Grand Cayman Island: Hell in Paradise

Photos & story by Debbie Stock

As luck would have it, I visited Hell on Grand Cayman Island shortly after a hurricane thrashed the island. Hard to discern whether swaying palms were merely leaning or actually uprooted, on closer look you could see the damage—at the gates of Hell not so much. Black limestone formations poking out of lush, green surroundings formed over 24 million years looked just as dark as ever. 

I was impressed seeing the resilience of this tourist-based economy and how quickly the island gets back to business, cleaning up and rebuilding. Grand Cayman is the largest of a cluster of three self-governing British Overseas Territories in the western Caribbean Sea—the others are Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. English is the language spoken there.

The westernmost of the three, Grand Cayman is approx. 22 miles long and encompasses 76 square miles with more than 50,000 people living in this island paradise. Its size makes it easy to get around fairly quickly except during hurricanes, of course.

On my visit the creatures at Cayman Turtle Centre were thriving at one of a tiny handful of turtle conservation facilities in the world. It takes a long time to check all 280 turtles at Cayman's largest land-based tourist attraction because they are all swimming freely and the pond they live in is large and deep.  Owned and operated by Cayman Islands Government, the first commercial venture to domesticate Green Sea turtles keeps data at every stage of their lifecycle. They are the largest of the hard-shelled sea turtles and the second largest of all turtle species, with several at the Centre weighing more than 500 pounds! There are touch tanks, a hatchery, an aviary where you can see the national bird, the Cayman Parrot, a butterfly sanctuary and more to explore.

The relaxing boat ride to Stingray City sandbars offshore was an amazing trip. I was among the admiring fans of the Atlantic stingrays, ominous looking creatures who didn't hurt a soul. Stepping off the boat ladder into shallow water (three-feet deep,) you brush up against these large creatures. Stingray City is a group of sandbars accessible through tours, allowing you to swim with and feed these friendly rays.

Even the cemetery where our dearly departed are interned above ground seemed intact with no restless spirits floating about.

As a fan of beaches and reason for visiting, I drove by many of the soft, white sand stretches named Seven Mile Beach (actually 5.5 miles long) and Cemetery Beach "buried" within for great snorkeling, Governor's Beach, West Bay Beach, Rum Point, Colliers, Spotts Beach and many more! Just tuck your toes into the smooth sand and feel the aqua-colored waters for paradise unmatched. I noticed toppled boats scattered in parking lots or on lawns a quarter-mile distance from the shore, another sign that a hurricane had been there.

Grand Cayman Island is a beautiful, sunshine destination which happens to experience hurricanes from time to time (one to several in a typical year.) It could affect your decision to buy property and become a long-term resident but don't let it scare you from visiting. You'll miss out on a once in a lifetime memory where Hell awaits for all to see, but keeps only those who misbehave and can't be redeemed (wink.) As a final note, don't be offended if somebody tells you to go to Hell on Grand Cayman Island.

Getting there: Owen Roberts International Airport - CYM, Grand Cayman
Cruise ships from Florida and elsewhere have Cayman Islands as part of an itinerary