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CAYMAN BRAC
THINGS TO DO AND SEE
There are few places in the world as friendly and safe as Cayman Brac. As you drive around the island you will need to have one hand available at all times to return waves from the friendly locals. Everyone greets everyone on the Brac.
Here the modern world and all its trappings have blended so smoothly with the traditional charm of island life. However, on Cayman Brac you can keep in touch via the internet in your room, or lie on a secluded beach in the shade of a palm tree with a clear view of the blue Caribbean Sea and forget that the rest of the world exists.
Tour the island easily by car or ride a bike, without any risk of traffic jams. Explore local craft shops or visit one of the many local restaurants, with several overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Choice selections are Aunt Shas Kitchen, La Esperanza or the Captain’s Table, located at Brac Caribbean, with several others to consider.
Children especially will enjoy a few hours of cave exploring. According to local lore, the notorious pirate Blackbeard hid his ill-gotten gains in one of the many caves pitted along the side of the Bluff. There’s no need to pack your metal detectors, however, as the only treasures that you’re likely to find are the little fruit bats that live inside. These perfectly harmless mammals will not bump into you. Remember that, while daytime is convenient for you to go cave exploring, these nocturnal creatures are still snoozing.
Cayman Brac has long been known to scuba divers, snorklers and fishers as a world-class destination. The clear blue waters and abundant sea life have few rivals in the Caribbean, while the local diving operators continue to receive awards for their top-notch services. Once divers discover the Brac, they return year after year, finding they enjoy the topside of the island as much as the marine world.
A visit to the Russian destroyer is on the must-do list of any diver. Renamed the MV Captain Keith Tibbetts after one of the Brac’s most respected citizens, but generally referred to as “the wreck”, the 330 ft. ship was sunk in 1996. Since then, the Russian warship has become an internationally famous dive-site, attracting schools of fish, eagle rays, stingrays, barracudas and many other tropicals. The deck slants from 50 to 77 ft. below the surface, with gun turrets rising up to 25 ft. above that. On a clear day, this makes a good snorkeling site. For strong swimmers it can be reached from the shore, a distance of about 100 yards. There are 47 other marked dive sites around the island, including three at the Russian wreck, which preserve the pristine beauty of the reefs.
The land mass of Cayman Brac is dominated by the Bluff, a huge limestone formation that rises form the flat west end to a steep drop over the sea at the eastern edge. The Bluff, rising to 144 feet at the highest point, covers 75% of the island but is sparsely populated. Its cliff face gives stunning backdrops to the views from sea level and fantastic panoramic vistas of the ocean from the top.
Some of the patch over the rise make the excellent hiking trails and cover jagged limestone rock for which a good pair of hiking boots is advisable. A number of sturdy wooden staircases hug the side of the Bluff along the north side, providing easy access to hikes through unspoiled dry forests. Brochures showing detailed routes of all the trails and heritage sites on the island are available throughout the island.
The many dirt roads that now criss-cross the Bluff offer much easier hiking and traffic is still occasional. Common bird sightings include the pretty little banaquits, the Caribbean elaenia and the blue-black smooth billed ani. The brown booby birds nest in the cliff-face of the Bluff and can easily be spotted either at the base or from the top at Lighthouse Point.
The long dirt track up to Lighthouse Point, bordered in the cooler months by a profusion of bright yellow shamrocks, is best made by car. Along the way, you’ll pass the National Trust 180-acre Parrot Reserve. If you didn’t bring binoculars, you’ll probably wish you had. A pair of comfortable sandals is adequate for a gentle stroll around the Westerly Ponds. Located on the southwest of the island, these mangrove-fringed ponds are home to a wide variety of waterfowl, such as the tricolored heron, the black-necked stilt and the snowy egret. A number of boardwalks have been built around the edges of the ponds for nature lovers and aspiring bird photographers to get a better view. At the extreme west end, a bench is provided for a fabulous view of the sun rising over the ponds.
For those who like to sleep in a little longer, a second bench a few feet away, facing the opposite direction, looks out towards Little Cayman, a perfect place to watch the sun slipping into the ocean at the end of a day. Additionally, a beautifully landscaped park, offering playground diversions and local flora, is easily accessed on the Southwest side of the island. It also provides many grills for outdoor lunch or an evening cookout.
There are still many people on the Brac who remember the sailing history of the Brac, and have an unlimited store of tales about life at sea and life on the land, when the Brac was largely isolated and life was hard but the community was strong. The population of around 1500 is still largely Caymanian, but with an increasing number of foreign nationals coming to live here, for work or because they have found the perfect retirement spot.
These days, more and more people have air-conditioning in their houses, sport utility vehicles in their garages, and computer and satellite television bringing the world into their homes.
You still can’t beat a good day’s diving, snorkeling, swimming, fishing, or just relaxing on the beach.
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