A little more than an hour's flight south of Miami, this prosperous British territory's big draw is a crystalline sea alive with colorful sea-life- - and the miles of stunning white-sand beaches it washes. From pampering at luxurious resorts to DIY-living at multiple condo residences, the island trio offers all the world-class amenities needed for a hassle-free Caribbean honeymoon or wedding.
Wedding Requirements Getting married in the Cayman Islands is as easy (and quick) as filling out an application for a non-resident marriage license, which can be granted the same day. Documents needed are passports, Cayman Island immigration cards if you arrive by air or embarkation cards for cruise ship passengers, and a letter from the Marriage Officer who will perform your ceremony. Two witnesses are required. Applications as well as a list of licensed Marriage Officers can be obtained from The Cayman Island Passport and Corporate Services Office. For more information, visit caymanislands.ky.
What To Do
Grand Cayman Despite a financial boom fueled by off-shore finance, Cayman’s main attraction remains the simple pleasures of enjoying the island’s seductive sun, sea and sand. Home to almost all of the territory’s population, 22-mile long Grand Cayman is the star of the group. The capital city and a popular cruise ship port, diminutive George Town is packed with duty-free shops offering luxury goods. Arcing north of town, stunning white-sand Seven Mile Beach stretches between George Town up towards the West End, and has the lion’s share of the island’s accommodations and action, from high-rise hotels to restaurants and nightclubs. Grand Cayman has a fantastic dining scene, from high-end cuisine at Eric Ripert’s Blue (located in The Ritz-Carlton) to romantic seaside dining on the terrace of plantation-style Grand Old House, a prime location for sunsets and weddings. Some 50 minutes from town by cab -- or a leisurely sail by catamaran (Red Sail Tours offers trips daily), the palm-shaded beach at Rum Point is the place to swing in a hammock to music and cool rum concoctions. A few miles to the east, Kaibo Beach Bar at Cayman Kai offers an even more relaxed, local-oriented scene. The East End has inviting white-sand beaches and low-key resorts if you want to seclude yourselves; it’s a good 45-minute drive back to the restaurants, shops and nightlife around Seven Mile Beach.
Cayman Brac and Little Cayman Offering some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, Cayman’s sparsely populated Cayman Brac (dramatic cliffs) and Little Cayman (tropical lagoons) offer a true getaway for couples into nature, beachcombing and each other. To get there, you’ll need to connect in Grand Cayman on Cayman Air; check the schedules as flight-frequency varies depending on season. Your accommodations are boutique hotels with friendly staffers and a good proportion of repeat guests, who consider these islands “home away from home.” Nightlife is limited to swapping fish tales over happy hour, star gazing and maybe a night dive or two.
Diving Scuba diving- - and the island’s amazingly clear, electric-blue and turquoise waters -- are what put the Cayman Islands on the tourism map in the first place. Pulsating with colorful marine life, Grand Cayman is surrounded by literally hundreds of dive sites like The Aquarium, Black (coral!) Forest and Hammerhead Hill, whose names speak for themselves. Great dives off Cayman Brac include a sunken Russian warship and giant barrel sponge-encrusted Bluff Wall, home to numerous sharks, rays and sea turtles. Dropping from shallow water into the abyss, Little Cayman's incredibly shear Bloody Bay Wall is frequently rated one of the world’s 10 best dives. You hardly even need a mask, however, to visit Grand Cayman’s most famous aquatic site of all -- the original Stingray City, where snorkelers can swim among and handfeed its playful inhabitants.
Off The Beaten Path
Kayaking If Little Cayman (pop. 170) isn’t idyllic enough, pack a picnic and kayak over to uninhabited Owen Island, where together you can spend the day exploring the deserted beaches of this eleven-acre paradise. It’s about as far away from it all as it gets. — Peter Zaremba
