Visitor Information

Before you go, check out the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism website (www.caymanislands.ky), an extensive search engine designed to help you find information about accommodations, dining, shopping, watersports, and other travel services. You can also sign up for printed or e-mail brochures and book vacations directly on this site. Alternatively, write to the Cayman Department of Tourism at P.O. Box 67, George Town, Grand Cayman, B.W.I., or call the Cayman Department of Tourism at tel. 345/949-0623.

Once you land in George Town on Grand Cayman, you can visit the Department of Tourism, located in the Pavilion Building on Cricket Square (tel. 345/949-0623). Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 5pm.

In the United States the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism maintains the following offices: 8300 NW 53rd St., Miami, FL 33166 (tel. 305/599-9033; fax 305/599-3799); 18 W. 140 Butterfield Rd., Suite 920, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181 (tel. 630/705-0650; fax 630/705-1383); Two Memorial City Plaza, 820 Gessner, Suite 1335, Houston, TX 77024 (tel. 713/461-1317; fax 713/461-7409); and 3 Park Ave., 39th Floor, New York, NY 10016 (tel. 212/889-9009; fax 212/889-9125).

In Canada contact Earl B. Smith, Traveling Marketing Consultants, 234 Eglinton Ave. E., Suite 306, Toronto, ON M4P 1K5 (tel. 416/485-1550 or 800/263-5808; fax 416/485-7578).

In the United Kingdom contact Cayman Islands, 6 Arlington St., London SW1A 1RE (tel. 0207/491-7771; fax 0207/409-7773).

The Cayman Islands Government (www.gov.ky) website is full of important tourist and travel information, reports current local news, and features a community and sports calendar. Destination Cayman (www.destination.ky) is another great information source that features a Cayman business directory in addition to a visitor center with travel news and local forecasts, annual events, photographs, and much more.

Since the Cayman Islands are so small, very detailed maps are rarely a problem. All you'll need is the Cayman Islands Travelers' Road & Dive Map, which is available free. This fold-out map also includes good maps of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac if you're planning to visit these satellite islands. Car-rental firms distribute this map, and it is available at hotels or condo rentals, even dive shops, tourist attractions, restaurants, and the Owen Roberts Airport.

Telephones

To call the Cayman Islands from the United States or Canada, dial 1, then the 345 area code, and the local number.

To call the Cayman Islands from the U.K., dial 00, then the 345 area code, followed by the number.

While vacationing, call the U.S. direct by dialing 1, then the area code and number. Call Canada by dialing 011, then 1, the area code and number. If you're calling the U.K., dial 011, then 44 and the number.

Call tel. 411 for directory assistance in the Cayman Islands. Dial tel. 0 for internal and external operator assistance. Phone cards and credit cards can be used to make international calls. Nearly everyone has a cellphone so don't expect to encounter many old-fashioned phone booths.

Toll-free numbers: Numbers beginning with 800 within the Caymans are toll-free, but calling an 800 number in the States from the Caymans is not. In fact, it costs the same as an overseas call.

Offshore Investments in the Cayman Islands -- Thanks partly to a crackdown from U.S. banking and drug-enforcement authorities, and partly to U.N.-sponsored pressure from the British Central Bank, things have gotten very squeaky-clean these days in George Town. Because of legislation enacted in 2000 and 2001, owners -- corporate or individual -- of bank accounts are required to complete page after page of documentation about the source and origin of their funds.

If you're curious about investing your (legit) money here, you might want to attend one of the frequent investment seminars hosted by the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman (tel. 345/945-1234) or the Ritz-Carlton (tel. 345/943-9000).