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Grand Cayman is an island in the Caribbean. It is one of the Cayman Islands in addition to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory.
The Cayman Islands are famous for beautiful beaches, water adventure, world-class snorkeling and diving, and lacking certain taxes. We’ll talk about what makes Grand Cayman so great for visiting, how to visit, things to do, and how to have a great trip!
Let’s dive in!
Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman is about 260 mi (430 km) southwest of Cuba and a similar distance northwest of Jamaica. The Grand Cayman time zone is the Eastern Standard Time Zone (UTC -5) with no daylight saving time.
The Grand Cayman currency is the Cayman Island Dollar (KYD). U.S. dollars (USD) are accepted nearly everywhere on the island. The Cayman Island dollar exchange rate is indexed to USD at KYD 1 = USD 1.20. Prices posted should be assumed to be in KYD unless specified otherwise. You’ll sometimes see this shown as just $12 or CI$12.
The Cayman Islands
Wikipedia and Explore Cayman have informative descriptions of the history of The Cayman Islands. Those resources tell us that the islands have no evidence of human habitation before the 1500s. They cite Christopher Columbus as the first to come across the islands. He called them “Las Tortugas” (the turtles in Spanish) for the proliferation of sea turtles there. The Dry Tortugas islands have a similar naming history. The name Cayman is cited as deriving from the name of local marine crocodiles.
The islands saw traffic because of some resources and to harvest turtles. A common story of over-harvesting unfolded here, putting the sea turtle population in danger of extinction. The turtle population has improved in recent decades.
Early settlers to the area were reportedly from a variety of backgrounds. England took control of the Caymans and Jamaica in the 17th century. Over the centuries, governmental ties with Jamaica strengthened and then split off formally. The Cayman Islands’ economy transitioned from mostly subsistence to form the economic and travel destination it is today.
Getting to Grand Cayman
Getting to Grand Cayman generally means flying to Owen Roberts International Airport. The Grand Cayman airport code is GCM.
Direct flights to Grand Cayman are available from many travel hubs like Atlanta, Charlotte, Denver, London, and Toronto. Visit Cayman Islands has a nice list of direct flights you can use for planning.
Cruises are another way to reach the island via the Grand Cayman cruise port in George Town. A day stop gives access to many things to do in the Grand Cayman Cruise Port like exploring the city, visiting Seven Mile Beach, and going snorkeling or diving.
Getting around Grand Cayman
You have a few options for getting around Grand Cayman: taxis, car rentals, and the public bus. In our experience, Grand Cayman taxis were expensive. Note that Lyft and Uber do not operate on the island.
If you take a taxi check your fare online or with their app. The taxi we took accepted credit cards and offered WiFi.
Car rentals are available a short walk from the airport terminal. Note that cars drive on the left in Grand Cayman. They also seem to love traffic circles. You’ll need to navigate those considerations if you drive. I think renting a car gives you the most flexibility to explore multiple areas in a day and to reach places further away from Seven Mile Beach.
Using Grand Cayman public transportation was our preferred means of getting around the western part of the island between West Bay and George Town. You can access the Grand Cayman bus depot via a 4-minute walk from the Grand Cayman cruise port. Grand Cayman bus route 3 services the airport where it stops in front of the rental car area.
The Grand Cayman bus costs CI$2 / USD$2.50 for a one-way trip near Seven Mile Beach. Longer trips increase in price. You’ll pay fares in cash. Drivers can provide change. Pick up the bus anywhere along the route and ask for a stop anywhere you like. We thought the Grand Cayman bus was affordable, comfortable, and very flexible for getting around the western part of the island! We would have considered renting a car to visit other areas. Read our Grand Cayman bus post for more details.
Tour operators often provide pickup and dropoff. Check with yours if that service would be helpful.
Map of Grand Cayman
You can see all of the points of interest we mention on this Grand Cayman map
Where to stay in Grand Cayman
Many Grand Cayman hotels and Grand Cayman resorts are close to Seven Mile Beach. You’ll have your choice of accommodations based on budget and desired activities. Prices tend to be highest near Seven Mile Beach and decrease as you move further away.
Hotels ad resorts near the Seven Mile Beach area include the Westin, Palm Heights, and Grand Cayman Marriott. Further north in West Bay, you’ll find more residential areas with vacation rentals, condos, and villas. The east side sports the Wyndham and Morrit’s.
We stayed at Blue Pavillion in West Bay. It was a comfortable, well-stocked apartment that was a short walk to West Bay Beach, the grocery store, and a quick bus ride to Seven Mile Beach and George Town.
Grand Cayman chickens
Just like in Key West, there were chickens all over the island. The roosters are colorful, loud, and proud. Since our visit was in mid-June, we saw many baby chicks! That was a treat!
