Cayman Islands Holidays - Pirates Week

If you want to get the most out of your Cayman Islands holiday, then practise your Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation and visit during 'Pirates Week'. This is held every year in late October or November, and despite its name, it usually lasts for 10/11 days.

The Cayman Islands, sometimes called "Tortuga", after the Spanish for turtles, has a mythic status as a hangout for pirates and privateers.

This myth has increased since the start of Pirates Week. It started in 1977 by Jim Bodden, the Minister of Tourism, not to 'celebrate' actual pirate history, but as a way to increase tourism during the low season. It has grown into a major event with music, street dances, costumes, games, food and drink, Kids Day, a glittering parade, sports events, Heritage Days, fireworks and most importantly a "pirate invasion" of the capital George Town. Two pirate ships, containing dozens of pirates, land at the harbour and thousands join in as they parade through the town.

Each day during the festival the districts of West Bay, Bodden Town, East End, Northside, and George Town take it turns to host a district heritage day, with local skills and crafts on show as well as food, drink and an evening of live music.

Pirates Week ends with a "Trial of the Pirates" on the final Saturday and a Street Dance and fireworks downtown.

Most importantly, most of this is free.

Not everyone in the Cayman Islands is happy with Pirates Week, some feel that piracy should not be celebrated or made light of, and there was a campaign to end it in 2009. This was defeated, and Pirates Week remains on the Cayman Islands calendar.