Cayman Islands

[mdmost 42997]

Going to Grand Cayman this June so I'll definitely look over this thread for advice on restaurants. What's the best side to stay on if the wife and kids want to swim in the ocean? I know Seven Mile Beach has got more development and options but Rum Point looks really nice. I know the beach options are more limited but how's the water? How far out can you go and not need water shoes due to the reef and rocks? I know we're going to spend some time on the Rum Point side since we'll want to see Starfish Point and do the bioluminescent kayaking in the evening. We're going to spend at least 5 full days so I'm hesitant to be on that side of the island the whole time. Planning to rent a car since the rates seem pretty decent. 

We're most likely doing a condo since we can get separate bedrooms for us and them and make our money go a little farther. Some decent options in the middle to upper part of SMB. Any good options to investigate for excursions? I know we'll want to head to the stingray snorkeling spot. I'm hoping the kids will take to snorkeling so we can do more of it. 

Edited March 19 by mdmost

[mdmost 42997]

We just got back from a week at Seven Mile Beach and had a great time. We were just north of the Kimpton on West Bay Road. The beach was spectacular. We stayed in a nice condo with 2 bedrooms and a patio overlooking the pool and beach. I hated waking up this morning and not having a beach to look at. We decided to try to alternate beach day with activities so we could all try to relax and not cram a bunch of activities in day after day. Sort of a one day at the beach, one day not at the beach rotation.

Things we loved:

1. Stingray City Tour- we did Captain Marvin's 3 hour tour. It took us to Stingray city which only had 2 other boats at it when we visited. We then went to an area inside the reef around Rum Point to do some snorkeling. It was beautiful. We finished with a trip over to Starfish Point which was just okay. Not too many starfish were out. 

2. Pampered Ponies- we did a 2 hour beach ride and swim in the ocean. The horses were really well behaved and getting deep into the water with them took a little faith that you wouldn't fall off since there was no saddle at that point. 

3. Turtle Center- really enjoyed the whole place. We went on Monday morning and there very few cruise ship people. We sorta lucked out with only 2 big boats around on our final morning. 

4. The food- we had some great meals. Cayman Cabana which is right by the crusie ship port had a great farm to table dinner. Fresh mangos and seafood. Would definitely do that again. The owner was very passionate about his food and it made the dinner really special. We had the tiki bar (Macabuca) at Cracked Conch since I knew our kids wouldn't really want the food Cracked Conch served. It was a good call as we got to sit right next to the ocean where the divers come in. Rum Point Club was also really good. We didn't think the Mudslide was that great but the scenery can't be beat. 

5. The Library by the Sea bar at the Kimpton- this bar is legitimate. Really cool interior and the drinks were very good. I had the Firm Encouragement which was based on the Grisham novel. We had watched the movie the night we got in since it partially takes place in the Cayman Islands. Wife and I said we may come back and do a split stay, just the two of us, at the Kimpton and somewhere along Rum Point. 

6. Bioluminescent Bay kayak tour- we did this on our final night. It was really awesome. The sky was super clear so it was easy to see tons of stars and the bands of the Milky Way. The bioluminescent sparking when you put your oars in the water of the bay was really cool. 

7. Weather was pretty awesome. It was raining most days but that helped to cool down everything. But man, when you step out of that airport and head over to the car rental area, that takes some getting used to. 

8. Driving was awesome. I figured going on the left side would be tough but it was a breeze. And I'll be damned if roundabouts don't make just too much sense and I don't get why we are afraid to put them in here. 

9. The crystal clear water was as advertised. It was so calm on our final day that you could see everything in the ocean at your feet. 

Things I wasn't so in love with:

1. The island is so small. We went on Sunday to drive counter-clockwise around the island. I thought it might take all day so we had planned to stop midway around East End and have lunch. We blew around that side around 12pm after stopping off at the Queen Elizabeth Botanical Gardens and we ended up at Rum Point around 3pm with a stop off at Cayman Caves. So we decided just to have a late lunch at Rum Point. It did help on the final night when we had to drive over to Rum Point by 9pm to make our kayak tour. 

2. The island is very flat. I was hoping for a little elevation but it was flatter than Kansas.

3. Not enough vistas on the right where you could view the ocean. I was hoping to see more of the ocean while driving and chose a route to do that but it was mostly trees alongside the road. A little disappointing. 

