Visiting the Grand Cayman Botanical Gardens
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park (you’ll see it called Botanic Park and Botanic Garden in different places, so I also use the terms interchangeably) is a quiet oasis in the center of the island, about a 30-minute drive east of George Town. just off Frank Sound Road. The National Trust for the Cayman Islands manages the gardens on behalf of the Cayman people and they do a good job. The gardens are open from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily (April to September) and 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily (October to March) and admission is US$10 per adult, US $5 for children 5 and older and free. for small children (2009 prices).
The park covers around 60 acres of managed and quite natural countryside. It’s a good walk in the sun, so be prepared. we were not. I forgot my sunglasses and ended the day with fried eyes, but I still didn’t want to leave! The good news, for those who can no longer handle rough terrain, is that all of the Park’s rides are on well-maintained flat paths.
The park has a number of distinct features; a genuine Cayman Islands settler house (the Rankine House), a trail through the natural Cayman Islands forest (Forest Trail), a blue iguana breeding center, a flower garden (Floral Color Garden) and a lake and wetlands. Rankine House and Heritage Garden are part of the managed side of the park. It is a traditional Caymanian settler’s house surrounded by a traditional “sand garden” with the path lined with snail shells. The simplicity of home is a nostalgic reminder of where we all were not too long ago. Sometimes the 21st century can seem pretty cold despite all its attractions.
The colorful floral garden (Grand Cayman follows British spelling so I’m using it for local place names) is enjoyed via an easy walking path between brightly colored trees and shrubs arranged so that one side of the garden is red and the other is blue. Between these two extremes, plants change in the color spectrum from red to pink and from violet to blue. Butterflies large and small flutter among the plants adding their own vibrant colors to the mix. The Floral Gardens has a tea room, but don’t assume that means you can have tea. In the scorching sun, a drink would be welcome, but the tea house is an ornamental feature of the park, providing shade but not tea.
Running through the Floral Color Garden is the lake and wetlands with their collection of aquatic plants and waterfowl. The path by the lake becomes a picnic area and of course where there is food, you will find animals waiting to collect the crumbs or, if they are more daring, ask for more than crumbs. We found two motionless blue iguanas so at first we thought they were statues, then they rushed over to see what we had brought to eat! His approach was so fast that we got scared and quickly went back the way we had come. That may sound cowardly to you, sitting at your monitor reading this, but adult iguanas are big, really big. At around 5 feet (1.6 m) long, 25 pounds (11 kg) in weight, and naturally armed with sharp teeth and claws, they are a fearsome sight. I could see me lose more than a toe, if they weren’t friendly. Fortunately they were, but it’s still best not to feed them.
After a much-needed stop for refreshments at the Visitor Center, head out onto the Woodland Trail. It is a relaxing walk, about 30 minutes, with trees providing shade for much of the route and with benches for regular breaks. Along the trail is the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana Breeding Center, with its pens for growing iguanas and several pools with green turtles. One pool is called the Crocodile Hole but sadly or perhaps fortunately there are no crocodiles or alligators on Grand Cayman anymore. The trail is also a popular breeding spot for blue iguanas (I’m guessing the ones old enough to let out without parental supervision) who also like the mix of sun and shade.
Trees and wetlands are well marked to help visitors understand what they are seeing. Meandering from billboard to billboard, working on your tan and learning something new while you’re at it is a nice way to spend a morning or afternoon of your vacation. Sometimes life really is a ‘rose garden’ without thorns.