sierra Maestra range off the southeast part
of Cuba to the Misteriosa Bank near Belize. The islands lack rivers
or streams because of the porous nature of the limestone rock. It is
this lack of runoff which gives the surrounding Caribbean Sea
exceptional visibility, often well over 120 ft.
Between the
Cayman Islands and Jamaica lies the deepest part of the Caribbean,
the Cayman Trough, which is over four miles deep. South of Cayman is
the Bartlett Deep where depths of over 18,000 ft. have been
recorded. All three islands are surrounded by healthy coral reefs
which lie at the top of dramatic walls and drop-offs close to shore,
creating ideal conditions for diving and
sportfishing.
Red Parrot Travel recommended
resorts:
The
Reef | 
