Holidays in Cayman Islands – Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman, at 78 square miles, is the largest of the three islands that make up the Cayman Islands. It is also the most populated and developed.
George Town is the capital of Grand Cayman and is fairly quiet except on cruise days when every square inch of pavement seems to be taken up. Cruise ships arrive two to three times a week and up to four ships can arrive at a time. If you’re booking a trip to Stingray City or Rum Point, it’s best to avoid these peak times.
Like its sister islands, Grand Cayman has a museum, the Cayman National Museum. This building has had a varied past, before it became the museum’s headquarters, it was a courthouse and jail, as well as a place of worship. In fact, the old jail is now the gift shop.
Seven Mile Beach is the main place to be as far as most tourists are concerned. It’s a wide stretch of powder-soft white sand that follows the contours of the west side of the island between George Town and West Bay. This beach is combined with generally calm and clear waters. There is a barrier reef that protects the beach from strong waves and currents, making Seven Mile Beach the ideal place to learn to swim, as it also has a gentle slope that juts out into the sea.
Most of the resort hotels can be found on Seven Mile Beach, and while it’s popular, it never seems crowded. But if you want a little more peace and quiet, walk along the beach away from the hotels and condos. This beach is public, so any property built on it must allow people to access it. This is usually done by building alleyways between the hotels and other buildings. Although if you want a sun lounger, you better be a hotel guest or patron of one of the beach bars!
The other big attraction is Stingray City, which is located on the North Sound. In around 12 feet of warm, crystal clear water, you can get up close and personal with southern Atlantic stingrays. These fish were attracted to the area as fishermen used the area to clean their catch. This was helped by local divers who offered them snacks. Now they know that a boat means food. If 12 feet seems daunting, they can also be seen at the nearby sandbar, where you can stand waist deep in water.
Grand Cayman can be reached on direct flights from Heathrow Airport, flying with British Airways. Although the flight is ‘direct’, there is a landing in the Bahamas.
If you need help planning your vacation to the Cayman Islands, please contact John Guinn at Holiday Hut. As a trained Cayman specialist, he will make sure you get the most out of your time there.