4. The minimum price for a group of 4 to eat a meal out appeared to be $200. Made me glad that we went to the grocery store to pick up items for breakfast and lunch most days. 

5. Never had any luck finding a nice conch shell that didn't have life inside of it. There were some in the water outside our hotel but they were not abandoned. We saw some on the beach during our horseback riding tour but it was off the side of an area of beach that was hard to get back to and we couldn't stop down to grab one. We were hoping to bring one back as a souvenir. We did grab a ton of shells to bring back. 

6. Cayman Caves were decent. It's hard to be as impressive with them after going to the ones we have here in Texas and Carlsbad.

 

Edited July 1 by mdmost

[Hate 20106]

Timely bump for me.  I’m planning a trip there in late July. I’ve been before but it has been a really long time. 

[Hollywood 342]

On 6/28/2024 at 9:14 AM, Hate said:

Timely bump for me.  I’m planning a trip there in late July. I’ve been before but it has been a really long time. 

Also headed there in late July. It's our second year in a row to go and can't wait. Now just hoping Beryl and friends don't F shit up. 

[Hate 20106]

Yeah, I’m watching it very closely. 

[HookEm 2463]

I'm also out to Cayman in July with the family.  

 

[Tailgate 3021]

I was planning on going end of August. Anyone been there around that time? I’ve heard the heat may be a bit much. The way the summer has started in ATX we are looking for a reprive. The water is awesome there and we had a great time we went a few years ago during spring break.

[Frank Drebin 5654]

13 hours ago, Tailgate said:

I was planning on going end of August. Anyone been there around that time? I’ve heard the heat may be a bit much. The way the summer has started in ATX we are looking for a reprive. The water is awesome there and we had a great time we went a few years ago during spring break.

I went in August in 2013.  I don't remember the heat being oppressive.  We had really little kids and were in the water most of the day.  And there was always a breeze.  We were on 7 mile beach.

[closetojumping 62510]

14 hours ago, Tailgate said:

I was planning on going end of August. Anyone been there around that time? I’ve heard the heat may be a bit much. The way the summer has started in ATX we are looking for a reprive. The water is awesome there and we had a great time we went a few years ago during spring break.

I haven’t been since 2019, but have been there in August like 4-5 times and never thought anything of the heat. I guess we expected it, but the water and the breeze offset it. 

[Hollywood 342]

16 hours ago, Tailgate said:

I was planning on going end of August. Anyone been there around that time? I’ve heard the heat may be a bit much. The way the summer has started in ATX we are looking for a reprive. The water is awesome there and we had a great time we went a few years ago during spring break.

Its hot and sun is intense, but way hotter in Austin. Water is warm, but pleasant. 

[Hate 20106]

We just got back from a fantastic 5 days in Cayman.  We stayed at The Westin on 7 Mile Beach.  We had trips to the turtle farm, stingray city/reef/starfish point, and the bioluminescent kayak tour.  All 3 were great, but the turtle farm wasn't quite as exciting to my 15 year old.  We did the kayak trip last night and it was fantastic.  We had perfect weather and the tour company did a phenomenal job with the tour.  We were never bored or tired.  The highlight of the trip was just snorkeling of the beach with my son.  We saw a nurse shark, sun fish, manta ray, stingray, barracuda, and a turtle within a couple hundred years of the beach.  It was fantastic.  If we go back there next summer, I am making my son sit though the scuba course so we go can diving.  

I hadn't been to Cayman in 37 years, so I was amazed at how much it has changed.  I really hated seeing the proliferation of chains throughout the island.  Christ, they are building a goddam Olive Garden there.  That's ridiculous.  I couldn't believe how developed Rum Point was.  When I first started going, there was only a makeshift wooden building with a bar in it.  I wish they could make all the multiple-million dollar homes in that bay keep their lights off.  I wish Cayman would start to discourage more growth, but I don't see that happening.  Hell, they even have a "highway" there now...I do like the round-abouts though.  Cayman is going to look like a mini Miami in the next 10-15 years.  That's going to be unfortunate.

[Irwin F Fletcher 3550]

Been back about a week. Saw the thread get bumped. Spent four nights at the Westin on Seven Mile beach to celebrate the 27th wedding anniversary with the wife. 