At one downtown gelato spot, a mother chicken had six tiny chicks that I swear were still egg-shaped. They’d get tired after a few minutes of activity and nearly fall asleep standing. Mom would collect them under her feathers for nap time. After a rest, one would poke its head out and the fun would begin again!
You’ll absolutely come across some chickens here, even on the beach! Most left us alone and were fun to watch going about their days. We did have one persistent rooster that we had to shoo away for an entire meal. Seeing all of the babies in June was an adorable treat.
Things to do in Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman provides many activities you’d expect in the Caribbean and a few unique experiences. Let’s talk about all the ways you can enjoy your time.
Beaches
Grand Cayman has beautiful beaches with white sand and gorgeous turquoise water! We also liked that several beaches we visited had natural shade from nearby trees.
All beaches in Grand Cayman have public access points. Just look for a sign like this
Even if you are in an area of a beach with resorts, hotels, residences, etc. you’ll likely find public access nearby.
Seven Mile Beach
Seven Mile Beach is the most famous in Grand Cayman. It stretches for over 6 miles on the west side of the island. It is where you’ll find most resorts and hotels.
Governor’s Beach
Governor’s Beach is near the middle of Seven Mile Beach Grand Cayman. It has a parking lot and is named for the governor’s residence next door. We particularly liked Governor’s Beach for the soft sand, natural shade, and proximity to the Westin Grand Cayman with its publicly accessible coffee shop and outdoor bar. We cooled off with a drink or iced coffee by walking over to the Westin.
There’s also a great sushi spot across the street called Yoshi Sushi.
Governor’s Beach Grand Cayman provides a bit of snorkeling. However, it is far from the shore and doesn’t have the best coral. We think there are better Grand Cayman snorkeling spots if snorkeling is your focus.
Cemetery Beach
Cemetery Beach Grand Cayman is on the far north end of Seven Mile Beach. It has parking available as well with some facilities. It also had nice soft sand and natural shade. The shady area had a bit of pine needles in the sand but was still comfortable with a towel.
Cemetery Beach is named for the cemetery next to it. The area provides a great beach with shaded areas and expansive coral heads hosting lots of life to explore snorkeling.
West Bay Beach
West Bay Beach is north of Seven Mile Beach and was a short walk from where we stayed. Having the water so close was a treat! It was a great spot to sit on the sand and watch the sunset. The entry was a bit rocky, but we still enjoyed our time relaxing on the sand, watching crabs go about their day, and swimming.
More beaches
We only visited a small number of the beaches that Grand Cayman has to offer. Things to do Grand Cayman has a great list of beaches that we referenced. Jetset Jansen also put together a nice list of Grand Cayman beaches with great photography.
Snorkeling & scuba diving
Grand Cayman snorkeling and Grand Cayman scuba diving are world-class! Large reef systems, shipwrecks, and underwater walls surround the island. You can see a large variety of wildlife like turtles, sharks, tarpon, stingrays, lemon rays, eagle rays, eels, squid, octopus, grouper, snapper, sergeant majors, angel fish, parrotfish, corals, sponges, puffer fish, and more!
Grand Cayman snorkeling tours are a great way to explore the underwater world.
Read our guide on Grand Cayman snorkeling from the shore to learn about places like Eden Rock & Devil’s Grotto (10 mins from cruise port), the Gamma Shipwreck, Cemetery Beach, Cheeseburger Reef, and more! Several of these are within walking distance of the cruise port, including the Wreck of the Gamma.
We did a boat dive, a shore dive at Turtle Reef (Macabuca), and a night dive during our trip. These were my first wall dives and were absolutely stunning! Snorkeling and diving were our favorite Grand Cayman excursions.
Go on a boat tour
Many popular sites are accessible via boat tours. You can go snorkeling, scuba dive, see stingrays, or watch the sunset.
Rent a jetski
Jetskis were popular from what we saw. Some resorts like the Westin Grand Cayman offer rentals as do many outfitters.
Rent a SUP or kayak
If paddling is your style, there are many places to rent stand-up paddleboards and kayaks. Bioluminescent Bay is a popular kayaking destination too.
Rum Point
Rum Point is on the northern part of the island near Starfish Point and Bioluminescent Bay. Here you’ll find a sandy beach with facilities and several bars and restaurants in the area.
Starfish Point
Starfish Point is near Rum Point and Bioluminescent Bay. It is a place where many starfish congregate and are visible while wading in the water or snorkeling. It’s a unique sight to see so many gathered in one area!
Bioluminescent Bay
Bioluminescent Bay is near Rum Point and Starfish Point. The water here has a high concentration of bioluminescent plankton that emit light when moved in the water. Various operators offer boat tours, snorkeling, and kayaking in the bay at night for visitors to experience this natural phenomenon!
