Little Cayman has long served as our own island getaway for Grand Cayman dwellers. Located just 0 miles northeast of Grand Cayman, the island is a short hop away on a Cayman Airways Express plane.

By Tina Trumbach
tina@caymannetnews.com

If you’re looking for rest and relaxation, as well as a snapshot of what the Cayman Islands used to be, Little Cayman is your perfect destination.

A nature lover’s dream, the island consists of 10 square miles of unspoiled surroundings, including more than a dozen secluded beaches, numerous lagoons, mangrove forests, salt ponds and tropical forests strewn with orchids.

The least developed of the Cayman Islands, Little Cayman offers a tranquil respite from the development and increasingly hectic pace of life on Grand Cayman.

With a resident population of less than 170, most of Little Cayman remains uninhabited. Only 10 miles long and a mile wide, it still offers that rare combination of sun-blessed solitude, glistening beaches and miles of untouched tropical wilderness. Here, shy iguanas and rare birds outnumber humans.

On Little Cayman, you’ll find privacy and total relaxation. Bask yourself on empty beaches. Venture to remote South Hole Sound Lagoon for a private swim. Or row out to tiny, deserted Owen Island to enjoy a view of nature in its most pristine form. Here, you can truly ease the body and soul.

Diving is one of Little Cayman’s main attractions - especially at the famous Bloody Bay Wall and Jackson Point. Bloody Bay Marine Park is one of the world’s truly legendary dive sites: the sheer coral wall begins at 20 ft. and plunges to 6000 ft. Colourful coral gardens, wavering sea plumes and exotic tropical fish thrive among more than 50 unique dive sites.

Exceptional fishing offers another of Little Cayman’s appealing charms. Bonefish, small tarpon and permit, particularly in South Hole Sound lagoon, challenge anglers looking for light tackle action along the coast. The 15-acre Tarpon Pond is always filled with small, but feisty, gamefish.

Little Cayman also has the largest known breeding colony of the Red Footed Booby in the Caribbean, numbering approximately 5000 pairs. The 203-acre Booby Pond Nature Reserve is the Cayman Islands only RAMSAR site, and is also home to a breeding colony of Magnificent Frigate Birds and large heronry. The site is now under National Trust protection. Groundbreaking took place on 22 July, 1995 for the Little Cayman Trust House, a Caymanian-style building overlooking the rookery, which serves as the headquarters for Little Cayman National Trust activities. It also provides an observation deck with high-powered telescopes for year-round viewing of the sanctuary’s bird life.

This small jewel of an island also has its own museum, located just across from the Booby Pond Nature Reserve.

The Cayman Islands’ littlest sister is also famed for its resident indigenous Little Cayman Rock Iguana population estimated at 2,000. Signs painted by local artists were placed throughout the island in 1995 cautioning motorists to watch out for iguanas along the main coastal road.

Little Cayman has long served as our own island getaway for Grand Cayman dwellers. Located just 80 miles northeast of Grand Cayman, the island is a short hop away on a Cayman Airways Express plane. Check www.caymanairways.com for schedule details.

If going by plane, you’ll arrive at the Edward Bodden Air Field, which gives visitors their first glimpse of this enchanted isle.

There is no paved runway, only a grass landing field that only enforces the perception of an isolated island getaway. But to experience a Little Cayman vacation does not mean having to give up the comforts of home. Even though the population is sparse you’ll find a reliable electricity supply, state of the art telecommunications services and excellent accommodations.

Though size can be deceiving, don’t be fooled. Despite being our smallest island, Little Cayman offers a surprising array of rental accommodations.

From beachfront guesthouses to expansive ocean view condominiums nestled within lush tropical palms, there is any type of accommodation that you could want. All of the resorts have their own diving centres that cater to all your underwater needs.

A year-round paradise, Little Cayman also boasts an annual calendar of events-including a yearly Mardi Gras celebration and the Little Cayman Cook-off.

Those who just prefer kicking their feet up and sipping on a Caribbean-inspired cocktail can relax near the resorts in a place like the Hungry Iguana Restaurant .

Little Cayman offers it all - making it the ultimate place to enjoy some of the world’s most spectacular wall diving or to simply lay back in a hammock and while away the day.