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The Rustic Eco Friendly Gardens & Beach of Tropical Breeze on Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
The Grand Cayman Islands Go East campaign encourages visitors to ... Hike our trails & parks… open the door to our rich cultural heritage…stroll secluded beaches… take your time… life here moves at a slower pace.
Eco Gardens at Tropical Breeze Bed & Breakfast @ Breakers, Grand Cayman Islands
Your hosts at Tropical Breeze Bed & Breakfast, Grand Cayman Island are very conscious of preserving the natural environment and its surroundings. We have taken much care in replanting and preserving native Cayman Islands plants. Whenever possible nature has been left completely untouched and we are proud to point this out to our visitors to this Grand Cayman Island bed and breakfast vacation property, making our Cayman vacation bed & breakfast villa attractive to vistiors of Grand Cayman's nature tourism and Ecotourism.
 
Ecotourist guests can see some of Grand Cayman's flora and fauna right in the gradens of this Cayman villa rental. Our gardens have Red Birch, Banana sucker trees, Plantain sucker trees, Wild Jasmine (Frangipani, Plumeria), the Broadleaf plant (Cordia), native Cayman Islands lilies including the Crinum Lilly, the Spider Lilly, Coconut Trees, Banana Orchids, The Cayman Mango, Hibiscus, Elephant ears, Cuban Royal Palm (Roystonea regia), Christmas Palms (Veitchia merrillii), Papaya, Vine Pear cactus (Selenicereurs grandiflorus), Sea Grape (Coccoloba uvifera), Bougainvillea, Cochineal, Lime, Calabash or Gourd (Crescentia cujete) aloe and many other plants.
Native to the West Indies, Frangipani, Plumeria or the Wild Jasmine as they are known in the Cayman Islands, lose their leaves in the dry season. These hardy trees produce large showy fragrant flowers. These trees produce a milk when limbs are broken.
Banana Orchid
The Banana Orchid, the National Flower of the Cayman Islands, blooms in May
Sea Grape
Found commonly growing along the Cayman’s coastline, the wood of the Sea Grape tree was the wood of choice when producing white lime (the daub) for the Grand Cayman Islands traditional wattle and daub houses of yesteryear. The ripe fruits of this plant are flavorful and delicious.
Crinum Lily
The Crinum Lily is able to withstand drought and seaside conditions and is now found generally near the sea. The lily has large white and pink flowers. This fragrant lily can be smelled as visitors to the gardens of this Cayman bed and breakfast rental past by the plant.
Cochineal
A form of cactus, the Cochineal, has an interior pulp that was used as a shampoo, hair conditioner and in the treatment of wounds. The Cochineal has a lovely night blooming flower. Vistors to this Cayman garden can see this beautiful reddish flower in April and May.
Hibiscus
There are about two hundred species of Hibiscus and types belonging to this genus that are found in great abundance in gardens throughout the Caribbean and in our Grand Cayman gardens, we currently only have 3 varieties of Hibiscus, all red in color.
Firecracker
Originating from tropical America, this plant is now fairly common in the Caribbean and we have two species, one red and one off white in color.
Plumbago
Flowering for most of the year the Plumbago is a hardy plant with pale blue flowers contracting with the bright green leaves of the plant.
Dwarf Poinciana
Wide spread throughout the Caribbean this plant flowers throughout the year. The flowers are a range of yellows and reds.
Poinciana
Originating in Madagascar with reputed claims that specimens grew wild in Jamaica in 1756, this tree is now widely distributed throughout the Caribbean and attains heights of forty or fifty feet.
Cordia
One of Cayman’s most beautiful flowering native trees is the Broadleaf tree, also known as the Corida. This tree was often included in the yard garden because of its showy orange flowers. The rough leaves of this tree were once used to polish turtle shells.
Aloe Vera
Though native to the Mediterranean region Aloe has been grown in the Cayman Islands for generations to treat burns, (including sun burns), scrapes and cuts and is still being used today. While visiting our Grand Cayman bed and breakfast villa, guests can snap off aloe as a soothing relief to treat sun burn.
Periwinkle
Commonly found throughout the Caribbean the Periwinkle flowers continuously. The colors of the flowers vary from pinkish-red-to white. The leaves are dark green and have a shiny, waxy surface. The Periwinkle originates from Madagascar.
Bananas & Plantains
Bananas and Plantains were an important part of the diet and their popularity still remains today. The leaves of these plants were to stuff mattresses which were called “plantain trash mattresses”. This was done by removing the rib (vein) and drying the leaves.
