East Cayman & The Crystal Caves
Yesterday, I ventured off the eastern side of Grand Cayman to check out the more densely forested western Bay Area, including a stop at the Cayman Crystal Caves, one of the newer tourist spots. The barren parking lot belied how awesome this place truly was. After about a ten minute drive down dusty roads, we arrived at a pristine set of trails and visitor center nestled in the dense Caribbean jungle.
The tour encompassed three caves of increasing size, culminating in the bat cave, a refuge for hundreds of fruit bats. Each stalactite tools tens of thousands of years to form, and even the slightest touch can cause them to “rot” away. The chemicals on human skin disrupts the delicate calcium formations that make up these breathtaking spaces.