Cayman Turtle Centre

Nature and wildlife in the Cayman Islands

Explore a wetland, forest trails, a botanic park and places to encounter Caymanian wildlife.

These stops bring together protected habitats, woodland walks and wildlife encounters across the Cayman Islands. Look for nesting seabirds on Little Cayman, explore Grand Cayman’s dry forest and see conservation work alongside native plants and animals.

  1. Booby Pond Nature Reserve

    Parks & Nature, Sister Islands district

    Booby Pond is a hypersaline lagoon and Ramsar-listed wetland on Little Cayman, with the Caribbean’s largest nesting colony of red-footed boobies. From the National Trust house, visitors can watch frigatebirds chase returning boobies.

  2. Cayman Crystal Caves

    Parks & Nature, North Side

    Guided walks at Cayman Crystal Caves pass through tropical forest and three limestone caves. Along the way, guides point out roosting bats and strangler figs, as well as the caves’ stalactites, stalagmites and underground lake.

  3. Cayman Turtle Centre

    Things to do, West Bay

    At this West Bay conservation and education park, visitors can see green sea turtles in breeding ponds, touch tanks and a saltwater snorkel lagoon. Turtles released from the centre help rebuild wild populations.

  4. Mastic Trail

    Parks & Nature, North Side

    The Mastic Trail crosses black mangrove wetland and ancient woodland in Grand Cayman’s largest surviving stand of old-growth dry forest. Native parrots, orchids and towering mastic trees are among the sights along the route.

  5. Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park

    Parks & Nature, North Side

    Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park combines formal gardens, a heritage garden and a lakeside woodland trail. It is also a place to see the endangered Grand Cayman blue iguana, bred in the park’s conservation programme.

  6. Starfish Point

    Beach, North Side

    At Starfish Point, red cushion sea stars gather in knee-deep water near Rum Point. Visitors can wade slowly to spot them, while leaving the sea stars underwater.

  7. Stingray City Sandbar

    Things to do, North Sound

    Boat tours visit the shallow sandbars of North Sound, where wild southern stingrays glide around visitors in waist-deep water. Guides show how to interact with the rays gently and respectfully.