This post is a “Territorial Milestone” !!!
Welcome to Cayman Islands, my 20TH Territory out of a global total of 71 and the 19th island of our cruise. After my blog photos below are the key statistics, brief history and interesting facts about this destination.
The Caymans are a tax haven. Noone on the island or off the island with accounts here pays tax. 600 Banks and 75% of the World’s Hedge Funds are all registered here. The way the Government gest money for infrastructure etc is to charge the financial institutions that invest here or park their money here. As a result, the capital Georgetown and the rest of this small island is pristine and awash with mansions and roundabouts to get to them. Most mansions are empty with their owners jetting in 3 to 4 times a year to vacation here. This was easily the best kept island of all we visited.
Our ship anchored off-shore and we “tendered” in on large local island ferries from 750am. Once again I was on the first tender and stepped off on land first. That’s 20 out of 21 firsts so far. We had to catch a taxi to our Europcar which cost a whopping $USD22 just to travel 3km. Upside was that our hire car was upgraded and new and ready to go. On the road by 825am, second earliest in 19 car hires. We were on the largest of the three main Cayman Islands called “Grand Cayman”. It is small compared to its “Grand” namesake at only 50km by 20km. It is fully flat with no hills and only trees and palms. No rainforest. No jungle. Nothing lush. Its beaches are terrific since it is almost completely surrounded by an outer reef so that most beaches have no waves. There is coral but it is limited and discoloured from the many hurricanes that hit this place. Our first stop at Spotts Beach had waves but the water was clear and blue-green. The Blow Holes a little further along were nothing to write home about but the rocky shoreline looked great against a very blue sea. Our favourite place was Starfish Point because it is like a small isolated Gilligan’s Island but connected to the main island. It is covered in pines with very shallow, calm waters that feature many starfish. We tried to visit the Crystal Caves but the next tour was in one hour and we were only on this island from 830am to 230pm so no time. Also, the caves are $USD47 per person which is too steep, especially for a family. Seven Mile Beach is the most popular but it is actually a number of beaches end-to-end and measuring only 6.3 miles in length. I swam 1.5km along Cemetery Beach in the north which has few people on it. The centre and south has swarms of people and is quite frankly too crowded and very off-putting.
We made it back to a 210pm tender ahead of the last one at 230pm. Grand Cayman is worth a visit for its starfish and beaches. It is devoid of scenic landscapes but its beaches make up for it. If you like mansions by-the-sea then you will love this place but just do not expect to buy anything from under $USD20million !!! Why pay that when you can enjoy the images below for free !!!
CAYMAN ISLANDS IN A NUTSHELL:
As of 2025, the Cayman Islands is a British Territory maintaining one of the highest standards of living globally, driven by its dual economic pillars of financial services and tourism.
• Total Population (2025): 91,166.
• Over 140 nationalities reside in the islands. 45.7% are The Caymanian Peoples, followed by significant Jamaican, Filipino, and British expat communities.
• Life Expectancy: 81.6 for males, 83.5 for females.
• Median Age: 38.7 years.
• GDP Growth (2025): 2.9%.
• GDP per Capita: $USD97,750.
• Unemployment Rate: 2.4%.
• Currency: The Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD) is pegged to the US Dollar at a fixed rate of CI$1 = US$1.20.
• Taxation: There are no direct taxes (no income, corporate, inheritance, or capital gains tax).
• Domicile for an estimated 75% of all hedge funds globally. As 2025, there were over 122,700 active companies and 13,090 mutual funds registered.
• Tourism (2024): 437,842 air arrivals and over 1 million cruise visitors.
• Total Area: 264 sq km across three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.
• Forest Cover: 53% of land area.
• Highest Point: "The Bluff" on Cayman Brac, rising 141 feet above sea level.
BRIEF HISTORY OF CAYMAN ISLANDS:
The history of the Cayman Islands is marked by its transition from an uninhabited sanctuary for sea turtles to a global financial and tourism hub.
• 1503: Christopher Columbus discovered Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, naming them Las Tortugas due to the abundance of sea turtles.
• 1530s: The islands became known as Caymanas, derived from a Carib word for marine crocodiles.
• 1658–1670: The first permanent settlers, including deserters from the British Army in Jamaica.
• 1670: Under the Treaty of Madrid, Spain formally ceded the islands to England alongside Jamaica.
• 1794: The "Wreck of the Ten Sails" occurred, where ten merchant ships hit a reef off Grand Cayman.
• 1831: The first elected legislature was established at Pedro St. James.
• 1835: Slavery was officially abolished following the British Emancipation Act of 1833.
• 1863: The islands were formally declared a dependency of Jamaica.
• 1959: The Cayman Islands received its first written constitution, granting women the right to vote.
• 1962: When Jamaica became independent, the Cayman Islands chose to remain a British Crown Colony (now a British Overseas Territory).
• 1966: Landmark legislation was introduced to encourage the offshore banking industry, laying the foundation for its modern economy.
• 2004: Hurricane Ivan caused catastrophic damage to 83% of dwellings on Grand Cayman.
• 2009: A new constitution was adopted, establishing the position of Premier and enhancing local self-government.
• 2020: The Legislative Assembly was officially renamed the Parliament of the Cayman Islands.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT CAYMAN ISLANDS:
1. There are exactly 365 officially named dive sites across the three islands.
2. Most diverse food with 200+ restaurants over 140 nationalities.
3. Famous “Seven Mile Beach” is 6.3 miles long and open to the public.
4. The World's Fifth-Largest Financial Centre with nearly 600 banks and trust companies and three-quarters of the world's hedge funds.
5. The Cayman Islands have no income tax, capital gains tax, or wealth tax. This status is often attributed to a 1794 legend where locals rescued the crew of 10 merchant ships, including a royal prince, prompting the King to grant them tax-free status forever.
6. The Blue Iguana is found nowhere else on Earth but Grand Cayman. Similarly, the Cayman Brac Parrot is unique to its namesake island.
7. The islands are not independent landmasses but rather the visible tips of a massive underwater mountain range called the Cayman Ridge, which rises over 24,000 feet from the ocean floor.
8. This series of shallow sandbars allows visitors to swim with and pet hundreds of Southern Stingrays.
9. Caymanite Rock: This rare, colourful semi-precious stone is exclusive to the Cayman Islands.
10. Grand Cayman features a unique geological site of jagged black limestone formations named Hell. Visitors can send postcards from the local post office to prove they have "been to Hell and back".
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