Who was the first recorded British visitor to the Cayman Islands?

The first recorded British visitor to the Cayman Islands was Sir Francis Drake. Drake was an English sea captain and privateer who circumnavigated the globe and played a major role in the defeat of the Spanish Armada. He visited the Cayman Islands in 1586, during his voyages in the Caribbean. His arrival marked the beginning of British interest in the islands, which were largely uninhabited at that time. Drake's visit helped to put the Cayman Islands on the map for future explorers and settlers, leading to the eventual colonization of the islands by the British.

Other historical figures mentioned, such as Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan, were notable in their own right; however, they were not British and their visits to the Caribbean occurred before Drake's. Columbus, for instance, arrived in the New World in 1492 but did not specifically record the Cayman Islands. James Cook, while an important explorer in the 18th century, visited after Drake, and thus is not recognized as the first British visitor.