By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

A new-state-of-the-art Caribbean airport opened its doors on Wednesday, with a very special guest on hand to do the honors.

The United Kingdom’s Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall were on hand to officially open the new, modernized Owen Roberts International Airport in the Cayman Islands.

“Our pledge to provide the Cayman Islands with a world-class airport in collaboration with the Cayman Islands Airports Authority has been fulfilled,” Cayman Islands Deputy Premier and Tourism Minister Moses Kirkconnell told the crowd. “It conveys to all travelers that you are very, very important to us.”

The striking new airport, which was built by McAlpine and designed by RS&H, includes everything from a new shopping gallery and food court to a new boarding gate system, a new ticketing hall and immigration hall to new restaurants to amenities like nursing stations for mothers and a children’s play area.

That’s along with eco-friendly touches like a geothermal air conditioning system, a reflective roof and high-efficiency LED lighting.

More crucially, the new airport has a massively expanded capacity, from the old airport’s capacity of about 500,000 visitors per year to a new capacity for as many as 2.7 million passengers every year.

It’s a significant new chapter for an airport that first debuted in the early 1950s.

There is more to come, too, with plans for a lengthened runway by another 400 feet and to increase the taxiways.

“We know the memories our visitors make while in our islands will be unforgettable, and with the official opening of this airport, we are offering them a chance to embrace and cherish those memories forever,” Cayman Premier Alden McLaughlin said. “The new Owen Roberts International Airport gives us all a better, more customer-friendly traveling experience.”

It comes as the Cayman Islands is seeing record-breaking tourism numbers, part of a strategic push to strengthen its tourism sector in an increasingly competitive regional market.

In a region where more islands are grasping the importance of having modern, internationally competitive airports, it’s a huge new addition.

And as Kirkconnell said, it’s an important message to the destination’s visitors.

— CJ

The post Prince Charles Opens the Cayman Islands’ New Airport appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By Alexander Britell and Guy Britton

You don’t have to look far in the Caribbean to find ceviche, unsurprising in a region home to some of the best seafood on the planet.

Indeed, the Peruvian dish, which typically consists of fish cured in lime or lemon juice and then a range of other possible ingredients, has spread across the islands in one form of another, from conch salad in The Bahamas to aguachile on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

But while it’s ubiquitous, one Caribbean eatery has taken its ceviche to the next level.

This is Agua, one of the signature eateries at Grand Cayman’s Camana Bay development, a seafood-focused restaurant that serves up the best ceviche we’ve ever encountered in the Caribbean.

The offering is broad: there are six different types of the dish: clasico peruano, with a pepper and cilantro seasoning; “mixto peruano,” with a mix of shripm, octopus and aji amarillo sauce; thai style, with the catch of the day and flavors like coconut and lemongrass; “Cayman stye,” with tomato, orange seasoning, and scotch bonnet ; aguachile, the Mexican-style ceviche with avocado, wild shrimp and jalapeno; and nikkei, with tuna, yuzu, tamarind, soy and cilantro.

You can eat them individually or as a trio (or, for a splurge, do a sampling of all six), taking a seafood journey in the process.

Each expression is authentic and full of flavor, the juices and the spices marrying perfectly with the taste and consistency of ultra-fresh fish.

It’s all delivered with impeccable service in a bright, crisply designed restaurant in the heart of Camana Bay, in plain view of the water.

And if you like ceviche, this is the spot. And it’s the best in the Caribbean right now.

— CJ

The post The Caribbean’s Best Ceviche Is In Grand Cayman appeared first on Caribbean Journal.

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By the Caribbean Journal staff

The Bahamas’ surging development pipeline continues to grow, with another major new project set for its tourism hub of Paradise Island.

The more than $250 million Hurricane Hole Marina project is the newest by Sterling Global Development, a mixed-use development that will include an expansion of the iconic marina, a pool, two restaurants, a bank, a gourmet market, office space all centered around a collection of residences.

The first residential component of the project will be Sterling Commons, a collection of eight two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom units.

They’re designed by architect Russel Fleisher, who said his vision for the units was inspired by luxury yacht design.

Every residence will have views of the Hurricane Hole Marina and Nassau Harbor.

The biggest perk? Owners will have the option to join the Ocean Club on Paradise Island, with access to the championship 18-hole golf course, clubhouse and the beach and tennis club.

The updated marina will include fitness facilities, an on-demand concierge, a fuel dock and the ability to accommodate yachts in excess of 200 feet.

It’s the latest regional development for Sterling, which also has projects underway in Nassau, Eleuthera and Abaco.

It joins several other high-profile real estate projects in Nassau, from the recently-completed One Ocean to the $250 million Margaritaville development at The Pointe downtown Nassau.

And it’s another big project for The Bahamas, which continues to sizzle as a destination.

For more, visit Sterling.

— CJ

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