Grand Cayman Travel Guide

It’s December 30, 2018, one day after my 29th birthday, and my first thought is “I’m going to be 30 in 2019; therefore, I have to do it big” … Fast forward to January 3, 2020 and your girl was on a plane with the hubs headed to one of my best vacations to date — Grand Cayman.

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This island getaway for my 30th made me feel free, alive, appreciated, loved and so much more.  I want you all to experience this joy I felt. That’s why it’s only right that I share everything on what to pack to what to do in paradise.

What to Pack / Wear

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We traveled to Grand Cayman during their winter. But I can promise you that you will never experience winter temperature. Their lowest temperatures for the season are low 80s. It did rain pretty hard one night on our second night, but we only experienced that once during our 7 day vacay.

With great weather like this in Grand Cayman you can definitely pack all beachwear attire. Here’s a list to follow:

• Maxi Dresses
• Two Piece Sets
• Bathing suits – at least 3
• Linen pants
• Cover up
• Bodysuits
• Crop tops
• Hat or a visor  – I really wanted to pack a visor, but couldn’t find one in time for my trip. Here’s a few that I’m eyeing for my next trip:

• Sunglasses
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Sandals – 2 pairs
• Sneakers

Other Essentials

One item that I loved that I packed was my long line cardigan. I also styled it in my San Diego travel post which you can see here. I loved wearing it at night in the Grand Cayman when the temperature would drop and even as a swim cover up.

Where to Stay

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The best location to stay in Grand Cayman is on the Seven Mile Beach. However, to save money Dom and I stayed at the Margaritaville hotel for two nights. It’s the only hotel on the island with an open lobby so that was pretty cool to experience. Otherwise, I felt that the hotel was okay, and it didn’t give the island vibes that we were looking for. I will say that they make a delicious mango Margarita that they offer as complimentary welcome drink. It’s so good that I ordered one at the bar.

After two nights, Dom and I headed to the Westin Grand Cayman. As I walked through the doors of the lobby, the signature scent of the Westin hit me, and I immediately felt at home. It was all the vibes we were looking for in a hotel! Even the view of the Seven Mile Beach from the lobby reassured us that we made the right choice of where to stay for our remaining 5 nights. Additionally, the Westin made me feel even more welcomed and loved by serving us with champagne and delicious desserts to celebrate my birthday! Check my Grand Cayman highlights for a glimpse of that!

The Kimpton Seafire hotel is another popular hotel on the island and it’s the newest. It’s a more expensive choice, but it definitely seems like it’s worth the price! Travel tip: sign up to be a rewards member of any hotel group you frequently stay at to earn those points! Also, take advantage of credit card promotional points to use for travel purposes and always check the offer/deals pages of hotels.

What to Do

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Grand Cayman is a small island; therefore, I was worried that Dom and I wouldn’t have much to do, but I was super wrong about this. We had so much to do! Our plan of action whenever we travel is to list out all of the best excursions and places we want to see prior to our trip. If we stay in a hotel we usually wait until we arrive and then we visit the activities desk to sign up for the things we discussed. I’m happy to say that we did majority of the activities and visited most places we wanted to see. Here’s the list of activities that we chose to do:

• Visit Stingray City to swim with the stingrays – well if you were wondering which excursion I loved the most, it was this! Such an unforgettable experience! Grand Cayman legend says that if you kiss the stingray you’ll have 7 years of good luck so you know we had to pucker up!

• Visit Starfish Point – This is a beach area where you get to see starfish up close and personal. However, it’s sad to say, but there were not many starfish. Dom and I saw about three total. We were advised that people removed them from the water which has caused many to die.

• Visit the Stalactites and Stalagmites Caves – We went on a safari adventure and saw three caves of Grand Cayman. This was a childhood dream of mine and I’m so happy that we experienced this together because the caves were beyond beautiful. Certainly a magical experience! Before this tour we also had the opportunity to see the ocean Blow holes. 
• Go on the Atlantis Submarine – this experience was surprisingly underwhelming, but still a different adventure to say the least. Go at night to see it in color!
• Snorkeling – Fun fact: I cannot swim at all, but I’ve been snorkeling twice. Each time I’m a nervous wreck, but seeing all the beautiful sea creatures is totally worth it!

• Visit Camana Bay – a cute and beautiful shopping area. I highly suggest to walk to the end to take in the beautiful body of water. Then proceed to walk across the bridge to get some hang time on the hammocks on the little island of Camana Bay.

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• Visit the Turtle Centre – this is another activity that was underwhelming to us. We did not snorkel or get in the water with the turtles so maybe including that in your visit may make the experience better.

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• Visit George Town – this is the capital of the city. Here you will find lots of shops and restaurants. If you can, avoid this area on Wednesdays because this is the day all the cruise ships come in and dock.

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• Seven Mile Beach – we did well with this because we actually stayed on the beach with the Westin. There were a lot of beach days!

Where to Eat

I don’t even know where to begin because the food in Grand Cayman was one of the best aspects of the trip. I have never travelled anywhere and the majority of my food all be good, until now. Tip: Grand Cayman is one of the more expensive Caribbean islands; therefore, you’re bound to put a lot of money towards food.  Also, gratuity is usually included in the bill. 

My top favorite restaurants were:

• Coconut Joes – the food is amazing and you’re likely to encounter a few roosters walking by your feet while eating.
• Peppers – we went here on a Saturday and the line was out the door. Tip: If you have a small party make sure to walk up to the host to see if they can seat you immediately. The food was so delicious here! The lobster tails and conch fritters are to die for!
• Rackams – it’s an outdoor restaurant located in George Town. Please order a frozen drink like a pina colada. They are so good and a great size! You also won’t regret ordering the shrimp and chips while you take in a beautiful view. For some fun, feed the fish with your food scraps so you can see them up close and personal.

How to Get Around

The easiest way to get around the island is by taxi, public bus or walking. The island also has several companies where you can rent a car, just remember that you drive on the left side. We used the public bus for the majority of our stay because of its convenience. The buses go to just about anywhere on the island and only cost $2.50 a person.

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Overall I loved Grand Cayman so much! It’s such a beautiful place to visit; it’s like paradise. I’m happy that I celebrated my birthday and started the new year here. I can’t wait to plan another trip to Grand Cayman in the future. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding the island or my looks!