Wednesday, July 27, 2011

CAYMANS

CAYMAN BRAC
Dives
Bloody Bay Wall.



GRAND CAYMAN
Bars & Nightclubs
Wreck Bar & Grill – Rum Point; 011-345/947-9412; famous for mudslide; open 10-5.

Beaches
Rum Point – north coast (1 hour from Georgetown); laid back; white sand; clear water ideal for snorkeling.
7 Mile Beach.

Dives (divecayman.ky or caymanislands.ky)
Amphitrite – Sunset House Reef; caymanislands.ky/divecayman/dive-operators/bronzebeauty.aspx; mermaid statue.
Babylon – North Wall; somewhat remote dive, thick with black coral, huge barrel sponges, purple sea fans, and plate corals; also worth seeing is Omega Reef, just on inland wall side.
Big House – off East End.
Big Tunnels – West Side; tunnel big enough for 2 buses to pass through.
Bonnie’s Arch – Northwest Point Road (West Bay); easy diving; close enough to reach from shore, but for pure dive laziness, descend from boat; diving just around arch and nearby reefs; try to find crocodile statue near arch base; tarpon.
Broadbelt’s Bommie – off South End; pinnacle.
Corner – includes Sunset Reef, Gigglin’ Marlin Legacy, Grouper Grotto, Old Isaacs, Scuba Bowl (where George, large grouper, lives), Pat’s Wall, Jack McKenney’s Canyon, Maze, Lighthouse Wall & Playing Field; this diving zone is melting pot of Cayman dive sites offering best of everything all in 1 place, all within 10 minute boat ride from dock; wall dives start at 60' & feature many canyon-ways 7 chutes that lead to drop-off; see Caribbean Reef sharks & large groupers; shallow dive sites offer coral ledge or mini-wall with many canyons & archways.
Devil’s Grotto & Eden Rock – George Town Harbour (South Side); access to Devil’s Grotto from concrete pier and dive ladder set into ironshore; path snaking through cavern network; considered excellent dive because, among other things, less exposed to rough conditions.
Eagle’s Nest – West Side.
Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Mo – East End; Dive 365 program (ongoing project to develop and maintain 365 separate moorings so divers have daily, different choices) component; 4 overgrown pinnacles sitting off East End wall.
Ghost Mountain – North Wall; deep pinnacle.
Guardian of Reef – Lighthouse Point; guardianofthereef.com; bronze statue.
Ironshore Gardens – East End, South Side; maze of swimthroughs.
Kittiwake – Seven Mile Beach; kittiwakecayman.com; equipment left in vessel creates advanced, massive playground.
Lighthouse Wall – East End.
Orange Canyon – West Side.
Sand Bar – North Sound; shallow, sandy area; 1 of 2 spots ideal for stingray snorkeling.
Sea Fan Reef – North Sound.
Snapper Hole – East End (Colliers Bay); among Caribbean’s best reef dives.
Stingray City – North Sound (off Raleigh Quay); Grand Cayman’s most famous dive; shallow sandbar series with optimal stingray viewing.

Hotels
Cotton Tree – 375 Conch Pointe Road (West Bay); 011-345-943-0700; caymancottontree.com; 4 elegant cottages with spacious living rooms, 2 bedrooms, and generous bathrooms, full kitchens, and larger resort amenities (gym, library, swimming pool); cultured, arranging classes in architecture, gardening, and sketching.

Restaurants
Guy Harvey’s Gallery & Shoppe – South Church Street (George Town); 011-345-943-4891; harveysgrill.com.
Grand Old House – Petra Plantation (south of George Town, past Jackson Point); 011-345-949-9333; grandoldhouse.com;former plantation house amid venerable trees; near sea’s edge; try roasted lobster Napoleon or marinated conch Cayman Island-style; also, Cayman-style turtle steak in tomato-and-white-wine sauce.
Kaibo Yacht Club – 585 Water Cay Road (Rum Point); 011-345-947-9975; kaibo.ky; good food in gregarious, irreverant atmosphere; flaming torches, multilevel terraces, and cabanas with palm thatched roofs; juicy burgers, fresh salads, seafood prepared any way you want, steaks, and pastas, all accompanied by sunset-colored drinks that tend to get the party roaring.
Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink – Canella Court (Camana Bay, at Crescent); 345-640-6433; michaelsgenuine.com; hope for smoked lionfish croquettes with scotch bonnet aioli.
Ristorante Pappagallo – 444 Conch Point Road (West Bay); 345-949-1119; pappagallo.ky; seafood specialties; try lionfish ceviche.
Rankin’s Jerk Pit – Bodden Town; 011-345-947-3155; where locals lunch.
Sunshine Grill – 1465 Esterley Tibbetts (Seven Mile Beach, at Sunshine Suites Resort); 345-946-5848; sunshinesuites.com/restaurant; fish tacos.
Vivine’s Kitchen – Gun Bay (East End); 011-345-947-7435; make sure to try McPudding dessert.
Wreck Bar & Grill – Rum Point; 011-345/947-9412; laid-back joint; latest incarnation of old thatched bar that stood here in 1950s, during which time bartender named “Old Judd” invented world’s 1st frozen Mudslide; in addition to 2-fisted drinks, enjoy West Indian food, ranging from conch (fritters or chowder) to jerk-pork sandwiches and juicy burgers.

Services
Cayman Aggressor IV – 209 Hudson Trace (Augusta, Georgia); 706-993-2531 or 800-348-2628; aggressor.com/cayman.php; live-aboard dive accommodations that are luxurious and perfect for dive vacations.

Sights & Sites
Cayman Turtle Farm – 786 Northwest Point Road (West Bay); 011-345-949-3894; turtle.ky.
Pedro St. James National Historic Site – Savannah; 011-345-947-3329; pedrostjames.ky; former “Great House”; Cayman’s oldest surviving stone structure; restored in 1990s and now re-creation of 18th Century life.
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park – North Side; 011-345-947-9462; botanic-park.ky.



LITTLE CAYMAN
Dives
Bloody Bay Wall.
M/V Captain Keith Tibbetts.

Sights & Sites
Mahogany Bay – good iguana viewing.

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