We generally like to have a dry day before our flight out after a week of diving, and even though recommendations are for an 18-hour window after the last dive before flying, we like to do 24 hours for some extra margin. With a 7am flight, that meant sitting out the last day’s morning dives for us.
We were happy to rent a car and get to see a little more of Cayman Brac too. While small, real small, there are a few things which you can do to fill a few hours and provide some topside activities.
Sunset Point
We were staying on the West End of Cayman Brac at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort and came mostly for the diving. So as we headed out, we opted to start by heading west to the westernmost point of the island.
Aptly named Sunset Point, there is a small park on the rugged rocky coast, but the positioning to view of the sunset is perfect. Probably a good spot to see the planes land also, it’s right next to the runway. And from this vantage point we could also see the sister island, Little Cayman, on the horizon.
We then drove along the southern coastal road, South Side Road, all the way to the end of the road stopping along the way for some quick photo ops. The small island doesn’t take long to drive across. Cayman Brac is only 12 miles long and just a little over a mile wide.
Bat Cave
Our first stop was Bat Cave. Easy to climb up with the wooden staircases that are quite solid, we had a look around. We didn’t see any bats, but it was an interesting rock formation. There are a lot of caves on Cayman Brac and even high up on the Bluff we could see openings.
The Bluff (The Brac in Gaelic)
We read that the Bluff itself is 25-30 million years old and formed of hard dolostone rock. The many caves were formed by the sea and the waves before the last ice age. Holes made by the roots of plants would collect rainwater which gradually dissolved the limestone causing more cracks and erosion.
The Bluff is the highest point in the Cayman Islands and rises 140 feet above sea level. I’m sure it must be impressive to see from a boat.
Bubble House
This odd-looking house is a landmark on the island and is said to be hurricane proof. We only stopped to get a picture from the road. It is a private residence.
Southeast Point
The furthest point the South Side Road goes is to the Great Cave. This is another large set of caves but as we approached, we saw what looked like pretty rickety leaning ladders that didn’t inspire our confidence. Perhaps for the more adventurous and those wearing proper footwear!
Similarly, along the shore, one could hike along the rocky terrain to get to a blowhole further along the coastline. The heat midday was such that we were not keen to do the long rocky hike and just appreciated the view from the edge of the roadside.
Cayman Brac Lighthouse
We then drove back along the same coastal road to take a well-marked turnoff to the lighthouse. The road climbs the Brac and then continues on toward the easternmost point where we came up on Cayman Brac’s lighthouse.
The lighthouse itself is not much to look at but the rocky area is a great place to see birds and hike along the rocky ridge. We didn’t come prepared for the two-hour hike in the heat, so we just looked around the lighthouse area for a while.
Mid-day was even too hot for the birds. We saw a few soaring frigatebirds but none of the brown boobies that are supposedly common in the area. These birds dive into the water to catch fish and often have frigatebirds following them trying to steal their catch.
While we didn’t have much luck with the boobies, we did get to see some cute little finches, wading birds, and lots of chickens by the resort.
Cayman Brac Museum
Next, we drove back along Major Donald Drive and turned right on Bluff Road and down the other side of the island where we stopped at the small Cayman Brac Museum. It’s free but donations are appreciated.
There were a few small rooms showcasing private collectors’ artifacts including some from the local shipwrecks such as the Tibbets. No photos were allowed at the request of the private collectors.
The Caves
Aside from Bat Cave and Great Cave there were a few other caves along the way including Skull Cave where we stopped. This one actually had a strong smell of guano in there unlike Bat Cave. We even heard about a cave where some of the locals actually take refuge during hurricanes.
Conclusion
Ultimately, there are a lot less things to do on Cayman Brac than on Grand Cayman or some of the other islands we’ve visited like Curaçao or Bonaire or Cozumel.
That said, that is perhaps part of the charm of Cayman Brac in that there are far less people and much less activity. For diving it’s a great laid-back destination to chill out between dives.
Our car rental was about $40 for the day. We could probably have had a taxi driver take us around for a tour for about the same price which may have been simpler.
We did get the sense from the staff at the dive shop and at the resort that they really appreciated us looking around their island. Many just come for the underwater parts and don’t bother to explore the land-side activities. Our little half day tour of land-based attractions was a nice way to spend part of our final day before returning home.