Grand Cayman Island: Past and Present

The history of grand cayman island and its sister islands, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, began with the Spanish, as so much of Caribbean history does. Christopher Columbus discovered the islands in 1503 and for the next few centuries they were nominally Spanish and known as 'Tortugas' after the turtles that were the principal inhabitants.

The English Captain Francis Drake arrived in 1580 but stayed only long enough to kill meat for his ships' crew, so it wasn't until 1670 the islands were ceded to England along with Jamaica.

The first capital of Grand Cayman was Bodden Town, named after the Bodden family who were early settlers. Boddentown was hard to defend from pirates and the Spanish, the old guard house and Gun Square are reminders of its turbulent past. In the the early years of the Twentieth Century, however, the capital was moved to George Town.

Grand Cayman weather is generally warm and dry, with a rainy season between May and October, which helps to keep the summer temperatures 'temperate'. Temperatures vary from 78-80 degrees F in winter to 85-90 degrees F in summer. The water temperature is pretty close to the air temperature too, averaging 78 F in winter about 84 F in summer.

Hurricanes are relatively rare in the Cayman Islands, a combination of deep, cold waters surrounding the islands and being away from the main storm track keeps them safe when other islands and the mainland are regulary hit. If you do visit in hurricane season (June 1 to Nov 30), there's a telephone number in the front of the directory to call for up-to-the-minute information.

Visitors often mistake the ironshore that makes up so much of grand cayman island for a volcanic rock. It certainly looks like it's been molten and then set in sharp, burned spikes. Geologists say it's not volcanic but limestone and a rock called dolomite eroded by seawater and minute tropical creatures and, while normally I always disbelieve 'experts', in this case they've had plenty of time to check it out so they must be right.

As the wealthiest Caribbean island, Grand Cayman island prides itself on its sophistication and culture and rightly so. It's not just a place for sunseekers to dance all night and sleep on the beach all day. It's an international banking center and that means international bankers live there. They require mental stimulation that doesn't involve numbers.

One place they can get that is in Grand Cayman's art galleries, which will soon be augmented by a new National Gallery in the West End, 2008 is the planned date.

These were the 'islands time forgot' for centuries, right up until the last one in fact. Eradicating mosquitoes and, hence malaria, was the 'kiss' that woke this sleeping beauty. Since then Grand Cayman has boomed, though the sister islands, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are still pretty remote and quiet.

One way Grand Cayman island has livened up is by way of a number of festivals throughout the year. Batabano, held in spring, right after Ash Wednesday, is Grand Cayman's Carnival and it has the same theme as the Rio or New Orleans carnivals, with floats, costumes, music, and dance.

In the fall, Pirates Week runs from November 8 to 18. The name says it all, this one is about cannons, cutlasses, hooks and eye-patches -- as well as food, music, parades and all the other carnival stuff. If carnivals appeal, you might want to visit

Festivalpig.com has been to the world’s greatest festivals and has photos, secret tips and all the details you want. Getaway inspiration Guaranteed.

When you visit Grand Cayman, it's worth stopping off at the Cayman Islands Museum on the waterfront, at Hog Sty Bay, in George Town. It features audio-visual shows, a laser disc undersea exhibition, and natural and cultural history exhibits. It was badly damaged by Hurricane Ivan and has only just re-opened.

Want to know what's going on *now* in the Cayman Islands? Cayman's newspapers can keep you current. Our Cayman newspapers page has the links.

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