What to see in Cayman Islands

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park is a 65-acre non-profit botanical garden and wildlife facility in the North Side District of Grand Cayman, jointly owned by the Cayman Islands Government and the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. Opened in 1994, the park contains a Floral Colour Garden, a Cayman Heritage Garden re-creating a traditional homestead, an orchid boardwalk, a freshwater lake and a Woodland Trail. At its centre is the Blue Iguana Habitat, integral to efforts to rescue the critically endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana from extinction.

The Grand Cayman blue iguana (Cyclura lewisi) is an endangered lizard endemic to the island of Grand Cayman and one of the longest-living lizard species in the world. Previously classified as a subspecies of the Cuban iguana, it was formally reclassified as a distinct species in 2004 based on genetic evidence. The Blue Iguana Recovery Programme at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park has brought the wild population back from fewer than 15 individuals to several hundred through captive breeding and staged releases into the wild.

Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) is the main international gateway to the Cayman Islands, situated on Grand Cayman. Named after RAF Wing Commander Owen Roberts, a pioneer of commercial aviation in the islands, it serves as the primary hub for Cayman Airways and one of the two official ports of entry to the territory. The airport handles direct flights from Miami, New York, Toronto, London Gatwick and Houston, placing Grand Cayman within easy reach of North American and European travellers.