Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands are a tropical self-governing British Overseas territory with amazing beaches, snorkeling and adventures. Grand Cayman is the largest and most traveled to within the country. It’s a popular place for people staying at resorts on Seven Mile Beach and is a cruise stop on many different Western Caribbean cruises. It’s well known as a tax haven for businesses and the wealthy as they do not charge an income tax. The country is way more than just a place for the rich and famous, but a place with a unique culture, art and history museums, caves and bioluminescent creatures. We have been to Grand Cayman twice during our travels. It was the second country we visited on our first international trip that was by cruise out of Galveston, Texas. Many years and countries later we visited again and stayed on the island. Here are our adventures in the Cayman Islands!

*This site has tour links that are Affiliate Links where commission is earned through our travel agency. This does not cost you anything and helps small business and the operation of this site!

Getting to Grand Cayman and Transportation

Grand Cayman is a relatively short flight from the Southern United States with flights lasting 3 hours from Houston, and shorter flights from places like Fort Lauderdale and Miami. Most of the major US Airlines such as American, Delta, United, Southwest fly to Grand Cayman. The Cayman Islands also have their own National Carrier (Cayman Airways) that has routes to a good number of US and Caribbean destinations. Another way outside of flying to Grand Cayman is to arrive by cruise ship. Many cruise lines such as Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Carnival, Celebrity and Disney to name a few. Grand Cayman does not have a cruise ship dock, so it is a tender boat port. You will come ashore on boats similar to a small ferry boat after the cruise ship has anchored a little offshore. There is always a chance the port could be canceled if the seas are too high, but that did not happen on our cruise. As for transportation, you can get a taxi or rent a car if you would like. We did use a taxi on occasion but as we usually do, we booked tours and transportation. Most of the tours picked up at our hotel. There are public transportation minibuses as well that go around the island. We took one to and from downtown George Town from our hotel area. It was another affordable way to get around the island. I recommend tours as the best option to see things but the other options work as well.

Country Information

The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory but are self-governing. They have a Governor selected by the British Monarch to represent the United Kingdom and they have their own elected Premier and Parliament. The country consists of three islands named Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. Grand Cayman is the international port of entry and by far the largest and most populated in this country of around 87,000 people. Cayman Brac is the second largest and second most populated and Little Cayman has a very small population of around 200 people. You can get to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman by Cayman Airways. English is the official language so there is no issue around language for English speakers. Being a British Over Seas Territory they drive on the left (opposite of the US). The currency of the Cayman Islands is the Cayman Islands Dollar and as of this writing one Cayman Islands Dollar is equal to $1.2 USD. There is no tourist visa required and the country as of this writing is rated as a level one destination which means normal precautions. We found it to be a very safe country but still do take normal precautions as you would anywhere. Being an island that many goods have to be shipped in, the food prices are more expensive than on the mainland US.

Staying in Grand Cayman

In November of 2022 for Thanksgiving, we headed off to Grand Cayman. We had visited by cruise a few years before and we loved it. After having visited many other countries since our first visit we wanted to see head back to some of the places we had visited before and check out new places. Many of the hotels are luxury resorts and can be pretty pricey especially for times like Thanksgiving week. Most of the resorts are on the beautiful Seven Mile Beach. There are more budget friendly options like the hotel we stayed at. We spent 4 full days on the island and got to see a lot.

Where we Stayed - Hampton Inn Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach

The Hampton Inn Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach is a great budget friendly hotel to stay at while visiting Grand Cayman. While it is not directly on the beach, the beach is a very short walk from the hotel. To be at a hotel right on the beach it will be amazing, but it will cost more. For us we were willing to sacrifice the view and instead spend more on tours. The hotel is very nice and is higher quality than the already good quality Hampton Inns in the US. It also includes free breakfast that will help your budget a bit more. The only issue we had was the crowing of Roosters in the morning as there are many free roaming on Grand Cayman. It was a convenient hotel to get around from and visit the beach not far away. We would stay there again!

