ISLANDS: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman SIZE: Grand Cayman: 76 sq. mi.; Cayman Brac: 14 sq. mi.; Little Cayman: 10 sq. mi. POPULATION: 34,763 LANGUAGE: English CURRENCY: Cayman Islands dollar GOVERNMENT: British territory WEB SITE: www.caymanislands.ky

More Than a Diver?s Paradise

The Cayman Islands are rightly known for their spectacular underwater attractions. Divers flock from all over the world to explore the Great Wall just north of Grand Cayman, the sunken Russian frigate MV Captain Keith Tibbetts off Cayman Brac, and Stingray City, called by some the best 12-foot dive site in the world. However, those visitors who forsake the land for the sea are missing some of the Cayman Islands? top draws: its outstanding ecotourism opportunities, particularly on the smaller sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.

Cayman Brac has many caves begging to be explored and great rockclimbing, and hiking trails traverse the interior. A parrot sanctuary and a large marsh make for outstanding birding, and conch shells litter the beaches by the hundreds.

Little Cayman, a ten-minute hop from Cayman Brac, is so flat that the interior is all salt marsh, where birds flock by the thousands. Iguanas also populate the island in large numbers, and road signs warn that iguanas have the right of way. Biking, bonefishing, and conching are popular activities.

The Cayman Islands? reputation as a top dive spot is certainly well deserved. But the country?s little-known yet substantial onshore delights should not be overlooked. So even if you?re not a diver, don?t cross this country off your list.

Fall 2001