What Are the Grand Cayman Islands?

Geography

• The Cayman Islands are located in the Caribbean, about 150 miles south of Cuba and a little more than 160 miles northwest of Jamaica.

Size

• The total area of the Cayman Islands is 100 square miles. Grand Cayman, the largest island of the Caymans, is 76 square miles in size. Cayman Brac is the second largest, measuring 14 square miles. Little Cayman is the smallest, measuring just 10 square miles.

Misconceptions

• Many people believe that the Cayman Islands are called the Grand Cayman Islands. This is incorrect. Grand Cayman is substantially the largest island in this three island nation. The other two islands are Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Grand Cayman is the island that is visited the most.

Fun Fact

• The Cayman Islands are actually the tips of an underwater mountain range known as Cayman Ridge.

Expert Insight

• The deepest part of the Caribbean Sea is between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, called the Cayman Trough. It is the best part of the Caribbean Sea for sportfishing and to scuba dive.

Identification

• The Cayman Islands are made entirely of limestone. Because of this, they are the only islands in the Caribbean without any rivers or streams.