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Grand CaymanMost of the population of the Cayman islands live on the 78-square-mile (202 sq km) Grand Cayman, and every day thousands of visitors arrive, many of them on cruise liners, to besiege the narrow streets of the island capital, George Town, and delight in the beautiful beaches. The busy little colonial capital also draws its fair share of wheelers and dealers being a major offshore investment center with more than 500 banks. The banking business has made Grand Cayman an affluent society, but decadence has not accompanied the wealth. There are no glitzy casinos and wild club
venues here, and nudity on the beach is frowned upon. The natural attractions are enough to draw the crowds, however, with the coral reefs, clear waters and sandy beaches offering the chance to try out any watersport imaginable.
Cayman BracCayman Brac was the setting for Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island, and it remains today much as it is described in that well-read novel with its dramatic scenery, maze of caves and many offshore wrecks. 'Brac' is the Gaelic word for bluff, and the island's bluff is on the eastern extremity where a sheer limestone cliff drops perilously into the sea. There is plenty to explore here both on and offshore. Inland tropical plants bloom year-round and between the fruit trees and cacti stunning bird life is to be found including, if you are lucky, the rare Cayman Brac Parrot. Most people are attracted to Cayman Brac for the excellent diving; the newest attraction is the wreck of the 330ft (101m) Russian-built Cuban naval frigate which was sunk off the island's northwest coast in 1996. It is already the home for a variety of marine life. Fisherman come to the island to revel in the shallow waters filled with bonefish and the deeper offshore waters teeming with game fish. Those who simply want to relax can enjoy the solitude of one of the many quiet beaches.
Little CaymanLittle Cayman is the least developed of the Cayman trio. With a resident population of less than 200 and measuring only 10 miles (16km) long and a mile (2km) wide, it still offers that rare combination of sun-blessed solitude, glistening beaches and miles of untouched tropical wilderness. Here, shy iguanas and rare birds outnumber humans. Famous dive spots on the northwestern coast such as the Jackson Point and Bloody Bay Wall attract most visitors to the island but they are also great for bird watching. One of the world's largest nesting colonies of red-footed boobies are to be found among the mangroves in the Booby Pond Nature Reserve, which is also home to some gliding frigate birds. Rock iguanas abound and there is also a rare tree-climbing lizard hiding well camouflaged in the green and brown island vegetation.
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