Dare to Go Bare Winter 2011 – Little Cayman Island, Caribbean
Little Cayman Island is a magical place with more than a dozen secluded beaches on a mostly undiscovered coastline, with lagoons, mangrove forests, salt ponds and pristine wetlands strewn with orchids. This is a diver’s paradise, with 81-degree water temperatures and more than 57 dive sites, including one of the world’s best – Bloody Bay Wall. You can also visit Jackson Bay wall and reef for shallow and deep diving, and Sarah’s Set for views of lobsters, channel clinging crabs, stingrays and octopuses. Scuba Diving Magazine awarded first place to the Cayman Islands for ‘Overall Rating of the Destination’ and ‘Wall Diving’ in the 2011 Readers Choice Awards.
Little Cayman is home to hundreds of varieties of fish, pristine natural barrier reefs, and clear blue water. You can charter a boat and enjoy diving, snorkeling or sport-fishing. Expect to see wildlife, including iguanas that have their own crossing signs, giving them the right-of-way on all roads on the island. Little Cayman’s indigenous rock iguana population is estimated at 2,000, far greater than the permanent human population of 170.
Eat
Restaurants include Bird of Paradise and Beach Nuts (the social hub and best bar on the island). Pirates Point Resort Restaurant where chefs take great pride in staying true to the island’s traditions and present authentic Caribbean seafood specialties daily and fresh-baked breads, luscious fruit and house-made desserts. Hungry Iguana Restaurant, located within the Paradise Villas, features a different dining experience every night, although island specialties like conch fritters are almost always available. Do not miss the local rum, Seven Fathoms™, hand crafted in small batches on Grand Cayman and aged underwater.
Stay:
Southern Cross Club with 13 private, spacious and comfortable beach bungalows, all with ocean views and more 900 feet of brilliant white sand beach. Relax in a hammock under a thatched pavilion overlooking the lagoon, or lounge at the pool with a full-service bar overlooking South Hole Sound. For adventure seekers, the resort provides staff and two custom-built Seahawk dive boats catering to beginners and experienced divers and those who do not like crowds. The resort features eco-friendly design and operating practices, so you don’t have to feel guilty.
