Looking for an antidote to the stresses and strains of modern life on a small Caribbean island with limestone bluffs, cooling ocean breezes, gently rolling waves, turquoise waters, tropical birds, and a kaleidoscopic palette of colorful coral reef fish? Succumb to relaxation far from the crush of cruise boat crowds in your surprisingly economical Cayman Brac vacation rental, on the beachfront if you choose. Explore caves, kayak, snorkel, dive, fish, hike, bike, or just walk the beaches picking up seashells.

Forget the expensive resort hotels. Save money with a Cayman Brac vacation rental beachfront condo or home as your diving and snorkeling headquarters. Dive Cemetery Wall or Wilderness Wall, and gaze at angelfish, sea turtles, barracuda, groupers, snappers, puffers, parrotfish, horse-eye jacks, triggerfish, and brightly colored tangs among the corals and sponges. For a change of pace, dive or snorkel the wreck of the 330-foot Russian frigate MV Captain Keith Tibbetts. There are dozens more primo walls and dive sites within minutes of the shoreline. Plus there is good bonefishing.

Bring your sturdiest hiking boots, and take the family hiking through the rocky forest and grassland terrain of the Brac Parrot Reserve, which is studded with orchids, cacti, agaves, mangoes, and tropical hardwood trees. The Reserve is home to rare Cayman Brac parrots, as well as black-whiskered vireos, white-crowned pigeons, and migratory songbirds fleeing the harsh northern winters for the Caribbean warmth. A money-saving West End vacation rental is also perfect for watching the nesting wetland birds from Westerly Pond’s viewing platforms. From April to August, marvel at the large least tern colony sunning themselves at nearby Salt Water Pond.

Limestone bluffs rise from the flatlands of the West End and become rugged seaside cliffs abruptly dropping into the sea at the opposite end of the island. Thus, the island features clusters of pocket-sized small beaches for those seeking escape. Forget the hotel beaches, as fine as they may be. For a really romantic holiday or private family time, select a money-saving Cayman Brac vacation rental with a private beach.

Heritage House has exhibits, day classes, and special activities for kids. To really dazzle the kids, visit the Bat Cave for the night flights of the Jamaican fruit bats. The island’s original government administration building is now the Cayman Brac Museum. Take a few minutes to learn about daily island life, shipbuilding, turtle harvesting, and the hurricane of 1932. Cayman Brac may be a small island, but your family will hate leaving their money-saving vacation rental to return home.