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Cayman Islands
Visitors to the Cayman Islands have long recognized them as a treasure of the Caribbean for their beautiful beaches, excellent diving and snorkeling sites, and rich history and culture. The agents at Caribbean Real Estate Showcase now want to show you the great real estate opportunities available there. Luxury villas on Grand Cayman can be purchased and used as vacation homes or rental villas. Beachfront villas along the famous Seven Mile Beach on the western side of Grand Cayman present a marvelous real estate opportunity. Our real estate agents at Caribbean Real Estate Showcase can also show you more secluded vacation villas or luxury villas on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, its smaller neighbor to the northeast. From your beach villas, you can take in the wonderful culture, cuisine, and nightlife in the Cayman Islands. Come and see the unique real estate possibilities available in the Cayman Islands as presented by the Caribbean Real Estate Showcase and its group of professional agents.
Overview
The Cayman Islands are an overseas territory of the United Kingdom. The Caymans are comprised of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. They lie in the western Caribbean some 150 miles south of Cuba and about 170 miles northwest of Jamaica.
The biggest island of the three is the Grand Cayman. It stretches some 22 miles in length, has a mean width of four miles, and covers a total area of 76 square miles.
The middle island, in terms of both size and location, is Cayman Brac. It is located nearly 90 miles to the northeast of Grand Cayman. Only 12 miles in length and about 1 ¼ mile wide for the most part, Cayman Brac takes in an area only 15 miles square.
Little Cayman is the smallest and the most northerly of the three Cayman Islands. It averages about a mile in width and runs ten miles long. It is separated from Cayman Brac by a seven-mile wide channel.
The Caymans offer some of the world's best snorkeling and scuba diving as well as beautiful white sand beaches and blue waters. They are also rich in music, dancing, and culinary traditions.
History
Columbus first viewed the Cayman Islands in May 1503 and called them "Las Tortugas" after the numerous tortoises he encountered there. Twenty years later the islands appeared on a map as "Lagartos," or alligators. Sometime by about 1540, however, the islands had become known as the Caymanas, taken from the Carib people's word meaning crocodile.
The Caymans initially served as a re-supply nation for the host of European nations jockeying for power in the Caribbean islands. In 1655, British soldiers under the Commonwealth took control of the islands. In 1670, under the terms of the Treaty of Madrid, the Caymans became a possession of Britain. Around this time, British colonists from Jamaica began the earliest settlements on the islands.
In the second quarter of the eighteenth century, the Caymans were developed more extensively through land grants and the slave system. Still, though, they lacked the size and population of Jamaica, the richest of Britain's Caribbean possessions. By around 1800, only about 900 people resided on Grand Cayman; nearly 550 of them were enslaved.
In December 1831, the first legislative assembly was elected and met in George Town on Grand Cayman. In 1834, the British Empire abolished slavery, freeing the more than 950 slaves who labored on the Caymans. In February of 1794, the famous "Wreck of the Ten Sail," where islanders lent help to some ten merchant ships struggling in the waters off the Caymans, took place.
An act of the British Parliament in 1863 formally recognized the Caymans as a dependency of Jamaica, but when that country gained independence from the Crown in 1962, the Caymans elected to stay under the province of Britain. A constitution enacted in August 1972 is in effect today.
Government
The capital of the Cayman Islands is located at George Town, on the western side of Grand Cayman Island.
A parliamentary democracy governs the islands, which are considered a Dependent Overseas Territory of Britain. The Caymans have a judicial, executive, and legislative branch. A Governor, appointed by the British government, directs a Cabinet comprised of five elected ministers and three official members—a chief secretary, attorney general, and economic secretary. A 15-member Legislative Assembly representing the Islands' six districts is elected every four years.
Economy
The Caymans' economy centers on tourism and financial services, with the former targeting the luxury market and visitors from North America. The lack of any direct taxation makes the Caymans an attractive place for bank, trust, and other companies. Indeed, the Caymans are rated the fifth largest international banking center in the world. A stock exchange opened there in 1997. The tourism industry has expanded steadily since the 1950s and 1960s.
Residents of the Cayman Islands have one of the highest standards of living in the world.
Money
The Caymans have their own currency, but U.S. dollars are accepted throughout the three islands.
Demographics
The Cayman Islands' population was approximately 45,000 in July 2006. Most reside on Grand Cayman, and nearly half are non-natives. Less than 1,300 people live on Cayman Brac, and only some 170 persons inhabit Little Cayman.
Language
English is the official language of the Cayman Islands.
Medical Services
The capital at George Town in Grand Cayman has a large health services complex that includes a 24-hour decompression chamber. Cayman Brac has a government hospital called Faith Hospital.
Climate and weather
The Caymans' average temperature is about 78 degrees in the winter and 86 degrees in the summer. Throughout the year the temperature hardly ever ranges lower than 70 degrees or higher than 90 degrees. Rainfall varies across the three islands and throughout the different seasons. The capital, George Town, averaged about six inches a month in 2004.