Stingray City and Snorkeling off of Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is surrounded by crystal clear water where you can see all the way to the sea floor even in relatively deep water. The water around the shore of Grand Cayman is pretty shallow and has reefs in the area. Not too far offshore is the 20,000-foot deep Cayman Trench (don’t worry about it you won’t be swimming there). We wanted to snorkel and visit the wonderful Stingray City that we have visited years before. We booked a great tour that took us to a couple different snorkeling sites and Stingray City. The crew was wonderful and gave us advice in the different spots and made sure everyone wore life vests to make sure everyone was safe. We saw plenty of fish and interesting coral while we were snorkeling. One of the more interesting fish was a very large Barracuda that got right in my face and then continued to follow me around the reef. The water was stunning, and the swimming was just as nice. After our snorkeling time, we headed over to Stingray City

Stingray City is a very unique sandbar where wild Stingray come due to over the many years fishermen gutting their fish and feeding the Stingrays. They are very tame but still wild. The sandbar is very shallow so you can easily stand up there. From there they will rub up against you and your guide with grab a friendly one for you to hold and feed. If you are brave and want good luck as is said in the Cayman Islands you will give one a kiss. We have done this experience twice and kissed a Stingray twice a decent number of years apart. It’s an amazing and a unique experience that should not be missed while you are at Grand Cayman. There are multi-stop tours like we took, tours that take you around the island and then to Stingray City and tours just to Stingray City. They are all great options!

Stingray City and Snorkeling Tours (Click Below):

Stingray City and Snorkeling Tours

Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach is the most famous beach in the Cayman Islands and is home to the majority of the luxury resorts on Grand Cayman. In all reality its not quite 7 miles long but is still a stunning place to go for a swim. It’s a public beach so you do not have to be staying at one of the resorts to be able walk along and swim at any part of the beach. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and was able to easily walk over to the beach and go swimming and snorkeling. The white sand and the crystal-clear water are perfect. If you get the chance it’s well worth swimming at the award winning Seven Mile Beach!

The National Museum

Another place we visited each time we were in Grand Cayman was The National Museum. We try to visit the National Museum of each country we visit if one is nearby. It’s a great way to learn about the history and the people told from the perspective of the nation you are in. The museum building is right by the harbor in downtown George Town and is in the oldest building in the city that has survived many a storm since the 1800s. The building is called the Old Courts Building due to having the islands court, post office and other civil branches of their government inside. The museum has multiple galleries that cover the Cayman Islands’ Natural History, Culture, Art, the old jail that once was in the building and temporary exhibits. There is a fee of $15 US for adults and it took us around an hour to finish. It’s a great museum to be able to learn about the history and people of The Cayman Islands!

National Art Gallery of the Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman might be a fairly small island in a small country, but they have plenty of great museums and attractions. We headed to the National Art Gallery of the Cayman Islands on our second trip. The museum has a beautiful sculpture garden and multiple exhibit halls with some that have rotating exhibits. When we were there, they had a really interesting art exhibit where locals used everyday items to make art. If you look at it from afar it is one thing, when you get up close it might be colored buttons, different colored plastic army men or something else. All the art has a Cayman touch. They do have a nice cafe to get some snacks at and a gift shop. Admission is free to the Art Gallery and it’s well worth a visit while there. We took around an hour to see the museum!

The Cayman Crystal Caves

Grand Cayman not only has great beaches, water full of sea life and great museums, but they also have some great natural sites on the island. On our second visit to the island we booked a multi-stop tour that included the Cayman Crystal Caves. The caves are located on the less inhabited North shore of the island that is surrounded by tropical rainforest. There are three caves to tour, and you can only go with a tour guide and the tickets should be purchased ahead of time. It’s best to go on a tour like we did. Be sure and wear insect repellant and drink plenty of water as it is hot and humid even in November when we went. The tour is really nice where you get to tour the three caves that are full of formations and the local bats are there in the caves. Between the different caves you walk through the rainforest where you can see a wide variety of plants and animals. We encountered a harmless snake during our walk. There is a snack bar where you can buy drinks and snacks as well. We enjoyed getting the chance to tour interesting caves on a Caribbean island!

