Grand Cayman Island's clear waters and unique marine ecosystems provide visitors with opportunities for underwater excursions. Diving tour companies can provide you with day trips to snorkel or scuba dive just off-shore or deep into the Cayman trench. Divers and snorkelers alike can swim with the stingrays in Stingray City, or find your own fish and marine life snorkeling from the white sand beaches. Shipwrecks, brightly colored tropical fish and corals await your dive.
If you aren't the snorkeling or scuba type, consider taking a glass-bottom boat tour of the Cayman Islands to stay dry and still see the sights. Atlantis submarines also offer dry exploration trips of the deep.
The options for hiking and exploration in an area with so much natural beauty are many. You can follow the footsteps of explorers past on the Mastic Trail, a path through the ancient old-growth forest on Grand Cayman Island, restored in 1994. On an excursion to Little Cayman Island, visit with the boobies at the Red-Footed Booby Nature Preserve. Explore the habitat of island birds at Governor Michael Gore Bird Sanctuary. When you're finished exploring, take a trip to Hell, Grand Cayman where you can get your passport stamped to prove you've been to Hell and back.
A trip to the island wouldn't be complete without a stop at the Grand Cayman Island theme park and attractions. Boatswain's Beach gives guests a glimpse into Caymanian island life with colorful local characters, including artisans and fishermen. You can watch shark feedings or learn about their predatory natures, as well as experience marine life close up in a touch tank. A trip to Boatswain's Beach wouldn't be complete without swimming in its lagoon's warm waters.
Noted by Columbus in the 1600s, Grand Cayman Island is steeped in rich history and traditions. Explore the island's cultural history by visiting the Cayman Islands National Museum, which features exhibits ranging in subject from ecology to seafaring history. Children's exhibits make the Grand Cayman Islands National Museum germane for all ages. Delve into island history at the Pedro St. James Great House, which was created using slave labor in the 18th century. Other options for exploration include Bodden Town, the Old Homestead and East End Lighthouse Park.
