BANKS

Although Grand Cayman now has more than 692 licensed banks, only a handful are full-service "A-class" banks providing full customer banking services as visitors know it. These include Barclays Bank; Scotiabank; Bank of Butterfield; Royal Bank of Canada; Cayman National Bank; Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce and British American Bank. Regular banking hours are 9: 00 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 4:30 p.m. on Friday. 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.

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 and pounds sterling can be exchanged for CI dollars at local banks.

CLIMATE

The Cayman Islands lie in the far Western Caribbean, closer to the equator then a lot of people realize, between latitudes 19° and 20° North. The islands are cooled by prevailing trade winds, but the sun is Hot and you can be easily sunburned.

Winter - November to April

72°F to 86°F during the day. 64°F to 72°F at night

Water temperature ranges between 78°F and 82°F

Summer - May to October

85°F to 90°F during the day. 73°F to 85°F at night

Water temperature ranges between 82°F to 86°F

Relative humidity varies from 68% to 92%.

DEPARTURE TAX

The Cayman islands has a departure tax of $25 U.S. Dollars that is normally included in the price of your ticket. Please check with your airline or ticketing agent for details. If it is not included it is payable at check in your flight home.

DRINKING WATER 

The piped water in the Cayman Islands is completely safe to cook with or drink. All hotels and condos and most restaurants and private homes are connected to the city water supply. The water is originally pumped from the sea and then purified by reverse osmosis.

DRIVING LICENSE 

British rules apply, so please drive on the left and be extra careful on roundabouts. Visitors may use their home licenses for up to three months or may apply for an international driver's license. Pedestrians should remember to look right before crossing streets.

ELECTRICITY

The Cayman Islands use the same electrical standards as the USA - 110 volts, 60 Hz. Most electronics and appliances are imported from the USA, and any travel items such as hair dryers, electric razors and travel clocks will work.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

U.S. and Canadian citizens must have a valid Passport and a return or ongoing ticket.

TOURISM SEASONS

The year divides into two seasons, the summer or "rainy" season, generally from mid-May through October, moving into the winter or "dry" season, from November to April. March and April are the driest months and May and October are traditionally the highest rainfall months. This of course, does not mean that it rains constantly during either of those months, but reflects the trend within the region. Being in a tropical zone, it is not unusual to have brief afternoon showers during the summer, and, at certain times, brief morning sprinkles too. Similar to most West Indian Islands, rainfall tends to be higher in the western sections.

The Atlantic Hurricane season starts June 1st and ends officially on November 30th. The Cayman Islands is located in the far Western Caribbean, 480 miles south of Miami, 150 miles south of Cuba, 180 miles Northwest of Jamaica and more than 1,000 miles West of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Leeward Islands. The Caribbean is a large region and most storms have shown a tendency to veer to the Northwest (towards the US Mainland) long before reaching the far Western Caribbean area. Consequently, the Cayman Islands have often been spared the full wrath of devastating hurricanes. Nowhere is exempt from hurricanes though and they endured Hurricane Ivan which passed through in September 2004. Prior to Hurricane Ivan the last occurred in 1932, and more recent brushes causing some property damage, were Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, which passed 30 miles south of Grand Cayman, and Hurricane Mitch in 1998 passing about 200 miles to the south

VACCINATIONS

No vaccinations or preventative medications are recommended for travel to the Caymans. However, we always suggest that you speak to your family physician for a personal recommendation.

WATER TEMPERATURES AND WETSUITS
Water temperatures generally range between 78 – 82°F
Most people find wearing a 1mm – 3mm wetsuit keeps them comfortable.