Cayman Islands – to Hell

Cayman Island has a traditional tour that you can easily get from the dock area. It is generally around $25 per person. You’ll have no trouble finding one at the terminal both before and after leaving the secure area. Your driver is also your tour guide and these are primarily done in small buses or large vans.

Pro Tip: They drive on the left so you may want to hire a taxi if you want to do this on your own and come from a drive-on-the-right country.

The traditional tour of Grand Cayman goes to the main attractions in the part of the island near the port, which I will discuss below and in other posts about Grand Cayman.

Pro Tip: Sit on the left side (facing front) of the vehicle to see most things better as the pullover on the left (because they drive on the left).

Governor’s House

First, you generally see the Governor’s House behind a pretty fence.  The governor is picked by the queen and is replaced every 3 years.  While his home is on Seven Mile Beach (which is open to the public), it is requested that you avoid that part of the beach for their privacy.

Gingerbread House

The next stop is called the Gingerbread House and is one of the remaining examples of the traditional homes on the island. Its actual name is “The Old Homestead” and it is according to many reports, the most photographed house on Grand Cayman. It was built in 1912 and is white and pink (so it is also sometimes called the pink house). There used to be tours of the home with cake and coffee by the son of the builder, but he got too old and now it sits vacant. The yard is raked sand and there are some scrubby bushes and trees on the lot.

Seven Mile Beach

Then you drive past Seven Mile Beach on the west coast going North. It is considered one of the best beaches in the world. All the beaches on the island are public. However, you can’t see this beach from the road because there are resorts and bars and restaurants in the way. There are public access pathways to the beach between them if you can find parking.

Hell

Then you go to Hell, which was named after the field of rock formations that people think look like what hell would look like. Here there is an old guy named Ivan who is dressed like the devil who runs the show in Hell  Despite how they look, the formations are not volcanic but instead are worn away sedimentary rocks.  A wooden devil was added for flavor and it fits well with its surroundings. 

While visiting Hell, you can buy postcards and stamps at the store and have them stamped with the Hell postal stamp. Additionally, there is an almond tree by the road, and you can crack them open on the rock there.  Long skinny almonds are the result if you don’t hit it too hard and just get powdery shards.

The trip from Hell back to the cruise port is in another post.