Things to Do: Grand Cayman

 

Last week we visited The Bahamas and the port of call of Nassau, this week I thought we would hop over to Cayman Islands and the port of call of Georgetown on Grand Cayman Island.

 

The Cayman Islands are a group of three islands surrounded by tropical coral reefs. Grand Cayman Island is the largest with a population of over 52,000 residents. This port is known for scuba diving and snorkeling due to the coral reefs, under water sea walls and a number of shipwrecks just off shore.  Let’s check out some of what else this port has to offer.

 

Located in the West Bay Area is the Cayman Turtle Centre  the Cayman’s largest land based tourist attraction. The centre, set on 23 acres, is known for breeding and researching the green sea turtle, and is the only facility in the world to have achieved the second generation of sea turtles bred in captivity. It was also the first facility to breed the endangered Kemp’s Ridley turtle in captivity. In addition to the turtle breeding pond and touch tanks the centre also has a saltwater crocodile lagoon, Predator Reef exhibit, aviary exhibit, butterfly garden, nature trail, and a swimming area with water slides. Check out this video tour of the centre.

 

Stingray City has some of the largest southern rays in the Caribbean. Visitors dive into the warm waters of the Caribbean to swim and snorkel amongst these impressive creatures. Check out this video for a short virtual swim with the rays. 

 

Visit Hell. Located in the West Bay Area, Hell is a group of short, black, limestone formations that were created by salt and lime deposits over 24 million years ago. The site is free to the public, and has several gift shops and public restrooms. Many visitors like to send postcards to friends and family back home with a postmark from Hell. A visit to Hell is just a short stop, check out this short video to check out the area. 

 

The original Tortuga Rum Cake Factory is located in Georgetown. Tours of the factory and grounds are available, visitors learn about the history of the company, the products and have a rum and rum cake tasting. To learn more click here. 

If you are craving a rum cake, you don’t have to wait to visit, cakes can also be purchased on Amazon. 

 

For those wanting to learn more about the history of the Cayman Islands, a visit to the Cayman Islands National Museum is a must. There are six exhibit galleries with over 8,000 items and artifacts in the museum’s collection. Check out this short video for a peak at the museum’s collection.

 

Located on the north side of the island is Crystal Caves, a newer attraction that opened in 2016. Guided walking tours take visitors through 3 spectacular caves and the surrounding tropical rain forest. Check out this short tour. 

 

If you are lucky enough to be spending a few days on Grand Cayman and not just visiting via a cruise ship, a must do tour through Cayman Kayaks is a eco-friendly bioluminescent tour, where visitors can really see the water come to life at night! Bioluminescence occurs through a chemical reaction that produces light energy within an organism’s body. Check out this virtual bioluminescent tour.

 

BEACHES

Seven Mile Beach, located on the west shore of the island, actually only measures 5.5 miles. The clear waters and coral sands attract visitors from around the world. Snorkeling and scuba diving Cemetery Reef is a popular activity as well visiting the shops, restaurants and bars. Public beach access on Seven Mile Beach includes Cemetery Beach, Governor’s Beach and Public Beach.

 

Scuba Divers will enjoy this dive located near Seven Mile Beach. In January of 2011, the ex-USS Kittiwake, a former US Navy submarine vessel was sunk in the Cayman Islands to create an artificial reef and shipwreck attraction for scuba divers and snorkelers to enjoy. It has been described as one the easiest, and clearest wreck dives you will ever see. Enjoy this virtual dive of the site. 

 

Starfish Point is a popular beach spot on the island due to the large number of starfish that can be seen in the water. The red cushion sea stars frequent the shallow waters of this area in search for food. The starfish can be picked up under the water but visitors should not take them out of the water, as this severely injures the starfish. 

 

Other great beaches to check out on Grand Cayman include Rum Point, Cayman Kai, Spott’s Public Beach, and Smith Barcadere.

 

We hope you enjoyed checking out Grand Cayman Island! If you got to spend the day here what would you want to see and do?