A little History about the
Southern Cross Club
More than 60 years ago, a group of intrepid tropical adventurers decided to start a Caribbean resort on a very sparsely populated island – Little Cayman. The Southern Cross Club was born.
At just 10 square miles, Little Cayman remains true to what a Caribbean Island should be. The Island was mostly uninhabited and rarely visited until the mid-19th century and to this day continues to have limited development. 75% of our shoreline is protected and maintained by the local Department of Environment, the island’s natural beauty is therefore kept unspoiled. This tiny island is the true gem of the Cayman Islands.
In 1981, a new group of Caribbean adventurers took over management of the Southern Cross Club. This group included the legendary modern-day pirate, Mike Emmanuel, as the Southern Cross Club’s manager. It was Mike and Southern Cross Club’s new owners who pioneered the best of the Caribbean’s diving and snorkeling on Little Cayman, including the iconic Bloody Bay Marine Park – to this day the best diving in the Caribbean.
In 1995, new owner, Peter Hillenbrand, decided to call this unique brand of hospitality “Barefoot Luxury” and the 14-beach bungalow Cayman Island resort continued to evolve.