Grand Cayman Attractions

Pedro St James Castle

East of George Town is Pedro St James. Originally built by an Englishman who arrived in the islands in 1765, it is the islands' oldest surviving building. Local stories also associate it with the pirate Henry Morgan and a 17th-century Spaniard, Pedro Gómez, though there's no proof. The house is touted as the islands' 'birthplace of democracy' - it was here in 1831 that the decision was made to vote for elected representatives, and four years later the Slavery Abolition Act was read here. Constructed around 1780 from quarried native stone, the house has been restored by the government as a historic site. Behind a traditional coral stone wall rises an authentic, three-storey early 19th-century great house and outbuildings, with traditional 'grounds' planted with pineapple, banana and other provisions. The adjacent acres are covered with luxuriant tropical plants, palm-lined walkways and a splendid manicured Great Lawn sprawling to a fantastic view over the Caribbean. A new Multi-Media Theatre shows a 20-minute film of the history of the castle.

Website: www.pedrostjames.ky; Telephone: (345) 947 3329; Opening time: Daily 9am to 5pm; Admission: CI$8 (adults), children 12 and under free with parent