To Hell and back!

Hell. Not exactly the image you may conjure up for a sun kist tropical holiday in the idyll of the Caribbean. But try it; it’s not as bad as you think and is located on the northern part of the island beyond seven mile beach. The Devil will be there to tempt you as you are enticed into her lure. There she will tempt you with the inevitable tourist goods, but do make sure to send a postcard as it will leave postmarked “Hell”! You can truly say that you have been to hell and back. If you do go to Hell, time it well. Hell post office closes on Saturday and gets coach loads of visitors in on cruise ship days. If you survive Hell, turn right out of the car park and head out west, taking the Reverend Blackman road to The Calypso Grill over at Morgan Bay. Feast your eyes on sublime views across Stingray City, before your edible feast of blackened locally caught mahi , or another local delight excites your palate.

After lunch the searing heat will tempt you to relax Cayman style, and there is no better place here than seven mile beach; a glorious idyll of soft sands shaped by the gently lapping waves of the Caribbean. As is common for many beaches in this area most are privately owned by the hotels. However, the area from the sea to the high water mark is public, so it is entirely possible to walk along the coast stopping off at the shacks or hotel bars along the way for a rum drink (or two). A hard afternoon walking along, and lazing on, the beach calls for some hearty fare in the evening. Dukes fits the bill perfectly, and the night I was there the menu included a sumptuous local BBQ of jerk chicken and delicious ribs. All this was started off with local favourites of conch fritters and coconut shrimp; hellishly good!

Georgetown, the capital, is worth a visit, if only to look at the quaint architecture and some great views at sunset from the west facing restaurants. Beyond the countless duty free shops, there is not much else to trouble you. If you don’t like crowds check if a cruise ship is about to dock, and run like hell!

Find out more about the Cayman Islands at www.caymanislands.ky. You can fly to the Cayman Islands from both the US and UK. We flew American from Miami. Most hotel chains have a property here, along with some great looking independents. Be sure to check where your property is located, as some can be a bit remote, requiring a long walk in the heat to get to places. Depending upon where you stay you won’t need a car for your whole trip, but I would certainly get one for a couple of days to see the island. And of course, a boat trip to Stingray City and Rum Point is well worth the effort.