Want to visit the Cayman Islands? Use this travel guide to help plan your trip!
The Cayman Islands enticed us because of the diving opportunities and the easy trip to Miami, where we met up with friends. Here’s all the info that can help make your trip easier to plan and more fun!
Why the Cayman Islands?
The Cayman Islands are easy. If you want a tropical vacation with lots of options and little planning, the Cayman Islands have you covered. They, Grand Cayman especially, are focused on tourism, providing plenty of options for activities, restaurants, and hotels. Because of this, families, especially those with kids, are everywhere. You’ll also find fantastic diving at more than 300 dive sites in the Cayman Islands!
Quick Tips
- Language: English
- Currency: Caymanian Dollar CI$. They do accept US dollars though you’ll likely get Caymanian dollars in return. The exchange rate is close but CI$ is higher.
- Wear sunscreen and reapply, especially if you’re diving! I learned this the hard way on this trip.
- Also wear bug spray for the bugs!
- Lingo: you’ll hear locals call the islands Grand, Little, and Brac for short.
- Because the Cayman Islands is a British Overseas territory, you’ll meet plenty of British people. You’ll also find many Canadians and expats.
- If you rent a car, drive on the left!
Weather and Best Time to Visit the Cayman Islands
Going at the end of March, we met so many from Canada and the northern part of the U.S. escaping the winter weather! With its year-round temps, it’s the ideal place for a beach vacation. Watch out for hurricane season.
Getting There and Getting Around
You’ll land in Grand Cayman at Owen Roberts International (GCM).
If you’re staying long in Grand Cayman, if you’re staying away from Seven Mile Beach, or if you want to get around easily, it’s recommended that you rent a car. Otherwise, taxi is your option. We stayed in West Bay and we did a lot of waiting and calling for taxis which was a bit of a hassle.
Where to Stay in the Cayman Islands
Since you’ll be landing in Grand Cayman first, staying put is a good option because the biggest island has plenty to do and plenty of accommodations. If you’d like a slower pace, visit Little Cayman or Cayman Brac. Cayman Brac is known to be the most “Caymanian” island and is much less tourism focused. Many of the accommodations on Little Cayman are diving-focused but you don’t need to dive to stay there.
Grand Cayman Hotels
The average Airbnb on Seven Mile Beach is about $327 a night. Hotels on Seven Mile Beach are easily $600 a night while the average hotel night in Grand Cayman is about $300 a night.
- Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa – probably the nicest hotel on the island
- Holiday Inn Resort Grand Cayman
- Morrit’s – three resort options
- Sunset House
- Shangri-La Boutique Bed and Breakfast – This is where we stayed on Grand Cayman. You need to rent a car if you stay here. It’s a short drive from sights and restaurants but a quiet and comfortable place to stay.
Little Cayman Hotels
There are a few hotel options on Little Cayman and many offer all-inclusive packages that include your accommodation, meals, and diving.
- Pirates Point – We had a great time staying and diving at Pirates Point. It was a short trip but we got several dives in and enjoyed the island. The food was fantastic!
- Little Cayman Beach Resort
- Conch Club
- Southern Cross Club
Where to Dive in the Cayman Islands
I tell you all about diving (plus see a video) in this post! There are over 300 dive sites in the Cayman Islands, making it a top destination for all levels of divers. The diving was good and fairly easy because there are so many dive sites close by.
What to do on Grand Cayman Other Than Dive
- Relax at Seven Mile Beach
- Explore Cayman Crystal Caves
- Take a Bioluminescent Kayak Tour
- Drink Beer at Cayman Islands Brewery
- Hike Mastic Trail
- Tour and Taste at Cayman Islands Distilling Co.
- Visit “Hell” (place with black limestone formations)
While Stingray City is a popular attraction in Grand Cayman, I do not support it. This is a place where you can take a tour to swim and feed southern stingrays. While they are not trapped in enclosures, the act of baiting and touching the stingrays for years has changed their natural habits. I’ve also read accounts of stingrays aggressively swimming onto tourists, almost knocking them over, because the stingrays know tourists have food. There have been few injuries but know while they are friendly here, they are still wild creatures. If you want to see stingrays in their natural habitat, try a Discover Scuba trip.
What to do on Little Cayman
Rent a scooter and explore the island. We rented from Scooten Scooters.
Where to Eat in the Cayman Islands
Get your fill of jerk chicken and rum cake! Check out this post about things to eat (and where to eat them) in the Cayman Islands. The great thing is the islands, especially Grand Cayman, offer international cuisine, making it easy to find everything from sushi to local Caribbean eats.
Conclusion
Don’t forget to grab some Tortuga Rum Cake Co. cakes as a souvenir! The Cayman Islands are everything you’d want from a touristy Caribbean island. You’ll have a relaxing vacation.
Check out this quick video from our trip!
P.S. Need some travel inspiration? Check out the destinations page for more travel guides.
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