Didn't really venture out at all, hit a couple of restaurants and bars. Having visited about 15 years ago, kinda knew it's not a huge food destination. 

We enjoyed setting up our beach chairs about stomach deep in the water and enjoying an all-day buzz in the.....ended up looking like a lobster.

I was actually impressed with the aquatic life we saw snorkeling from the shore. 

Definitely would go back again for a quick trip to rest and relax.

[HookEm 2463]

I must have been there the same time as all of you. Got back on Thursday night.  Unfortunately the last hurricane washed away much of the sand in front of the condo we rented on 7 Mile Beach.

The weather was hot, but generally great before noon and after 4 PM.  The best thing to do is get up early and hit the snorkel spots... come back a take a nap after lunch... and then hit the beach again going into sunset (which is always fantastic).

The snorkeling was just unreal as usual:

• Eden Rock - just great, probably the best shore snorkeling I have ever done.  I could do it all day. Like you all, we saw some awesome fish. There are 5 ft tarpon schooling out in the coral. 
• Gamma shipwreck - We snorkeled around sunset.  What an awesome easy snorkel spot to spend an hour. 
• Smith Cove - Saw a reef shark, which was scary.  
• Cemetery Beach - Really nice beach with some decent shore snorkeling 50 yds from shore. Saw a 300 pound turtle. 

Food was really really good overall, but expensive (which is expected)

• Chicken! Chicken! - Ate lunch when we got there, and then got it for takeout again a few days later. So good.  
• Pane & Pasta - Solid pizza spot
• Seven Mile Burger - Great burger and mahi salad. And relatively cheap
• Ms. Pipers Kitchen - Awesome spot behind the Hampton. Tremendous food and a great atmosphere
• Peppers Bar & Grill - Decent dinner. Had some island curry goat that was pretty good

[Hate 20106]

49 minutes ago, Irwin F Fletcher said:

Been back about a week. Saw the thread get bumped. Spent four nights at the Westin on Seven Mile beach to celebrate the 27th wedding anniversary with the wife. 

Didn't really venture out at all, hit a couple of restaurants and bars. Having visited about 15 years ago, kinda knew it's not a huge food destination. 

We enjoyed setting up our beach chairs about stomach deep in the water and enjoying an all-day buzz in the.....ended up looking like a lobster.

I was actually impressed with the aquatic life we saw snorkeling from the shore. 

Definitely would go back again for a quick trip to rest and relax.

We must have been there at the same time. I was at The Westin from July 22-26.

[Irwin F Fletcher 3550]

49 minutes ago, Hate said:

We must have been there at the same time. I was at The Westin from July 22-26.

We were there July 17-21st. 

[mdmost 42997]

8 hours ago, HookEm said:

Unfortunately the last hurricane washed away much of the sand in front of the condo we rented on 7 Mile Beach.

What part of 7 Mile Beach? From your restaurant selections, I'm thinking you were more on the south end by Camana Bay. We passed on places down on that end because I couldn't tell if the beach was still there. That end had a bad erosion problem after Covid so some places significantly lost their beachfronts. 

[Hate 20106]

The Lobster Pot has always been one of my favorite places. We went last week and it didn’t disappoint. If you have kids, they will let them feed the tarpon that swim up just below the restaurant. Make reservations for 7 and enjoy one of the best sunset views on the island.

 

 

[mdmost 42997]

We had Cayman Cabana just down from that by the Casanova italian restaurant and it was great. They offer a farm to table dinner every Thursday with a menu they create that morning based on what the farmers have available. It was fantastic. Mangos were in season and they made a coconut ceviche that was so damn good.

[HookEm 2463]

Yeah we were staying in a condo just north of the Marriott.  There used to be 20 ft of beach in front of the condo and it was all washed away, including the stairs to get there.  

If going again, I would probably go at a different time of year. The weather wasn't unbearable, but also wasn't the break from Texas heat that I needed.  Texas was actually cooler while we were there.

We went to Cozumel last summer.  The family all liked Cayman better, but honestly it felt a lot like going to a Miami suburb outside of the crazy clear water and great beach.  I think I enjoy the culture in Mexico better personally.  It is also significantly cheaper, so for the same price the condo was MUCH nicer in Cozumel.  Also the direct SWA flight to Cozumel from Austin was awesome.

Next summer, I think we will try Puerto Rico.