by Pam Hectorne

Created on: May 18, 2008

Whether you arrive by plane or cruise ship, Grand Cayman is one of the most beautiful islands to visit. George Town, the capital of Grand Cayman, is located on the largest of 3 islands. The island, located 480 miles south of Miami, is a high-lying reef with a highest elevation of roughly 24 meters above sea level. There is no natural fresh water on the island, so any fresh water needs must be met by catchments or desalination of seawater. The lack of fresh water rivers accounts for the beautiful exceptional clarity of the sea.

The eastern side of the island is somewhat undeveloped, while the western side of the island, which holds George Town and the airport, is more developed. Towns on the island are referred to as "Districts". Fast food restaurants, night clubs and resorts can be found on the western side of the island. The eastern districts offer more restaurants specializing in native Caymanian cuisine.

SHOPPING

The downtown George Town area is small and filled with a variety of stores along the waterfront. Here you will find a number of duty free shops where you can purchase jewelry, clothing, and souvenirs, as well as the famous Tortuga Rum Cake and black coral jewelry. Due the conservation laws in the Cayman Islands, it is illegal to harvest live coral, so the raw materials are imported from Honduras and Belize. It is carved and polished and offered in a variety of jewelry options at jewelry stores throughout George Town.

You will find countless opportunities to purchase t-shirts and other souvenirs, or even drop a bundle on designer clothing, diamonds, cameras, or Swiss-made watches. You can also find a variety of Cuban cigars for sale here. But beware of how merchandise is priced. Usually everything is marked in Cayman Dollars. One U.S. dollar is only equal to 80 cents Caymanian, so be prepared. Most of the prices on Grand Cayman are pretty high already, then factoring in the unfavorable exchange rate, you may find there are few real "bargains" to be had - even duty free.

George Town is a very popular cruise ship destination so you will find it very busy during the morning and early afternoon hours most days, except Sunday. All the shops in George Town are closed on Sundays. Mid to late afternoon is usually the best time to go to George Town for shopping. The cruise ships will be departing and you can walk around more freely. It gets very crowded on the sidewalks when several ships are in port simultaneously.

If you are stopping over as part of a cruise

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