Visiting Grand Cayman - Things to Do and See - Besides Diving!

[KathyV]

I started to post this in a thread about Cayman Brac, in response to a question about non-diving activities for family members while on Grand Cayman; but I decided it would be better to create a new thread on topic.

Below is a eclectic list of links for Grand Cayman activities that I have collected over the years. We haven't visited the Crystal Caves or done the Bioluminescent Tour yet, so I can't comment about those activities.

The Seven Mile Beach/West Bay is the most popular area to stay, but it is also the most developed and expensive, but it would offer the most options for non-divers while you are out diving.

Stay away from George Town and the most popular tourist attractions (e.g., Stingray City, the Turtle Farm) when the cruise ship passengers are around. When you talk to a dive op to discuss dives make sure you won't be put on a boat full of cruise ship passengers - that usually doesn't happen but it is good to confirm it in advance. It happened to us in Nassau years ago, so now we always ask first.

We like to stay in quiet residential Bodden Town about 10 to 12 miles away at the Turtle Nest Inn, a small family-owned and economical inn. But that means renting a car (included with the reservation) and driving on the left through the roundabouts, and that isn't always a favorite. We bring a Garmin GPS with car charger with us and find it very helpful.

Staying in an apartment or condo with a full kitchen means that you can prepare some simple meals and then go out to eat for lunch or dinner everyday - that keeps down the expense and gives you the opportunity to enjoy some of the fine restaurants on Grand Cayman.

Some of the rental properties offer daily maid service (except Sunday) but others do not. Some also include ensuite washers and dryers (or access to a coin-op laundry) so you don't have to bring many clothes with you. Many of the 7MB resorts and condos charge a daily resort fee that includes beach chairs and towels. That's another reason we like TNI, no resort fee. All rental properties add a 13% government tax.

If you stay in the 7MB area most dive ops will pick you up. If you stay elsewhere you may have to drive to the marina or dive shop to meet up with the dive op unless they have an onsite dive op. There are also some nice shore dives around that have onsite ops.

The best diving IMO is the North Wall and the East End but there are some nice dives on the West Side, and many of the West Bay dive ops go to the North Wall unless the weather doesn't cooperate.

There are some diver-dedicated hotels with convenient onsite dive ops like Sunset House (South), Cobalt Coast, Lighthouse Point, Holiday Inn, (West and North) and Compass Point, (East); but they are all located "off the beaten path" and rather isolated for a non-diver.

Sunset House is close to George Town and it has the most non-diving options. Unlimited shore diving is available, your reservation includes breakfast, and Cathy Church's photo gallery/shop is on the property; but I think that they mostly dive the West Side - but I am not sure about that.

Cobalt Coast has an all-inclusive option but it's pretty isolated. They offer 2 boat dives per day and unlimited shore diving but I understand that the shore dive is quite a long swim and that it gets winded-out rather often.

GC Topside Activities:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147365-c164561/Grand-Cayman:Caribbeanriving.Tour.A.Guide.html

http://danilew.biz/blog/2014/03/03/grand-cayman-paradise-found/

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cayman-islands/437891-topside.html#post6532430

http://www.caymangoodtaste.com/

https://caymannaz.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/cayman-islands-culinary-capital-of-the-caribbean/

http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/skip-cayman-islands/story?id=32807539

http://www.compasscayman.com/whatshot/


Tsetudo’s Snorkeling Guide:
http://snorkelblog.tumblr.com/


Bioluminescence Bay tours:
http://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/grand-cayman-activities.525583/page-5#post-7669237


Crystal Caves:
http://caymancrystalcaves.com/

https://www.caymancompass.com/2016/06/16/caymans-caves-a-north-side-wonder/


Tukka Frigate Birds:
http://www.tukka.ky/news-events/feed-the-frigate-birds.html


Starfish Point:
http://issuu.com/testudo/docs/starfishbeach/1?e=0


Davinoff’s Concrete Sculpture Garden:
http://davinoff.com/


Shore dive and have a meal at Macabuca:
http://www.crackedconch.com.ky/webcam/
(Paradise and Rackham's are places to have lunch and snorkel)


The Barefoot Man at the Wharf or the Reef or the Margaritaville Resort:
http://www.barefootman.com/


George Town Yacht Club: (free shuttle to the airport every 15 minutes)
https://gtyachtclub.com/

Specialty Shops:

Beach Bubbles in Bodden Town:
http://www.beachbubblesgrandcayman.com/

Cathy Church’s Photo Shop at Sunset House Resort:
http://www.cathychurch.com/index.php

Pure Art, south of the Harbor near Sunset House:
http://www.pureart.ky/

 

[Tienuts]

A quick comment on Stingray City and cruise-shippers - there are actually 2 Stingray Cites - the diving site, and the sandbar. The diving site is the original stingray city that Bob Soto started back in the day. You dive (or snorkel) in 12 foot of water. It's not visited by cruise ship passengers, and even when you do find several other boats there, it's unlikely you'll ever see the other boat's divers, as the moorings are spaced out. Most dive ops go to this site.