Calabash
Native to Florida, the West Indies and continental tropical America the Calabash or Gourd tree produces a green fruit that cannot be eaten but was very useful to the early Grand Cayman island residents. The large hard shelled fruits which are called Calabash or Gourds were harvested when ripe and the smelly pulp was removed leaving an extremely durable hard shell which was used for bowls, dippers, water containers and more recently handbags.
Bougainvillea
Native to Brazil, Bougainvillea is one of the most popular landscape plants in the tropics. It blooms best in the dry season and is covered with thorns.
Mango
The most popular of all fruit trees is the Mango tree. The Mango is a large treeing growing anywhere from thirty to one hundred feet with glossy dark green leaves. The delicious kidney-shaped fruits are produced during the summer months. Many varieties of Mangoes are available today, but in the past only a few could be found in Cayman. My personal favorite is the Grand Cayman long mango, there is none better.
Coconut Trees
Probably the one plant that most evokes the idea of a tropical island paradise is the coconut tree. This palm tree from the south Pacific is now found throughout the tropical world. Coconuts take about 12 months to develop from flower to mature fruit and one tree can produce between twelve and eighteen bunches of fruit per year. Caymanian (people native to the Cayman islands) and visitors alike enjoy the tasty soft endosperm of the inside (coconut meat as it is called). The water is also a refreshing drink that is said to cleanse the kidneys.
We are happy to discuss plant uses of the Grand Cayman Islands with our Ecotourism guests.
Critters found in the Gardens of Tropical Breeze B&B Grand Cayman
Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, lizards, frogs, land crabs (seasonal), parrots and a variety of birds are some of the wonderful wildlife that can be experienced at Tropical Breeze Bed and Breakfast Grand Cayman Islands. A recent guests best describes the experience, “Spend some quiet time on the back porch...Jet (the resident house kitty), various frogs, butterflies, and parrots will eventually come and welcome you and accept you as one of their own”
 
Butterfly & green lizzard in the garden of this
Grand cayman B&B vacation villa rental
Banana bird about to take flight on the gord tree in our gardens
The Grand Cayman Swallowtail butterfly is a frequent visitor to the lime tree which is just off the lower sun deck
at TB bed and breakfast in Grand Cayman.
In our Grand Cayman gardens visitors may also find the large Pseudosphinx tetrio caterpillar with a distinctive yellow and black body and red head. This is a type of Hawk Moth and commonly feed on the Wild Jasmine trees.
Silver Thatch Palms & Limestone Rock Formations
The Silver Thatch Palm, the National Tree of the Cayman Islands, and the Limestone rock formations are planned highlights for the nature trail which should be added to our Grand Cayman bed and breakfast property late 2008. All guests and especially our nature tourism and Ecotourism guests will be able to take nature walks and discover some of Grand Cayman's wildlife in our gardens.
Several hundred feet of our nature trail has been added already
Grand Cayman is a limestone island set on top of a submarine mountain range called the Cayman Ridge. The Cayman islands (Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) lack rivers or streams because of the porous nature of the limestone rock. It is this lack of runoff which gives the surrounding Caribbean Sea exceptional visibility, often well over 120 ft.
Beach Evolution at Tropical Breeze Bed & Breakfast Grand Cayman Islands
Already owning a Grand Cayman vacation villa in the upscale
beach community of Cayman Kai on the northern end of Grand
Cayman island and responding to the demand for more
reasonable accommodation rates from potential guests, the
search for a property that could be offered at a cheaper
accommodation rate began. Recognizing the possibility for
cheap Cayman Islands vacation accommodation rentals, in May
of 2004 the purchase of a neglected seaside property was
completed. The Grand Cayman vacation property was separated
by the main road having the beach and ocean on one side and
the island home and Cayman cottage on the opposite side,
making the purchase price more reasonable had the home been
directly on the beach.
Not only did this Cayman seaside property seem to be perfect
in the opportunity to develop a Grand Cayman vacation villa
to offer at an economical rate but one of the main features
that attracted us to this property was its connection to
nature. After being purchased, the Cayman villa and Grand
Cayman vacation cottage were extensively interiorly
renovated and given a minor facelift to the exterior.