On a night dive on the west side of the island, we got to see a little bioluminescence which was really cool. That made me wish we were able to visit Bio Bay.
Crystal Caves
The Grand Cayman Crystal Caves are a network of caves in the eastern part of the island. A tour company provides access to the caves and offers guided tours to explore the pretty rock formations with stalactites and stalagmites.
Go to Hell
There is a place in West Bay called Hell. It has darkly colored spiky rock formations that supposedly inspired the name as people thought that’s what hell might look like. You can visit, see the rock formations, check out a gift shop, and send postcards to your friends and family from Hell Grand Cayman!
The area is relatively small but near to other attractions which you could combine for a full day.
Shopping, museums, and galleries in George Town
George Town has numerous shops, museums, and galleries to explore. You’ll find everything from high-end jewelry to pottery to typical tourist souvenir shops. George Town is very pedestrian-friendly and a great place to stroll around the shops. Camana Bay is a partially outdoor shopping center that hosts a movie theatre.
3 Girls & A Kiln is a pottery and art gallery in George Town that we enjoyed visiting. The Cayman Islands National Museum has information on the cultural and natural history of the Caymans. The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands has local artwork and traditional crafts.
Stingray City
Stingray City is a massively popular attraction in Grand Cayman. It is a gathering spot for friendly stingrays that supposedly began because boats would stop there and drop scraps that the rays could eat. Now they’re accustomed to people. Stingray City allows for wading, snorkeling, and diving with them.
We went by on a dive boat and decided that the vibe wasn’t for us. Numerous boats crowded around the area with a strong party vibe in the water. We decided we’d prefer to get the experience of seeing rays in what felt like more natural environments while snorkeling and diving.
Groceries in Grand Cayman
Foster’s was the supermarket nearby in West Bay. It had a good selection and decent prices relative to what we’re used to in the U.S. They had items we’re familiar with and some local favorites.
They had a good produce selection, though some things were quite expensive. The mangoes were fantastic during our visit!
Foster’s also has a hot bar where we got jerk pork and rice & beans for an easy dinner one night. I enjoyed sampling some spice buns and rolls with my tea and coffee.
Staying in touch in Grand Cayman
WiFi was available in most businesses we visited and in busy areas of George Town near the cruise port. Nearly every Grand Cayman business we interacted with used email and WhatsApp. If you’re visiting and don’t have cell service, definitely download WhatsApp. You can use those services to stay connected.
What to eat and drink in Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman offers a variety of dining options ranging from casual to elegant, spanning many cuisines, and suiting many budgets. Fresh seafood is a feature on most menus. Grouper, snapper, conch, shrimp, and lobster are common. Caribbean and Jamaican influences are apparent too.
Cayman-style fish was one of my favorites where fish is served in a sauce made with sauteed onions, peppers, and tomatoes.
Conch fritters, cracked conch, and conch salad are common around the island with several delicious variations. We loved the fritters and cracked conch we had! Beans and rice are popular on the side.
You’ll also find rum cakes, spice buns/cakes/rolls, British-style tea biscuits, spicy peppers (scotch bonnet), and plantain snacks. We enjoyed fresh mangoes and cooking with plantains found in the store.
Everywhere we went accepted cash and credit cards. Note that most restaurants include a 15% gratuity on the check.
Here are some of the Grand Cayman restaurants where we enjoyed dining. They are all on our Grand Cayman map and include several Grand Cayman restaurants on the water!
Heritage Kitchen
Heritage Kitchen is in West Bay across the street from the water. It is a casual restaurant with traditional favorites like grouper, snapper, lobster, and conch fritters. Seating is outdoors with views of the water.
We visited twice. The food and experience were best on our first trip where we had conch fritters, curried grouper, and coconut grouper. The grouper was served with traditional peppers and onions along with slaw, beans and rice, and a fried bread pattie that I believe is called a Johnny cake. The fish was delicious. The conch fritters were tasty, crispy, and served with a nice sauce.
Their scotch bonnet hot sauce is spicy and delicious! I liked putting it on everything.
On our second visit, one of our fish dishes was a bit watery, the service wasn’t as attentive, and a persistent rooster kept jumping on our table to steal Amie’s rice. Continually shooing him was frustrating.
Alfresco Restaurant
Alfresco Restaurant is also in West Bay. It serves what I’d call a fusion of Italian and Cayman cuisine. They serve traditional Italian staples, common Cayman foods, and dishes mixing both traditions. Alfresco has indoor seating and an outdoor patio directly overlooking West Bay Beach. The view and ambiance are lovely!
