Little Cayman

When a group of adventurers opened the Southern Cross Club in 1958 the island boasted a heady population of 12. Now, after a population explosion (!), it is home to about 170 year-round residents and continues to be one of the least developed, safest tropical islands in the western hemisphere.

The diving is truly world-class and some of the best on offer in the Caribbean. The world-famous Bloody Bay offers some of the best wall dives in the Caribbean. It's a perfect vertical drop-off that plunges from within 20 feet of the surface to depths of more than 3,000 feet. The late Cousteau declared this one of the most dramatic walls he knew. Visibility here is usually excellent, often in excess of 100 feet, thanks to the absence of run-off from the shore. The steep nature of the walls allows for all kinds of diving, from beginner through to advanced.

To the right side of Bloody Bay Wall is Jackson's Bay, famous for its exciting swim-throughs that lead you from an inner sand belt, through the patch reef and into the Big Blue. This section of the wall isn't as steep as Bloody Bay, but its more rugged bottom creates fantastic landscapes and holds hundreds of crevices and tunnels.

The marine life in the Caymans will surprise you with its friendliness and abundance. Whether it is the occasional appearance of a Gray Reef Shark patrolling over the wall, the silent flyby of a Spotted Eagle Ray, gentle encounters with a resting Nurse Shark, the never ending ballet of the many Sting Rays feeding in the sand, or the surprisingly sociable Hawksbill Turtles, you'll be impressed by the diversity of these waters.

All in all, this is a great place to visit if you want stunning diving, and laid-back, affordable accommodation.