Hey everyone!
I am so excited to share with you my Grand Cayman Island Travel Guide! Grand Cayman is a very special place for me because I grew up going several summers with my family. I have not been since freshman year of college and this was also the first time my husband and brother in law got to experience Cayman with us! It was such an incredible family trip and hope you find this useful if you are planning a trip there or hoping to go in the future.
It is about a 2-hour flight from Houston and a 3-hour flight from Dallas. This has made it an easy trip for us for many years and is very family-friendly! It has been fun to see how the island has grown over the years we have visited and also such a treat to visit our favorite spots from past trips!
In this post, I have outlined my favorite places to explore, snorkel, dine, and stay! Be sure to check out my other travel guide from this summer exploring Japan! I also had so much fun teaming up with Cabana Life, one of my favorite swimwear brands! They have the cutest cover-ups and all of their fabrics are made to protect your skin from the sun – perfect for the trip!
To Explore & Snorkel
Stingray City: A little touristy, but if it is your first time to Grand Cayman then it is a must! A boat takes you to swim with the stingrays and to a fun spot to snorkel. As scary as this may sound, it actually is a lot of fun and a really interesting experience. I hadn’t been since middle school and it was so much fun to be there with my whole family and our newest additions!
Kirk Freeport Shopping Center: A quick cab ride away from the Ritz. A perfect place to find one of a kind Herend pieces and other fine jewelry! Also, you can grab rum cakes and other delicious goodies here!
Eden’s Rock: This was probably my favorite spot! Once you get into the water you are immediately greeted with all different kinds of fish and coral. A spot that you can definitely explore for hours and doesn’t get old.
Smith’s Cove: A beautiful spot right next to Grand Old House. There are beautiful fish and underwater coves – I wasn’t brave enough to swim through them but my Dad and husband had fun exploring this part!
Governor’s Cove: There are a ton of blue tang and other exotic fish. This was walking distance on the beach from our hotel and a perfect quick adventure.
Rum Point: We didn’t make it there this trip but have gone in the past. Another awesome snorkel spot and a fun place to grab their famous mudslide drink!
To Dine
Pappagallo: A favorite of mine! This spot is the perfect place to get your Italian fix while on the island. This was my third time coming to this spot and the food is consistently good. They have some parrots and other exotic birds that you can look at for a fun photo op!
Catch: A beautiful restaurant on the bayside – definitely request to sit outside! They had amazing tuna and grouper.
Chicken! Chicken!: We didn’t end up eating here this visit, but we have LOVED going in the past! Chicken Chicken is the perfect casual lunch spot and a great place to get some Cayman jerk chicken!
Agua: A restaurant on our list but ran out of time to try. They had a really eclectic menu with a lot of ceviche options.
Grand Old House: Another amazing spot! We sat outside and watched the sunset – this was truly one of my favorite restaurants of the trip!
Blue: Every meal was amazing but this was #1! This restaurant is inside the Ritz and has a beautiful atmosphere and the most amazing seafood. Each course was incredible and I can’t stop dreaming about our dinner! A great spot especially if you are visiting Cayman for an anniversary or honeymoon.
To Stay
I don’t think you can go wrong staying anywhere in Grand Cayman because it is all so beautiful. As for me, my favorite place to stay is The Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman! It is very family-friendly and has a beautiful private beach, golf course, pools, and my favorite – a spa! Their La Prairie Spa is such a treat and must check it out if it’s your thing. I got a hydrafacial and it was so amazing and something I had been wanting to try for a while! They have so many yummy restaurants and where our favorite restaurant Blue was. It is about a 20-minute drive from the airport and a short cab ride away from the restaurants and snorkel spots listed above.
There is plenty to do just at the hotel without ever leaving. There are two pools, a beautiful beach, and offer many water excursions such as paddle surfing – one of my favorites! You can also snorkel along the shore and is a short walk from Governor’s Cove. This was my second time to stay here and it was just as amazing as our first time to visit. I am looking forward to coming back hopefully very soon!
I hope you found this useful especially if you are planning a trip to Grand Cayman or thinking about one in the future! It was so much fun to jot down my favorite places for y’all as Cayman holds a special place in my heart! Be sure to check out my other travel guides in my Travel section in my blog or ask any questions below!
xo,
KBS