Stingray City sandbar is where the madness occurs. You can use Cayman Port Authority's website to see when ships are scheduled in to avoid high-traffic times. Alternatively, Red Sail sports has a "Breakfast with the Rays" thing they do in the AM before all the cruise ship passengers arrive. I've done this before and it's a good way to enjoy the sandbar, without the chaos.

 

[mi000ke]

Kathy provided a great set of info.

Some other thoughts:

If you need dive equipment or repairs, go to Divers Supply.

When we have visitors, here are some non-diving things they like to do:

• Cayman Brewery Tour – you get to sample a lot of beer after the tour, and usually when we are there lots of people give us their leftover drink tickets, so you can make an afternoon of it if you like your beer
• Cayman Spirits Co. - also a lot of tasting going on. Sever Fathoms Rum is one of our favorites.
• Cayman Farmers Market - on Huldah Avenue, on the site of the old farmer’s market, beside the Cricket Grounds by the airport. (Note – many sites still list this as being at the fairground on Lottery Rd in Savannah. It is no longer held there.)
• Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Garden
• Mastic Trail – The trail goes for 2 miles through the heart of the island, but you must double back, so take that into account. Every visitor we’ve had has decided they want to walk the trail, and every one of them has decided to turn back about a mile in. It gets hot in the winter and wet in the summer/fall.
• A drive to Rum Point – not much different than the rest of the island, but a chance to see a bit more – and there is a nice park at the very end of the road where the starfish are.
• Seven Mile Beach (of course) – if you are not staying on the beach, then you can go to the public beach on the north end near the Kimpton. Actually, all of the beach is public, and between every few hotel/condos on SMB you will see an alley leading to the beach. The only thing that may be private are the chairs.
• Camana bay - for those non-divers needing a shopping mall fix

Avoid going to Hell. It's a waste of time and most of us are going there eventually anyway.

I'm not a big Sting Ray City fan (especially the sandbar). It feels like going to a circus to see the trained elephants. We see enough "wild" rays on our dives.

Places we like to snorkel when we have non-diving guests, or just to break things up:

• Macabuca bar – great snorkeling – great shore dive – great bar with great food. This is one of our go-to restaurants when we want to eat outside and casual. There is a ladder next to the bar that goes right down to the water. We snorkel then get a drink and/or food.
• Cemetery Beach – in West bay past the north end of SMB. You will drive by a cemetery with a lot of cars parked along the road. Take the alley to the right of the cemetery. We usually see a lot of locals here.
• Smith Bacadere - this is just south of town. It is a semi-protected cove, so the conditions are usually good. There is a shower and bathroom there, picnic tables, and parking across the street.

Some of the more reasonably priced (for Grand Cayman), more casual restaurants we like:

• Rackhams
• Chicken Chicken (great jerk chicken)
• Cimboco
• Island Naturals (vegetarian)
• Bread and Chocolate – great for vegetarian breakfast or lunch
• Sunshine Grill – great for real breakfast (and lunch and dinner)
• Singh’s Roti
• Casa 43 for very authentic Mexican food
• Deckers for the best Caribbean style steamed fish
• Macabuca
• West Bay Diner
• Dukes
• Vivene’s Kitchen –on the East side – you order at Vivine’s back door, the food is cooked in her kitchen, and you eat in her back yard. Ignore the menu and just order the fish of the day.
• Many of the other restaurants are expensive but the food is very good. We have not had a bad meal anywhere.

If you are into music and are tired of the same old bands that play at every hotel and bar, it can be fun to go to one of the "jam" nights at the bars. A chance to hear some different local talent. If you are so inclined, you can usually borrow a guitar or drums from the house band and sit in on a tune or two. Or sing. I regularly sit in with a bunch of them on sax. It's a fun twist on your vacation and a great way to meet some of the locals and check out the local bar scene. The current schedule is:
Tuesday - Calico Jacks
Wednesday - Lone Star
Thursday - Whiskey Myst
Saturday - Marriott

Other thoughts:

Alcohol is very expensive, so think about bringing in a couple of bottles of whatever with you.

Renting a car is useful, but add $20 per driver for a permit. Many posts here suggest Andy’s but we have always gotten better prices from one of the major companies (Avis, Hertz, Budget) located at the airport. Just shop online for the best deal. And be sure to bring documentation with you showing the price. The rental agencies are franchises mostly and their systems are not always in synch with the corporate systems. Several times we have had to argue (nicely) with the agent to get the correct rate but they always come around eventually.

If you rent a car, usually your credit card or your insurance company will cover the vehicle in case of accident. They will NOT cover other people’s property, vehicles, or medical needs (this is called Third Party Liability). You will get the hard sell to purchase third party liability insurance from the rental agency. A potentially better deal (and what we have done) is to purchase an umbrella policy at home – but MAKE SURE it covers international car rental 3rd party liability. This has worked out not only to be less expensive for us, but we are covered for any liability, not just auto liability (e.g., In case I accidentally burn down the dive boat).