Crystal Cave Tours (Click Below):

Crystal Caves Tours

Pedro St. James Castle

On Grand Cayman there is a great historic site that is owned by the Cayman Islands. It’s a three-story tall home that was built in 1780 by a wealthy Englishman who wanted a home similar to the ‘Great Houses’ found at Jamaican Plantations. It has been fully restored by the local government, and you can go back in time and see what life was like in the old days on the island. There is a neat show with animatronics, lights, water and other effects that tells the story of the home and the families. We got a guided tour from a very nice local man who showed us around the beautiful home close to the water. The Castle land is on a small cliff overlooking the Caribbean and is a beautiful view. We walked the gardens and saw historic cannons around the grounds. There are a few other buildings that have been re-created like the kitchen. It’s a really nice place to visit that took us over an hour to tour with the show. It was included in our Crystal Caves multi stop tour we booked. The Castle is on the South Side of the island so it does take a bit of time to get there from the caves. It is well worth visiting for a different side of Grand Cayman.

Pedro St. James Castle Tours (Click Below):

Pedro St. James Castle Tours

Bioluminescent Bay

We decided to do a night adventure tour while we were there that gave us a very unique experience we had never had before. There is a bay in Grand Cayman that is just perfect for protozoans to be trapped in the bay that emit the bluish colored chemically induced light. This tour also was the first time we have swam in ocean water at night before. We took a boat ride from the Cayman Yacht Club out to the bay that is man made and surrounded by large luxury homes. We were given wet suites and snorkeling gear before we got to the bay for the night swim and to help protect from jelly fish. The bay is not overly deep so you might be able to touch the bottom but that’s not really recommended as there are a large number of upside-down jelly fish at the bottom that if you touch the bottom might stir up them up to the surface. You can do a canoe tour, but we chose the snorkeling to be able to truly see the bioluminescent creatures. We got in the water and when we swam or moved our hands the water would light up. The best description of what we saw was blue sparks like from a firework sparkler lit up the water in front of us. Cameras could not capture what we were seeing so sadly I got no pictures while in the water. We had no issues with the jelly fish but our guides shined a light in the water so we could see them. After the great swim we headed back but not before the boat propellers gave us one last light show.

Bioluminescent Bay Tours (Click Below):

Bioluminescent Bay tours

Shopping and Dining in George Town

We have gone by the shops in George Town on both of our trips to Grand Cayman. There are a wide variety of shops from diamonds to luxury clothing to souvenirs. We got souvenirs to represent our trip and a bit of Cayman Dollars from a bank to add to my fledgling currency collection at the time. My favorite shop is a more unique one. There is a shipwreck store where you can buy coins and many other items from shipwrecks many years ago. You can get coins from ‘The West Indies Company’ and plenty of other things. There are also plenty of great restaurants that serve a wide variety of food from Cayman specialties like Turtle, Caribbean Cuisine and much more. We also stopped by a local grocery store to buy a few things. and it was just as nice ass any grocery store back home. It’s well worth checking the shops out if you have the time!

Grand Cayman Island Tours (Click Below):

Grand Cayman Island Tours

Cayman Islands National Assembly and Hero's Square

While walking around George Town on our second trip we decided we wanted to see their capital building. It’s not far from the boardwalk area and is worth taking a look. It’s a large white building that looks pretty nice. In front of the building is Hero’s Square that celebrates soldiers from the Cayman Islands that fought in the British military during many different conflicts. You can see poppies laid in a wreath amongst the statues and memorials. Even though the Cayman Islands are small, they contributed their own for freedom!

Fort George Historic Site

Fort George was a small fortress that began in the 1700s and was in use as recent and World War II. Over the years development has taken its toll on the fortress with much of it being lost. The site is very close to the cruise terminal in George Town and is worth a visit. It’s free to visit and does have murals depicting action that occurred at the fort, historic interpretation, cannons, part of the walls and a tall lookout post that was reconstructed from WWII to lookout for German U-Boats. We visited it each time we were in George Town as its a unique part of the Cayman Island’s history.

