I went to Hell (in the Cayman Islands)

Have you ever been told to go to Hell? Well, next time you should book a trip to the Cayman Islands, or Grand Cayman in particular, where there is literally a place called Hell.

I went to Hell (in the Cayman Islands)

That’s right. Hell is a tourist attraction (actually it’s more like a tourist trap, to be fair… more on that in a moment) in West Bay, Grand Cayman Island. It’s a patch of rugged, rocky terrain consisting of hellish-looking black limestone formations, roughly the size of a football field.

You can’t actually walk on this striking, lunar-like terrain, but you can take a photo from a nearby viewing platform:

I went to Hell (in the Cayman Islands)

Naturally, there’s a gift shop in Hell, where you can pick up tacky souvenirs (Tshirts that say “I’ve been to Hell and back”) as well as ice creams, Coke, and water. More interestingly, there’s also a post shop, where you can send postcards from Hell to your friends and family overseas.

I didn’t buy anything, or send a postcard to anyone, but I did pose for a devilish photograph:

I went to Hell (in the Cayman Islands)

Most Grand Cayman tours seem to stop in Hell, which is cool, because this quirky place is well worth a look. But I certainly wouldn’t seek it out – unless you’re really into geology. Apparently, the rock formations in Hell are formed by a unique interaction between filamentous algae and limestone.

Regardless, it’s not everyday that you can say you’ve been to Hell and back.

About Simon Petersen 500 Articles
Travel blogger, journalist, sports and movie fiend. Chronicling the life and times of a Kiwi at home and abroad.