The local bus system, a fleet of minivans, is pretty good and costs about $2.50 a ride. But if you end up taking a couple of round trips a day with a couple of people, it’s probably cheaper to rent a car.

As suggested by Kathy, we had always rented condos before committing to live there winters. You get a lot more for your money, if you can live without room service and such. Most condos will provide daily maid service, have a front desk and maintenance crew to handle problems, and some can respond 24 hours a day (e.g., we have a live-in onsite property manager).

The two main supermarkets are Fosters and Kirks. You can get pretty much anything you buy at home (and probably more) at these places. Fosters is your standard supermarket and Kirks is closer to a Whole Foods style. They are closed on Sundays.

If you need anything in bulk or something like beach chairs, go to Cost U Less at Governors Square SMB.

If you need beachwear, check out Michael’s Outlet on SMB.

If you smoke cigars and want to purchase authentic Cubans, then go to either Churchills, Havana Club, or La Casa Del Habano (licensed by the Cuban Government, and the only one guaranteed to be genuine, although the other two have a good reputation.) Go to Havana Club in Westshore mall SMB to get a Cuban cigar rolled on the premises.

That’s it for now – will post again if more comes to mind.

 

[mi000ke]

If you don’t want to stand in line waiting for immigration and customs, then consider the Meet and Greet service (especially if you travel with a dog like we do each year). For $36.58 (CI 30) per person they will walk you around the lines and help with your luggage. One more hour to spend on the beach!

[URL]https://www.caymanairports.com/upimages/commonfile/1461321074Meet___Greet_Brochure_Final.pdf[/URL]
We just used the service yesterday. We were met outside the airplane by a very friendly and helpful representative who led us past the long outside line into the building (saving us at least 30 minutes) and then to the Cayman Residents immigration line - where there was only one person ahead of us - saving us probably another hour. We were then escorted to the baggage area where our rep went and got us a push cart while I waited for the luggage to come off the carousel. We were then escorted to the customs area where we were quickly let through (well, after the Ag Dept inspector checked out our dog). The whole process from deplaning to being out on the street was about 15 minutes.

 

[Trailboss123]

I'm going to add another restaurant/craft brewery spot to the list. I love this place:
Craft Food & Beverage Co. - Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

 

[EastEndDiver]

Don't forget "EATS" as an inexpensive place to eat and the Czeck Inn in Boddentown.

The Cave tour is very nice for a non diving day.

 

[Snoweman]

My wife and I did the sandbar Stingray City many years ago with Red Sail Sports from Rum Point. We absolutely loved it. I did the dive this past May and loved it, too. My only thing with the dive is that after about 20 minutes I was getting a little bored. That didn't keep me from staying down, though. I was going to get as much photo and video time with those lovely creatures as I possibly could.

 

[mi000ke]

This is slightly off topic, but when we walk our dog along the beach (which I guess is a legitimate non-diving activity) I get asked about this by tons of people...

Importing a dog to Grand Cayman:

We bring our dog along each winter, and getting an import permit is an adventure - but doable.

The Cayman government has an application online that tells you everything you need to do (Importation of Dogs and Cats) , but it can be confusing. They have been very good to deal with however, and are very helpful in getting through the process.

You should start the process 3-6 months before traveling. In summary you need to
1. Get your pet microchipped
2. Get a current rabies vaccination within the appropriate time frame (see application)
3. Get a titre blood test (“FAVN”) that tests to make sure the rabies vac worked – done at least 30 days after the shot, and between 3 and 12 months before traveling. It must be sent to a lab in Kansas. Your vet should get the results in a few weeks.
4. Email a copy of the application, breed declaration (there are a few breeds includng pit bulls not allowed in), FAVN results, microchip certificate, rabies vaccination certificate, and a lovely photo of your pet to the Cayman Ag Dept.
5. They will assign a file number
6. Mail a bank check to pay for the permit (this can take two weeks to get to them)
7. 14 days before travel get a health exam by a licensed international vet and a tapeworm and tick treatment. The results must be contained in a special health form that most international vets will have (can be downloaded from the cayman ag dept web site)
8. Overnight the heath certificate, FAVN results, and rabies certificate to the US Dept of Agriculture to get the health exam document officially endorsed. They will overnight it back to you usually within a day or two.
9. Email a copy of the endorsed heath exam certificate to the Cayman Ag Dept.
10. Hope that they will process it and send you the import permit by the time you have to board your plane. They are generally very responsive, but give them at least a few days.

A lot of work, but I can’t tell you how many people we encounter while walking the beach with our dog who wish they had brought theirs

 

[Testudo]

Regarding dogs, you can also head over to the Caymans Islands Humane Society and take a dog for a walk or even to the beach for a couple hours.

 

[dbnewton]

I have not seen any mention of Bio-Luminescent Kayak tour: Bioluminescent Kayak Tour Its worth an evening.

I would not suggest the Turtle Farm to anyone. It's not much and not worth the time/cost.