Compared with its tiny sisters, Grand Cayman is party island. As the largest and by far the most active of the three, the big dot attracts 99 percent of the tourists, most of whom flock to hotel-stocked Seven Mile Beach. You can expect even bigger crowds as fallout from The Firm. Haven't read the book? You won't lack for companion readers - they're everywhere on the island - and almost every local has a story about the film crew or a family member who was an extra.
But mostly Grand Cayman remains unchanged. The diving is still excellent - you'll swear you've taken a plunge into a pet-shop fish tank. The gentle stingrays still cluster at Stingray City. Rum Point, a beach bar on the North Sound, still serves up cinnamony rum punches. Television personality Chef Tell still dishes up extreme romance at his oceanside restaurant. And you can still spend an entire day floating in azure waters as clear as your hotel swimming pool.
During most sunlight hours you'll be water-bound - hoisting your gear onto an early-morning dive boat or positioning yourselves for optimal tanning on the decadent stretch of Seven Mile Beach. On Grand Cayman, a hotel without a watersports shop is a rare sight, but those who want to check out the underwater sights without getting wet can descend 100 feet on the air-conditioned Atlantis Submarine; the company also offers high-ticket 800-foot descents to a shipwreck in a two-person sub.
A day of tooling around in a Rocky Jeep is a must. Head west to the town of Hell, complete with its own velour-clad devil, before zipping over to the turtle farm with its human-size terrapins. In spite of the turtle soup on sale in the snack shop, the farm really does help protect several species.
Grand Cayman's sparsely populated East End will refresh you with long streches of craggy coast. In Savannah, the oldest island structure is a castle rumored to have been built by pirates two centuries ago. Stop by the blowholes for some awesome pictures of watery spires. On the way back, harborside George Town will tempt you with its Gucci and Fendi shops.
Nights in Grand Cayman are laid-back. Those who don't have an early-morning dive gravitate to Ramada's Treasure Island nightclub and Island Rock disco. Hopping pubs include the Lone Star Bar & Grill with its 104-shot menu and Tex-Mex fare or My Bar on the shores of Sunset House, where parched dive pros head. If you crave some romantic dining head to the deck of the seaside Wharf or to Lantana's for nouvelle Southwestern cuisine. And famous Chef Tell is always ready to shake your hand at his Grand Old House. It's nice to know that fame hasn't spoiled Grand Cayman.
