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Welcome to Little Cayman

Vacationers looking for secluded scuba diving, fly or tackle fishing, and nature appreciation find that Little Cayman fits the bill. Appropriate to its name, Little Cayman is only 10 miles long and two miles at its widest point. Boasting none of the glitz of Grand Cayman, 80 miles to the southwest, Little Cayman does greet guests with all the basic comforts, including several small lodges and condominiums with air-conditioning, satellite television, and telephone service.

This island is truly for those looking to get away from it all. Don’t come here expecting even a fraction of the action found on Grand Cayman. Shopping is nil, nightlife hasn’t even been considered. But for those seeking solitude, this is the place to be.

 Introduction

Little Cayman was once the home of a few die-hard anglers and scuba divers who were willing to live  without any creature comforts. One of the earliest residents was actor Burgess Meredith, who had a vacation home on the northwest side of the island in the 1970s, back in the days when electricity was produced only by home generators. (The first electrical service came to the island in 1991.)

With a permanent population of just over 100 people, the island’s primary residents are birds and iguanas. Over 2,000 Little Cayman Rock Iguanas inhabit the island, so many that “Iguana Crossing” and “Iguana Right of Way” signs are posted throughout the island to protect the five-foot-long lizards. Local artists Janet Walker and John Mulak painted the popular signs.

Most of the island’s residents live on its southernmost tip near a community called Blossom Village. Here you’ll find island services, including the airport, car rental, grocery store, gas station, real estate office, restaurant, and several accommodations. The island’s main road carves through town, but there’s certainly no need to worry about traffic. So little happens on this island, in fact, that there’s only one policeman (but locals warn that he’s happy to use his new radar speed gun) and one taxi (but the driver has another job, so don’t expect to be picked up at a moment’s notice).

Past the main road, side streets wind through Blossom Village, curving past cheery neighborhoods where everyone knows one another and visitors are greeted with waves and smiles. A small cemetery, many of its graves marked with conch shells and white crosses bleached even whiter by the Caribbean sun, marks the final resting place of former Little Cayman residents.

Parallel to Blossom Village stretches a protected marine park, with some of the top snorkeling and dive spots on the island. Here divers find  Grundy Gardens, Windsock, Harlod’s Holes, Jay’s Reef, Charlie’s Chimney’s, Patty’s Point, Pirates Reef and Preston Reef, each the location of myriad marine life and underwater formations. Several dive operators offer trips to popular sites.

Beyond Blossom Village, the main road, known formally as Guy Banks Road on the southern stretch of the island, winds north past scrubby brushland. Soon the road passes the Booby Pond Nature Reserve, a brackish mangrove pond. Trees are dotted with white birds, the red-footed boobies, and overhead the distinct shape of the magnificent frigate bird can been seen soaring on the tradewinds.

Continuing north, Owen Island is soon seen off to the right. This uninhabited island spans just 11 acres but is a popular day trip destination for picnickers, who can reach the island’s sandy beaches by row boat.

The bay to the north of Owen Island is known as South Hole Sound and this inlet marks one of the few intersections on the island. Here the Crossover Road, or more formally Spot Bay Road, crosses to the other side of the island.

Continuing north, the main road soon loses its pavement and gives way to packed dirt and sand, safe for all vehicles. Stay on the road, however, because deep sand is found at some turnoffs. Along this stretch you’ll pass many shallow ponds on the left side of the road, each lined with low-growing vegetation that forms a home for the island’s bountiful bird population. Birders enjoy a drive by Tarpon Lake, a brackish lake filled with tarpon and a favorite spot with anglers. The tarpon caught here range from three to 15 pounds. Birders will find more of interest along the pond’s shoreline.

Scrubby undergrowth becomes thick as you work your way to the north side of the  island, climbing a slight rise. This is the island’s driest end, a place where the terrain becomes marked with tall cacti and century plants (agave).

Swimmers and picnickers find an excellent spot at Point of Sand, a.k.a. Sandy Point. Turn right off the main road where you see a stop sign at the approaching road. The sand is packed for the first half of the drive, but be sure to stop at the wide section, as it soon turns to deep sand. Do not attempt to take vehicles down. It’s a long walk back to town and there are no facilities or telephones in this park. This beach, luminescent with beautiful pink sand, is one of the island’s prettiest and also most secluded. You very well might spend the entire day on this stretch of beach and never see another person. On weekends visitors from Cayman Brac often come over to enjoy the beach. A covered picnic table invites you to enjoy a quiet lunch with the sound of the sea as background music.

Beyond Sandy Point lies the East Point, the easternmost point of the island. From here you can see nearby Cayman Brac seven miles across the channel. This stretch of Little Cayman is nearly deserted, with just a few cacti overlooking acres of undeveloped land. The road then turns back south and traces the northern coast of Little Cayman, a stretch that’s one of the favorites with divers. By far the most popular area is Bloody Bay Wall, found near where the Crossover Road comes out on the north coast road. This stretch of coastline is a marine park, safeguarding what has often been called one of the best dive locations on the globe. For many years, Little Cayman’s most famous resident, actor Burgess Meredith, had a vacation home along this coastline.

TIP: To sound like a local when saying Little Cayman, pronounce Cayman with an emphasis on the last syllable.