East of George Town
Introduction
For all the glitz of Seven Mile Beach and the high finance of George Town, the land east of the capital city is simple and countrified, charming visitors with a true Caribbean atmosphere. Condos are few and far between, sandwiched instead by miles of unimproved land and small Caymanian cottages. Cattle graze in the fields, beaches stretch for miles without a watersports operator in sight.
East of George Town lies the bulk of Grand Cayman. A single road leads east of town along the South Sound to the communities of Spotts, Bodden Town (the original capital city of the Cayman Islands), and miles of land unchanged by progress. This main highway changes names continually - it's called Jackson Road, Poinciana Road, Shamrock Drive, Church Street, Eastern Highway, A2, A3, A4, and more. Just stay on the main road and continue east; you won't get lost.
This main road winds past several good swimming areas, including a public beach in Spotts and another in Breakers. Just past Breakers, you'll have a choice: continue east to the easternmost portion of the island, or turn north. If you turn north on Frank Sound Road, you'll pass the Mastic Trail and the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park, both excellent attractions for those interested in the flora and fauna of the island. The road continues to Old Man Bay and meets up with the main road along the northern stretch of the island.
If you don't turn north on Frank Sound Road, you can follow the main road alongside some of the most rugged shoreline on Grand Cayman. Just before the road begins its northern turn on the easternmost stretch of the island, it passes an attraction called the Blowholes, where the sea spews forth between the rocks with each wave. Continuing east toward the sea you'll see the sites of two of the island's most famous shipwrecks: The Wreck of the Ten Sails (1794) and the Cumberland Transport (1767). Turning north, the road continues past a largely undeveloped stretch of island covered in dense, low-growing woodland. The easternmost reaches are treasured by windsurfers, who seek out this point for its stronger winds.
Traveling on either road, you can reach the north side and turn back west to Rum Point, a fun-loving spot filled with watersports activities and dining. (A ferry from Seven Mile Beach brings visitors to this remote beach.) This is definitely the most "happening" spot east of George Town, a miniature version of Seven Mile Beach (without the hotels).
South of Rum Point lies Cayman Kai, one of the most lavish residential areas in Grand Cayman. This peninsula is lined with expensive homes and villas.
TRIVIA: "Going country" or "going to the tropical side" means a trip to the East End residential section.
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