Little Cayman Island

Copper Canyon is OUT.
Little Cayman Island is IN.

The Cayman Islands, a United Kingdom dependency, lie in the Caribbean Sea just south of Cuba, between the Yucatan Peninsula and Jamaica, by roughly 20° of latitude north and 80° of longitude west -- about the same latitude as Mexico City, Hawaii and Hanoi, some 240 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer.

Enjoying a pleasant tropical climate, sandy beaches, and translucent waters, the country includes three islands, the largest of which is Grand Cayman. The capital city of Georgetown, where much of the population lives, lies on the west coast of this island. The much smaller Little Cayman and Cayman Brac islands are situated 80 miles northeast of Grand Cayman.

The generally low-lying Cayman Islands are rocky and of coral formation. They sit at the summit of very narrow needle-like underwater mountains, surrounded by deep ocean on all sides. The Cayman Trench, located a mere 40 miles south of Little Cayman, drops strait down to the staggering depth of 24,700 feet!

On Little Cayman, time seems to have stopped years ago. Not much more than a hundred residents live here year round. Thousands of birds inhabit the numerous ponds and deserted shores, including the inseparable enemies, the boobies and the Frigatebirds, as well as the rare whistling duck and an occasional cute and very loud Cayman Parrot. As for the iguanas, they share this peaceful island with everyone else and have even obtained the right of way on the roads.

A 2 or 3 hours bike ride will take you around the whole island, while stopping along the way to visit a few interesting spots. Owen Island is a small Gilligan-like sandy retreat in the middle of South Hole Sound. Tarpon Lake is an inland brackish water pond in which tarpons once got trapped after a storm and have since adapted and survived. Point o' Sands is the eastern most tip of the island, a wonderful sandy beach from where one can see the Brac across the channel. You'll see wildly growing cotton trees, papaya trees, a wide variety of cactus, aerial plants, and most of all... probably nobody else!

The water temperature ranges from 78°F to an amazing 88°F, depending on the season.

I've just bought tickets: Dec 24-31. Airfare was quite reasonable ($481 Denver - Grand Cayman, plus a future purchase of $125 RT Grand Cayman - Little Cayman). We're also considering Cayman Brac as an alternative. The "villa" I'm looking into renting could sleep a couple more. Interested?