Cayman Islands Holidays

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Like most things that are worthwhile, reaching the Cayman Islands can be hard work (only BA fly direct), but the pay-off is pure heaven. Think of the Caribbean dream and you have Cayman (pronounced kei-man) - a place of sugar white beaches and waters so clear that you can see every crevice and crustacean.

Any tour of the islands (there's Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) is bound to include a visit to Seven Mile Beach - a stunning stretch of sand pictured on every postcard. Nonetheless for all its fame, SMB remains remarkably unspoilt and you can still stroll its length before breakfast and barely see another soul.

A boat trip to Stingray City and Sandbar, a sandy shallow spot where you can meet the Cayman Islands' most famous residents - southern stingrays - is another must. On any given day, you'll find hundreds of black, velvety stingrays doing what they have done for aeons: feeding and frollicking in the waves. As you enter the water, the stingrays will swim right into your arms - talk about mesmerising experiences!

Of course while the sand and sea (Cayman boasts some of the Caribbean's best diving) is the biggest draw, there is plenty to see and do beyond the beach and out of the water. Check out the Turtle Farm (Columbus saw so many sea turtles when he sailed through the region that he names the islands 'Las Tortugas), the 65 acre Queen Elizabeth 11 Botanic Park (where you can get up close and personal with the endemic blue iguana) and the Disney-esque Cayman capital: George Town. Throw into the mix world class restaurants as well as beachside bars blaring Bob Marley music and you've got a destination that, despite having a village called 'Hell', is anything but...