Things To Do in Little Cayman

The main settlement on island is the romantically named Blossom Village, lying directly to the east of the airport between South Hole Sound and Preston Bay. Use the village as a refueling stop, not only for gas (petrol), but also for groceries if your rental has a small kitchen. Be forewarned: Since everything has to be shipped in, prices are steep. Most of the rental units on island are found here, and there's a place or two to grab a bite.

Don't speed through the village. The sole cop uses a radar speed gun -- and seems to enjoy it, so be careful.

Some of the best scuba diving on island is possible in the area.

Birders flock to the Booby Pond Visitor's Centre (tel. 345/948-1010; www.nationaltrust.org.ky/info/boobypond.html), which is operated by the National Trust. The visitor center is located in an 83-hectare (205-acre) nature reserve and has exhibits on Little Cayman's indigenous species, including the common crab and the seed shrimp. For a closer view of bird life, take a look through one of the two telescopes on the visitor center's porch. A gift shop here sells locally made crafts and island art. Admission is free and the center is open daily from 9am to 6pm.

Booby Pond  itself is a 1.9km-long (1 1/4-mile) brackish mangrove pond, home to a breeding colony of splendid frigate birds. The red-footed boobies who live at this pond are the Caribbean's largest booby breeding colony. Estimates say that some 7,000 feathered creatures of different types call this pond home, including the black-necked stilt, the West Indian whistling duck, the graceful egret, the heron, and, of course, the booby.

Of minor interest is Little Cayman Museum, Guy Banks Road, Blossom Village (tel. 345/948-1033), open Monday to Friday 3 to 5pm. It's free, although the staff will request a donation. In a green-and-white building with a wood veranda, the museum contains relics from Little Cayman's past. Some of the memorabilia date back a century and a half. The collection stemmed from the private treasures of Linton Tibbetts, an islander who sailed to the United States with US$50 in his pocket and returned to Little Cayman a multimillionaire. Everything from the attics of Little Cayman is here, including grandmother's old sewing machine.

Since getting around Little Cayman can be difficult, you may want to take an organized tour. LCB Tours, Blossom Village (tel. 800/327-3835 in the U.S., or 345/948-1033), offers a guided tour that visits all of the island highlights for CI$20 per person, with lunch costing an extra CI$16. You can also rent snorkeling gear, kayaks, sailboats, pedal boats, and surf bikes (which are basically floating bicycles).