Cruising to Grand Cayman

On our very first cruise we ever took (we have been on 30+ cruises since then) and our second country we had been to other than the US (we have been to over 80 countries since then) we cruised into Grand Cayman on the Carnival Magic out of Galveston, Texas. There is no dock for large ships so we took tender boats that come from the island. They usually can take 50-100+ people on each ship. We had a tour booked for later in the morning, so we decided to take the first tender boat in so we could do a bit of exploring on the island before our tour. We headed over to the National Museum right as it opened and also visited the nice shops nearby before we headed on our tour.

Hell, Grand Cayman

On the Western side of Grand Cayman there is a limestone rock formation and area that has been name Hell. The formation of jagged black limestone pillars over a pretty large area is what locals thought Hell might look like so they gave it the name. Today you can visit a local gift shop and take a look from an observation platform to see the formation. In the gift shop there are plenty of trinkets and souvenirs about Hell, Grand Cayman and if you really want something unique you can send a post card or letter that is postmarked from Hell. In the past a man dressed as the devil ran the gift shop. It’s a unique stop that many might say is a tourist trap, but it is interesting and unique. We went there as part of a multi-stop tour while on our cruise and the stop was for around 20 minutes.

Tortuga Rum and Rum Cakes

You will find Tortuga Rum Cakes all over the Caribbean in different shops. Rum cakes are a type of bundt cake soaked in different flavored rums. The Tortuga Rum Cakes headquartered right in Grand Cayman are probably the best known. Tortuga makes a wide variety of different flavored rums as they are a distillery first and foremost. On our first trip to Grand Cayman on the cruise ship we visited the Tortuga Visitor’s Center where we tasted the rum and the rum cakes for the first time. They have many different flavors such as Banana, Coconut and so many others. We bought a rum sampler set and cakes to take home. It was a nice 20-minute stop to quickly try the Tortuga products!

Cayman Turtle Center

We visited the Cayman Turtle Center on our guided tour of the island while on the cruise. Sea Turtles are actually a delicacy in the Cayman Islands and the Turtle Center acts as both a place to farm Sea Turtles for consumption and to release turtles back into the wild to preserve the population. At the center you can see turtles from egg all the way to many years old. You can hold a sea turtle and see their entire process. It was once named the Turtle Farm since it is a farm for the local food. They have released thousands of turtles over the years, so they do a lot of good work. We have personally not tried Sea Turtle while in Grand Cayman but we are very adventurous in our dinning so we would try it if given the chance. This was a great around 1 hour stop. On our cruise journey we then went for a wonderful visit to Stingray City which was amazing!

Leaving Grand Cayman and Conclusion

Leaving Grand Cayman by air or by sea is pretty easy to do. By tender boat is pretty simple with all you need to do is show your ship card and possibly a photo ID to security and they will let you on the boat bound for your ship and you are back on board. Do not forget to be there on time for the last tender boat that the cruise ship crew will announce as otherwise you will be left ashore. As for leaving by plane it is easy as well. You give the Cayman Islands the immigration card that you were given when you entered and then you head through security. There is an exit tax that is included in your airline ticket already so no need to worry about that. Do check the current process for entry and exit as this can change.

The Cayman Islands is a beautiful country with so much to see and do. While we have only been to Grand Cayman, there is so much to do just on Grand Cayman and more to see on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac! If you want a location that has great water activities like Stingray City, Snorkeling and bioluminescent snorkeling but also has great museums, historic sites and land based natural sites like the Cayman Crystal Caves and Hell then this is your island to visit. Going by cruise does give you a great highlight tour of Grand Cayman, but going back as we did allowed us to see much more. We love cruising and a shore excursion is well worth it there, but you can’t see it all in one day for sure. Do note that hotel prices can be expensive especially on Seven Mile Beach, but you can find more economical hotels. Also. budget for higher food costs as it is more expensive there for food due to shipping coasts. The Cayman Islands are susceptible to hurricanes so be watchful during hurricane season (June-November). Grand Cayman is very safe from our experiences but of course take precautions and research any current alerts to judge safety for yourself. The Cayman Islands are a wonderful place to visit that are full of adventure and culture that’s not too far from the US. Give it a visit and you will love it and want to go back!