Cayman Islands
The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory located in the Western Caribbean. They are situated 480 miles south of Miami, Florida, 150 miles south of Cuba and 180 miles northwest of Jamaica. By jet, the Cayman Islands is only a 70-minute direct flight from Miami.
Getting there
The main passenger airport in the Cayman Islands, 'Owen Roberts International Airport', is located on the largest of the Cayman Islands, Grand Cayman .
There are more than 55 weekly flights into the Cayman Islands including 28 flights each week between Miami and Grand Cayman with connections to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Grand Cayman is served by British Airways, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, Northwest, US Airways, Air Canada, Air Jamaica and Cayman Airways.
Immigration
The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism wants to ensure that all its tourism partners and guests are aware of the new passport requirements for United States citizens travelling to the Caribbean. Beginning January 23, 2007, ALL U.S. citizens travelling by air between the United States and the Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Central and South American, and Bermuda, will be required to present a valid passport.
Persons from certain countries will also be required to possess a valid visa for the Cayman Islands. A visitor may be required to show that he is in possession of a paid up return ticket or ticket entitling him and his dependants, if any, to travel to their next destination outside the Islands. A visitor may also be required to satisfy the immigration officer that they he has sufficient funds to maintain himself and his dependants during the period of their stay in the Cayman Islands
Currency
The Cayman Islands has its own currency, first issued in 1972, whose basic unit is the dollar, issued in notes with denominations of CI$100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 and coins valued at 25 cents, 10, 5 and 1 cent. The CI dollar has a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar of CI$1.00 equals US$1.25. Or, the US dollar equals CI $.80.
There is no need for visitors to exchange their US dollars into local currency. The US dollar is accepted throughout the islands at a rate of CI 80 cents. However, this can be confusing to visitors: for example, a US$20 note becomes CI$16. Banks do NOT give a better rate of exchange! Major credit cards (with the exception of the Discover Card) and travellers checks are widely accepted. Canadian dollars, Euro dollars and pounds sterling can be exchanged for CI dollars at local banks.
In addition, Automatic Teller Machines accepting VISA and MasterCard with Cirrus affiliation are located at Cayman National Bank and other banks and at Owen Roberts International Airport as well as a few other locations such as the grocery stores.
Climate
The average temperature in the winter is 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 85 degrees in the summer. Winter or summer, the temperature generally stays within the range of 70 - 90 degrees. The months with the least humidity and lowest temperatures are December through April, February occasionally recording night-time temperatures in the mid 60's, and March probably being the most "temperate" month of the year. We should also point out that most properties offer air-conditioned rooms, and the seasonal trade winds in our region help to make our islands even more enjoyable.
Text compiled from www.caymanislands.com.
