Because Grand Cayman is largely thought of as an adventure island, you’ll find lots of great excursions to partake in. As you’re on an island, you’ll find that most of the available excursions are ocean based, mostly concerned with scuba diving, which is most likely one of the main reasons you’re visiting anyway. Some of them do take a bit longer than others, so you’ll want to make sure to take that into consideration if you’re planning on venturing out on an excursion the same day as your shopping trip or museum visit. For the most popular, and highest rated, excursions, keep reading below.
Both on land and in the ocean, you’ll find that Grand Cayman offers lots of great things to do and see. Because of all the attraction opportunities, you may find yourself perplexed as to which ones to visit and which ones to leave out and save for your next trip. To help you, here are two of the top attractions currently on the island.
If you view stingrays as scary sea creatures out to get you, then you might change your mind after a trip to the famed Stingray City. Located right off the beach in the Caribbean Sea are dozens of tame southern stingrays just waiting to show you their friendly side. On these shallow sandbars located in the North Sound of the island you, and many other visitors, will get to experience a once in a lifetime interaction with these rays as they swim around you, and up onto you. Generally speaking, tours here last a few hours and are in combination with a snorkeling tour somewhere else. Most of them are very kid friendly as well, making it so that the entire family can enjoy this experience.
In all, there are 10 beautiful beaches to choose from. If you’re staying on the island for at least a week, you’ll have plenty of time to visit each and every one, especially considering that not all of them are very long. Even though they are all very inviting, there are a few that stand out compared to the rest. To find out more about the top two beaches on the island, continue reading below.
Easily the most popular beach on the island (and one of the most known beaches in all of the Caribbean), Seven Mile Beach is a lovely stretch of white sand beach backed by palm trees and resorts, dotted with beach chairs, umbrellas, and vendors all while offering great swimming and snorkeling. Because the entire beach is public, you can easily walk along the beach right in front of a luxury hotel or two without worry of them claiming the beach as private property. If you don’t mind sharing the sand with tons of other visitors, then you’ll have a great time here. You’ll also want to note that this beach is perfect for outdoor activities outside of swimming. Here you can easily rent a jet ski or go parasailing. This beach is also extremely family friendly.
Conveniently located in George Town, The National Museum showcases both natural history and cultural history, making it more appealing to a larger group of visitors. If you’re visiting with young ones, this museum acts as a great learning experience for them, as well as you. Here you’ll find displays of birds, native animals and more alongside exhibits that demonstrate the heritage of the island and its people.
A very clean, organized shopping center with lots of indoor shops to enjoy, The Island Plaza is a great place to spend an afternoon or evening. Another plus is that this plaza is home to over 50 famous brands, meaning that if you’re brand loyal, you may just find your favorite here. All prices are tax and duty free, which is important to many shoppers. You’ll just want to note that each person (including a child) is allowed to take up to US$800 worth of duty free items.
- Adult: free
- Child: free
Photos provided by Flickr users Aqua Immersion, Youtwo, dawgfanjeff, Jeremy Bradford, dnkdbotcom, John Lewis and Roger W.