In September 2004 during the final stage of initial
renovations, the Cayman Islands suffered an almost direct
hit by hurricane Ivan. This hurricane devastated the better
part of Grand Cayman flattening almost everything in his
path, including most of the natural vegetation around this
property and the roof on the main house. The scene in the
days that followed was heart wrenching to say the least, the
wonderful shade trees that made the beach so appealing to
us, were all gone, left in their place were battered and
bare trunks, broken and fallen trunks. Ivan left us with 1
lone surviving coconut tree on the beach property. The
vegetation to the rear of the property had become just as
non existent with all of the larger trees now lying
lifelessly on the ground.
Renovations that followed hurricane Ivan were long and
expensive as materials and labour became even more costly
following Ivan, it would have been more profitable to sell
the property at this time, nevertheless we were determined
to accomplish a Grand Cayman affordable vacation rental the
Cayman vacation home and Grand Cayman vacation cottage was
again renovated and given new life, new plantings were made
with the anticipation that no hurricanes would hit us again
for many years; however, to our dismay, hurricane Wilma
pasted by and while she was no Ivan, she completely
rearranged the beach side of the property, taking with her
all of the new plantings and leaving a mountain of sea
rocks.
Hurricane Wilma, like Ivan before her, damaged the roof on
the main Cayman rental. The roof was redesigned and
reconstructed. After months of renovations, the home was
ready for rentals and the beach was replanted for the 3rd
time in as many years, then hurricane Dean came knocking.
Dean was hundreds of miles away but his force was felt
greatly on the beaches of the south side of Grand Cayman.
Dean took our picnic tables, our cabana, and all but 2 new
plantings.
Since this we have just about given up the fight against
nature. We remain committed to replanting (coconuts trees),
rebuilding (hammocks stands, shade shelters), and
repositioning (new lounge chairs for the beach) but as for
the beach itself, this is being left to mother nature as she
has shown us she is in control of all things natural. Nature
tourism guests appreciate our efforts to be at peace with
Mother Nature. This affordable Cayman vacation villa rental
allows guests to experience Grand Cayman at an economical
rental rate that is not found elsewhere on the island and
while our beach is not the best, we are not promoting our
beach (this is an island and beaches are all around us); we
are promoting a cheap accommodation rental in Grand Cayman
and we hope that potential guests can recognize this.
The beach as it was purchased in 2004 prior to hurricane Ivan
Prior to hurricane Ivan
"Ivan" the furious – September 2004
The island of Grand Cayman was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 from September 11 to September 12. With Category 5 strength, Ivan passed within 30 miles of Grand Cayman, hitting Grand Cayman with winds over 180 mph (290 km/h) and gusts up to 200mph. Grand Caymen island reported no more than a few deaths - none directly caused by the hurricane - but over 80% of the buildings were either damaged or completely destroyed. Ivan was the worst hurricane to hit the island in 86 years.
Following hurricane Ivan end of 2004
Following hurricane Ivan
After hurricane Ivan
Before hurricane Wilma
Clean up efforts after hirricane Wilma and the beach a few days later
The day hurricane Dean was passing and the day after
After hurricane Dean
April 2008
The best advertising we have is comments by past guests who have taken time out to send in personal reflections of their visit to Tropical Breeze Bed and Breakfast, Grand Cayman, please see
http://www.rentors.org/guestbook.cfm?pid=46858 for this information.
We thank all past guests for the wonderful comments sent in and encourage comments from new guests.
All ocean views depicted in this page are actual views from our Cayman rental villas at Cayman Seaside Villas, Breakers, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands photographed on different days at different times of the day and different seasons of the year. This has been done in efforts to give visitors to our site or our home, a realization of season changes to the beach and surroundings of our property.
Flowers bloom at various times of the year. Flowers may not be in bloom during your visit.
We are not responsible for conditions of neighboring properties. We make no claims of having a manicured Grand Cayman beach. We can not by law (by the directions of the Department of Environment of the Cayman Islands) remove turtle grass from the ocean. We can not by law (by the directions of the Department of Environment of the Cayman Islands) remove sea rocks from the beach.
We can not and do not make promises or guarantees as to the weather conditions at any given day of the year.
Our cheap Grand Cayman vacation prices do not allow for resort type accommodations. We are budget conscious place to stay in the Cayman islands.
If our property was “prime beach” location we would not be a “budget priced”, economical place to stay on Grand Cayman.
We have some of the cheapest rates and are probably the most affordable place on Grand Cayman for the amenities offered.
Professional photography by David Wolfe
Amateur photography by Lisa Powell-Ebanks
Plant info from the Queen Elizabeth11 Botanic Park “One With Nature” and "Flowers of the Caribbean"
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