Recreation
The Caymans Islands are home to some of the world's finest snorkeling and scuba diving. The coral formations at Bloody Bay Marine Park off the north shore of Little Cayman have earned it a reputation as one of the best dive sites in the world. Little Cayman is also the least developed island, offering secluded beaches and swimming areas.
Seven Mile Beach along the western tail on the Grand Cayman is the heart of the beach scene. Here lie some of the most scenic and relaxing beaches in the whole Caribbean.
Windsurfing has become a very popular pastime in the Caymans of late. Fishing, kayaking, parasailing, jet skiing, and sailing also are mainstays of water sport recreation on the Caymans. Several different types of submarines take visitors down for a look at life under the sea at depths ranging from just five feet to nearly 1,000 feet.
A ferry runs daily from the Hyatt Dock on Grand Cayman.
Golfers will find the Links at Safe Haven, tucked in near George Town off the coast of the North Sound, a beautiful and challenging layout.
Shopping, Dining, and Nightlife
Duty-free shopping makes the Caymans a true shoppers' paradise. Fabulous jewelry, china, crystal, watches, perfumes, and local crafts can be found on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. There is a Farmers' Market on Thomas Russell Way on Grand Cayman.
There are no casinos on the islands. The Tortuga Rum Company serves up not only 10 different varieties of rum but also its famous rum cake and other specialty items like coffees and spices.
Nightlife comes alive in the bars and clubs along Seven Mile Beach. Bobo's Iguana, the Matrix nightclub, and the West Bay Polo Club offer live music and dancing. The Lions Centre in Red Bay on Grand Cayman hosts a number of concerts throughout the year, while the Harquail Theatre on West Bay Road is the site of drama and comedy productions.
The three islands are home to more than a hundred restaurants offering local delicacies that reflect the strong influence of Jamaica. The Calypso Grill at Morgan's Harbour on the West Bay, Aunt Sha's Kitchen, the Bamboo restaurant, the Grand Old House, and Casa Havana are favorites.
Cultural and Historic Sites
Constructed by planter William Eden circa 1780, the Pedro St. James Historic Site is the oldest stone structure still standing in the Caribbean. It is also the site where Cayman residents first moved to elect a Legislative Assembly in December 1831
On Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands National Museum, which opened in 1990, highlights four hundred years of Cayman history through artifacts, documents, and other exhibitions. On the North Side of Grand Cayman, the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park features a visitor center, heritage and floral gardens, a two-acre lake, and a breeding ground for the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana. The Cayman Turtle Farm in West Bay on Grand Cayman promises fun-filled, hands-on activities for children of all ages.
Wildlife, Marine Life, and Flora and Fauna
The exquisite coral reefs are a beautiful natural feature of the Caymans, as is the North Sound on Grand Cayman. A limestone bluff runs west to east across Cayman Brac and offers an incredible viewpoint of the island and surrounding Caribbean. This bluff also is a great site for bird watching. A nature reserve for the Red Footed Booby on Little Cayman provides bird watchers a unique experience. Little Cayman is also home to more than 2,000 Rock Iguanas.
The more than 180 bird species in the Cayman Islands include the Antillean Grackle and numerous species of Heron. The Cayman Parrot is the national bird in the islands.
Coconut, avocado, papaya, mango, and almond trees flourish on the Caymans today.
Festivals and Events
A number of annual festivals highlight the year in the Cayman Islands. The Cayman Jazzfest, which features some of the world's leading jazz and R & B artists, is held in the late fall each year. Each spring, costumed groups known "Mas' Bands" parade through the streets in a vibrant, music-filled celebration of Cayman history and culture. The Cayman Festival of the Arts, or Cayfest, takes place on the islands of Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac and offers entertainment and cultural celebrations through music, theatre, dancing, local cuisine, arts and crafts, and related exhibitions. Also popular among both natives and visitors is the annual 10-day Pirates Week Festival, which features a fireworks celebration, costume contest, music and dancing in the streets into the early hours, and an invasion from would-be pirates. National Heroes Day, a new public holiday, is celebrated the fourth Monday in January, and Constitution Day, the national holiday, is honored the first Monday in July.
Radio
There are six radio stations on the Cayman Islands. Besides the government-owned Radio Cayman, which can be heard on all three islands, there are these: Z-99 FM, Heaven 97 Christian radio, Vibe 98.9, Ocean 95.5, and ICCI-FM.
Links
Cayman Islands Department of Tourism
http://www.caymanislands.ky/default.asp
Cayman Government
http://www.gov.ky
Calendar of Events
http://www.caymanislands.ky/to_do/calendar.asp
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Caribbean Real Estate Showcase is a division of Caribbean Villa Owners Association 877-248-2862 804-693-5216 804-693-4856 | |||||||||
Disclaimer
Caribbean Real Estate Showcase, Dunham Young Inc. its owner, executives and employees act in good faith in the promotion of this web site but are in no way responsible to either property participants or potential customers or real estate purchasers for any loss of any kind howsoever caused. Continued use of this website indicates acceptance of this condition. Property purchasers should exercise caution and use independent legal advice when entering real estate transactions of any kind.
