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What You Need to Know about Georgetown Grand CaymanGeorge Town is not only the Capital of Grand Cayman and the Cayman Islands, it's also the banking, insurance, and tourist centre, which makes it busy on days when a raft of cruise ships comes to call.
Georgetown Grand Cayman wasn't the first capital of the Cayman Islands, Boddentown was. Named after the Bodden family who were early settlers, Boddentown was hard to defend from pirates or the Spanish and was frequently attacked. Those days are happily gone but Bodden Town still has its Gun Square and (renovated) Guardhouse to remember them by.
For more pictures of George Town, go to our our
George Town Grand Cayman photos page.
Because most tourists arrive in George Town from the cruise ships, the town looks pretty much to its waterfront for its daytime excitement. The Duty Free Shopping Mall and waterfront bars are busy spots most days of the week. If you're staying at a resort, check the cruise ships' schedule through your resort and pick another day, like this one.
This is particularly true for those of us who like to peacefully meander through time and place, like the local museum. The Museum suffered badly in the winds of Hurricane Ivan and is just re-establishing itself.
The museum is also doubling up as the National Gallery at present, while Cayman waits for the new National Gallery being built off Harquail Bypass on the way to West Bay. Unusually, perhaps, for a capital city, George Town harbor is still an excellent spot for snorkeling. Our snorkeling page lists a number of places to visit. Return to Home Page from Georgetown Grand Cayman
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By the early 1900's the capital had moved to George Town with its better harbor for larger ships. As the town grew, Fort George (built in the 1790's) was standing in the way of progress and was demolished -- only remnants remain of this earliest George Town.
