Cayman Islands

In 1957, former US Navy frogman Bob Soto opened the Caribbean’s first dive center on Grand Cayman, establishing the island as the birthplace of recreational scuba diving.

Sally Herschorn encounters a Hawksbill turtle at Hammerhead Hill, on the North Shore of Grand Cayman Island. Photo: Ed Wolfstein/Getty Images

Overview

The Cayman Islands deliver a diversity of attractions. To bankers, they are the Switzerland of the Caribbean, where 600-plus banks and more than 100,000 registered offshore corporations fuel an international web of commerce. Divers come for some of the Caribbean’s clearest waters and the chance to navigate the crests of submerged limestone cliffs that drop precipitously from shallow water to depths of more than a mile.

Foodies focus on the upscale resorts of Seven Mile Beach to sample Michelin-starred meals and innovative culinary fusions. Shoppers browse duty-free offerings and luxury goods in downtown George Town. Nature lovers can paddle the mangrove channels of Grand Cayman’s North Sound, or head for the quiet sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac to walk deserted beaches or follow footpaths into unspoiled woodlands and wetlands.