A Diver's Paradise
You don't have to be certified to visit the Caymans ... but from the number of scuba shops on Grand Cayman alone (more than 40 of them), you might be excused for thinking that if you haven't memorized your dive tables, you won't have anything to talk about at dinner. No worries, because this trio of islands with dazzling reefs also has its share of above-water charms.

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ISLANDS editor Ty Sawyer has extensive dive experience in the Caymans and recently highlighted the all-new Lighthouse Point condo rentals as a great way to access the remarkable underwater world of Grand Cayman. This spot earned a place on our list of the Best of the Caribbean 2008.

Stay in a Lighthouse Point condo rental, available in spring 2009, which will offer diving access to the North West Point. lighthouse-point-cayman.com

Eat at Blue, chef Eric Ripert's dining room at the Ritz-Carlton. The absolute best dish in the Caribbean may be the tuna foie gras. ritzcarlton.com

Luxuriate at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and the Silver Rain spa with a Caviar Firming Facial. ritzcarlton.com

See Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. It's the quintessential Caribbean: powdery sand and blue water that's just the right temperature.

Shop on Grand Cayman. If you're looking for the right Gucci accessory to go with your beach towel, head downtown to George Town, the capital of this British Crown Colony, where duty-free shopping and, conveniently, offshore banking are national pastimes.

Venture beyond Grand Cayman. The 18th-century pirates who once favored neighboring Cayman Brac have now been replaced by savvy travelers looking for a quiet place to test drive a hammock with the blue Caribbean as a backdrop. Meanwhile, it's mostly fishermen and divers who stay in the handful of small hotels on Little Cayman, where bonefish and tarpon (and ever-present iguanas) are favorite topics of conversation.

Dive here. That's what takes center stage. You can snorkel with mild-mannered stingrays at Stingray City on Grand Cayman, cruise the world famous walls of Bloody Bay on Little Cayman, or explore the wreckage of a Russian ship sunk as an artificial reef off Cayman Brac. And for those who prefer to stay dry, a submarine tour on Grand Cayman takes visitors down to 100 ft. into the silent world.