Cayman Brac and Little Cayman — A World Apart, Not Away

__Ever wished you could go back in time to the ''golden age'' of diving? A time before mega resorts and monster cruise ships, so you could be the one to dive pristine reefs teeming with sea life rather than other divers? You can. On Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, today is diving's Golden Age. From colorful coral gardens and clear water shipwrecks to our world-famous walls, the Cayman Islands ''Sister Islands'' offer an unmatched water quality and underwater diversity and lures divers from around the world to experience some of the finest underwater adventures on the planet. With more than 100 dive sites, abundant fish life, spectacular coral growth and year-round 80-degree water that offers consistent 100-foot-plus visibility, it's no surprise that Little Cayman and Cayman Brac draw discriminating divers from all over the world, many of whom return again and again to savor diving's new Golden Age.

Imagine yourself floating above Little Cayman's world-famous Bloody Bay Wall, where a sheer coral cliff drops from a depth of 20 feet straight into a mile-deep abyss. Follow schools of baitfish into the aquamarine galleries of Cumber's Caves. Explore the Captain Keith Tibbetts, a decommissioned Russian warship resting in the clear waters of Cayman Brac.

Above the water, you can indulge in another forgotten fantasy: the dream of the unspoiled Caribbean island. Walk for miles on a deserted beach or read under a palm tree in one of the many hammocks that dot the beach side. Hike spectacular limestone bluffs against a backdrop of blue ocean or explore mysterious caves within. Grab a bike and set out to meet the friendly laid-back locals on an island where iguanas have the right of way. Bring your binoculars to watch for the hundreds of species of birds that stop off at our islands, and keep an eye out for the red-footed booby birds and the rare Cayman Brac parrot. End your day with outstanding cuisine prepared by international chefs and a glass of fine wine shared over an ocean sunset.

On Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, you are not isolated from the conveniences of the modern world, you are insulated from its hassles. The islands' modern low-key resorts are just a short flight away, but they are also a world apart.