Hell In Grand Cayman

Hell in Grand Cayman

Grand cayman may be lauded for its long stretch of pristine white beaches and water sports sure to satisfy your idea of adventure. However, despite the heavenly setting the island offers, there is such a place as hell in Grand Cayman, which is on the contrary a tourist attraction.

Many parts of the island are laid with iron shore outcroppings on different areas but locals still do not quite get it why tourists like to visit the little town of Hell at the West Bay of Grand Cayman. The town Hell is filled with these limestone and dolomite outcrops that seem to resemble charred fires of hell, with the absence of screaming souls and endless fires, of course.

The history of Hell in Grand Cayman was traced to the early 1930's. Grand Cayman at that time was a colony of the British Empire and a visiting Commissioner from England went to this district of the West Bay to shoot some birds. One of the birds he tried to shoot stood amidst a patch of sharp rock protrusions. The Commissioner missed his target and blurted out "Oh, Hell", hence the town's name.

Although Hell in Grand Cayman is devoid of the usual Caymanian attractions of white sand beach and perfect accommodations, this little district has others to offer. The center of the town lies the infamous Post Office where tourists can send postcards bearing "I've been to Hell", "Hello from Hell" or variations with such themes. Adjacent to the Post Office are souvenir shops selling t-shirts, refrigerator magnets, and other items with the "Hell" mark. Some shops likewise sell drinks to cool off your thirst after a scorching visit to Hell in Grand Cayman.

The jagged rock formations are the center of attraction in Hell in Grand Cayman, which is primarily the reason why the place was named hence. The limestone and dolomite rocks are dated to be 1.5 million years old. It serves as an archeological site in one aspect.

Primordial algae are thought to be responsible why the rocks are how they look like today - in jagged, pointed formations. The rocks underwent an extreme erosion process by tiny tropical organisms that acted on the rocks hundreds of thousands of years ago. The tiny organisms are the algae that ate away the calcium. Water was required for the algae to continue its activity, so that it stopped after the ocean slowly descended to its level today, leaving black stains on the what used to be white rocks.

The jagged rock formations seen in Hell in Grand Cayman today are remnants of the algae's primordial activity as well as microscopic fossils of algae. Be sure to send out postcards (with the official mark of Hell) to friends and family. This is the Hell you'll boast to have visited.