Family Fun on the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands rise out of the western edges of the Caribbean Sea enticing all with their varied charms.

On Grand Cayman you will find that there are many captivating tours that appeal to all ages that makes this island ideal for a home base for the family.

Stingray City is Grand Caymans star attraction and is the site for a daily feeding ground for stingrays. This attraction was actually established when the fisherman of the island fed their sea- food scraps to the stingrays.

Nowadays instead of fisherman you will find boatloads of tourists diving, snorkeling and swimming with the stingrays. Should you decide to take this opportunity then you will find guides at the ready to teach you how to feed and pet them and how to hold them up for a photo opportunity.

The experienced diver can go into deeper sites but mostly the action is on the shallow sandbar making this an ideal experience for children to get involved in.

Moving on from stingrays to turtles. Take a trip to Boatswain's Beach Adventure Park and Turtle Farm to feed fully-grown turtles in a center large pool or younger turtles that reared in smaller pools.

Boatswain's Beach Adventure Park and Turtle Farm actually started as a turtle farm it has expanded and a visit here will give you a fuller experience of the Cayman Islands. There is a living museum section, which shows traditional Caymanian l and where you can hear local fishermen and craftsman tell historical stories.

It is here that you will find an aviary showcasing a variety of birds such as the rare Cayman parrot and two snorkeling lagoons, which recreate undersea life typical of the water surrounding the islands.

You will also be able to explore the West bay Woodlands by following the nature trail. Along the trail you will see tropical gardens, colorful butterflies and the Blue Hole cave system.

In fact it is quite possible to spend a whole day at Boatswain's Beach Adventure Park and Turtle Farm without any of the family getting bored.

On the other end of island there is more interaction with one of the planet's rarest creature, the blue iguana.

There is a program that you can get involved in that is run from the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman that enables you to spend some time gathering flowers from a local field before going onto the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park where you can feed your gatherings to the baby lizards.

Here you will also see massive fully gown iguanas with their vivid red eyes and brilliant turquoise scales.

The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is not only home to blue iguanas but also offers the chance to enjoy seeing a rainbow of tropical plants and a chance to walk a woodland trail where you can see plants in more natural settings. All this complete with mahogany trees, cockspurs and palms.

Remember there are other islands and over on Little Cayman you will have plenty of open wilderness to explore where iguanas outnumber the residents. Stay at the South Hole Sound Lagoon to snorkel and view the island's undersea life at is purest or just to enjoy a private swim.

Rent a kayak and head over to Owen Island, which is a cay not far from Little Cayman. Here you are unlikely to encounter another soul.

For some of the best diving in the area you need to visit Cayman Brac. Cayman Brac is largely undeveloped and frequented most by divers, who want to visit sites such as M.V. Captain Keith Tibbets, which is a naval frigate that was sunk ion 1996 and has become an artificial reed that is now home to dozens of tropical fish such as silversides, angelfish, and tarpon.

Whatever you wish for a vacation you will find on the Cayman Islands.

Source: Continental Airlines Guide to the Caribbean