On our visits, we had conch fritters (we ate these at many places), potato-crusted grouper, blackened snapper, curried shrimp, and bruschetta. The conch fritters and grouper were my favorite dishes though everything was delicious!
Sandbar Daiquiri Bar & Grill Grand Cayman
Sandbar Daiquiri Bar & Grill Grand Cayman is one of the George Town Grand Cayman restaurants just north of the cruise port. It has a large daiquiri menu along with delicious grilled items.
We sat out on the back patio to eat. The views were beautiful. The seating area was a bit hot.
We ordered conch fritters, grilled shrimp skewers, and grilled steak skewers. Amie had a piña colada. The conch fritters were unique here with diced red and green peppers mixed in the batter. The grilled items were nicely charred, juicy, and delicious.
This was a great spot for a snack and drink for us after snorkeling Eden Rock & Devil’s Grotto Grand Cayman. It is conveniently located near the cruise port and downtown.
Yoshi Sushi
Yoshi Sushi is near Governor’s Beach in Seven Mile Beach. We had an early dinner here after a beach day. The ambiance was excellent. The food was fantastic. Yoshi is one of the best Grand Cayman restaurants we visited!
We had several sushi rolls, whose names I unfortunately now forget. However, they were all flavorful and paired with excellent sauces including some ponzu sauces.
Amie raved that this was some of the best sushi she’s ever had. I have to agree. It was delicious!
They were also kind enough to let us stash our beach chair and bag in a corner while we ate.
Waffle Monkey
Waffle Monkey is just north of George Town. We stopped by after snorkeling at the Gamma Shipwreck for a snack and iced coffee to cool off.
They have a full coffee menu. We both liked our iced coffees. They serve sweet and savory waffles with toppings varying from fresh fruit, to Nutella, to fried chicken. We got a waffle with fresh berries and whipped cream. The fruit was delicious and the waffle was tasty. It was a bit more cooked than we would have found ideal. We were still satisfied with our stop at Waffle Monkey to refuel and cool off!
Macabuca Tiki Bar
Macabuca Tiki Bar is located in northern West Bay and shares a site with the Cracked Conch restaurant and Sun Divers dive shop. We visited as part of a day of scuba diving. The diving off of this site was wonderful! After our dives, we grabbed a table for lunch and a cocktail for Amie.
The service at Macabuca Cayman was friendly. We were welcomed fresh out of the water and still wet. We ordered a deliciously crispy curry-seasoned cracked conch with a curry dipping sauce, tuna tacos, and blackened shrimp tacos. The conch was great as were the tacos. The blackened shrimp was my favorite of the two.
Amie had a painkiller from their cocktail menu and said it was delicious.
Our meal was a bit on the pricier side. Overall we felt it was worth it, especially for rounding out the day after our wonderful Grand Cayman wall dives.
The ambiance is relaxing. The views are also gorgeous here!
Coffee in Grand Cayman
Amie and I are both coffee lovers and like to explore what is available locally in new areas. We tried a few cafes that wound up being in line with what we’re used to in the U.S.
Daily Grind Cafe
Daily Grind Cafe is in George Town a few blocks from the bus depot. It serves typical espresso-based drinks. Amie had a nice iced vanilla latte here. The clientele included several folks in business attire seemingly going about their work days.
You’ll also pass a Starbucks on your way here from the bus depot.
Cayman Coffee Exchange
The Cayman Coffee Exchange is in the Westin Grand Cayman and is open to the public. They have a full espresso menu along with smoothies, grab-and-go pastries, sandwiches, and drinks.
Amie had a good iced vanilla latte here. I had a nice espresso. Prices were reasonable for the drinks. We were surprised to see that one pump of vanilla syrup was $1. There is a pretty patio area with comfy furniture we sat on to enjoy our coffee and with beach and pool views.
What did we think of our time in Grand Cayman?
Overall, we had a great trip to Grand Cayman. The snorkeling and scuba diving were truly amazing! The beaches were accessible and beautiful with clear, warm water for us to enjoy. We also enjoyed some tasty food and were able to cook at our rental.
Grand Cayman can be expensive depending on the options you choose.
We saved some money on the trip by traveling during the less busy season in June, staying a little ways from Seven Mile Beach in West Bay, and relying on the bus for most of our transportation. shore snorkeling and shore diving also let us see gorgeous underwater ecosystems without needing to hire a boat.
If we went back, we’d prioritize seeing some of the snorkeling and dive sites that we couldn’t make it to on this trip along with Bio Bay and some other beaches.
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Wrapping up
What do you think? Are you ready to visit Grand Cayman? Do you have a trip planned? Have you already visited? Let us know below what you’ve got coming up and tell us about your favorite things to do in Grand Cayman!
