While the Cayman Island trio currently attract streams of holidaymakers to their sparkling waters and sweeping beaches, it is unlikely that the British, or anyone else for that matter, would have found these Caribbean delights quite so desirable when they were first discovered.

A carpeting of turtles lead Columbus to originally name the islands Las Tortugas (The Turtles), and, even less invitingly, the word Cayman probably comes from the Carib word for marine crocodile, caymanas, suggesting that the islands were also well-populated with somewhat snappier reptiles. In addition to this, the Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac - have long been tied to a history of buccaneers and pirates, who, legend has it, once established hideouts here.

For the 21st century traveller, all of this is easy to forget while luxuriating on wide, sandy stretches, beside crystal waters teeming with coral reefs and marine creatures; the Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman is particularly popular and deservedly so. So while past Cayman explorers faced sharp teeth and ruthless foe, todays visitor has the rather more enjoyable activities of diving amid ship wrecks, roving though mangrove swamps, wandering ancient forest and watching an array of colourful marine life go by.

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