Considering a VRBO on Grand Cayman

[gt2003]

At @KathyV 's suggestion my wife and I are considering a visit to Grand Cayman for some relaxation and a few days of diving. There are actually quite a few VRBO condo rentals around Rum Point but many others as well all around the island. We are planning to stay 7 nights and dive probably 3-4 days. Is Rum Point a good area for a quiet, ocean front visit with good access to diving or should we concentrate on staying in another area of the island? The condo's get good reviews for beachfront and quietness but diving is not mentioned a whole lot with the exception of Red Sail Sports. I have no experience on Cayman so need your expert input.

We don't need a whole lot of nightlife. Just a quiet beachfront place with cooking facilities and access to a little local culture not too far away. Looking for recommendations before we book. Will likely be going in August or late October/early November.

@KathyV , we are checking out Sunset House as well.

 

[howswedeofme]

Rum Point would be difficult as a home base for diving. I don't know any ops that go out of that area except Red Sail. Check out Coconut Bay Condos in the West Bay area (we stayed at cococondocayman.com which we booked through HomeAway), which are probably a little larger than you're looking for but have a kitchen, grill, patio, pool area, etc. Very close to a number of dive ops, ocean front (but not a beach - it's iron shore) and walking distance to a laid back bar/restaurant at Macabuca. More residential and not touristy. It was very quiet when we were there and we found it very relaxing. I have heard that people also like Christopher Columbus condos which are a little more in the touristy area but smaller. I think the price is around the same as Coconut Bay, though. East End would also fit what you're looking for as far as relaxation and diving.

 

[flyboy08]

Rum point is a great place to sit back and relax...a little snorkeling, some sun and an awesome sunset!

We rented a home in RP area...it is a haul to 7 mile beach, but we wanted that!

 

[diversteve]

I 2nd the 2nd post if access to diving is a consideration, I wouldn't pick anything near Rum Point - it's a long drive to Tortuga Divers based at Morritt;s on the NE side and Ocean Frontiers is further south on the SE end. Red Sail does have a snorkel facility at RP and I have seen their boats nearby so maybe you could arrange something.

All the really gopd shore dives are in West Bay or north of there and that's an hour+ drive around. Even the Airport/Georgetown is 45mins. and I can count the restaurants in the East End on one hand and the food stores on 1 finger.

Might be a little too quiet unless that's what you want. Similarly the nice condos/houses near Bodden Town are 20mins. from anything - diving from there is mostly with Ocean Frontiers - 20 mins. drive east. Or the Georgetown operators 20mins. west.

There's also no decent shore diving in the RP srea and you;d probably have to drive all the way into Georgetown for tank rentals also at Eden Rock in order to dive the one really good shore dive - Babylon. Which requires a long surface swim out, good nav skills to find the ball and it's not the easiest entry as you have to pick your way over/around the coral.

If Coconut Bay is too large for you and that area is a consideration - look on vrbo for either Hepps Condo's or Bonnie's Arch condos - both have ladder access to the Hepp's Wall/ Bonnie's Arxh area dive sites.

One curious thing about Cayman shore diving is that few operations will allow tanks to be removed from the premises so any diving is either done with the on-site operator or rented from the limited nmber of dive shops that do allow it - I know of two - Eden Rock downtown or Divers Supply in West Bay.

Actually as far as condos on the north side - look at Lighthouse Point - it's got Divetech on-site, they're newer and it's a quiet residential area. A few minutes drive to Cracked Conch/Macabuca which is also Turtle Reef - arguably the best easily accessible shore dive. Sundivers is on-site for tanks.There's also several other restaurants within 10mins. or so and there's a Foster's Msrket in West Bay so you can stay out of the Seven Mile Beach congestion for the most part.

It's quiet at night. A little busier during the day since some of the cruise excursions go to the Turtle Farm/Rum Cake factory which is across from Turtle Reef. A car would be a must although the Cayman bus does pick up a couple blocks from Lighthouse Point - or Cobalt Coast farther north which is also a dive resort but rooms not condos.

Even some of the condos on the far north end of Seven Mile Beach are pretty quiet and beachfront although it's not as wide there. Most of the dive operators pick up along SMB since many keep their boats in a marina on the Sound to the east of that area.

 

[Trailboss123]

Rum Point as others have said is a "no go" for extended stay and multiple dive days. Another thing to consider is that if you go with late October or early November, you can begin to run the risk of getting "winded" out with the northerly winds that hit that side of the island. I have stayed at Sunset House a few times and I like it. Rooms and pool have all been redone recently. Great bar and restaurant onsite. 10-15 minute walk to downtown Georgetown. Above average and very easy entry and exit for shore diving at your doorstep. Good dive operation. Very safe and well run. Of all the things you mentioned though, an onsite sandy beach will be the one thing you would have to give up. It is Ironshore along that part of the island. You could certainly get some afternoon beach lounging time along 7 mile beach after your morning boat dives and lunch. Breakfast is included with your package. Oh, almost forgot, you'd also be giving up your own kitchen and cooking. Rooms are not set up that way. More hotel style with a fridge.

 

[KathyV]

Rum Point is a very nice area, and you would have access to sandy beaches and a lot of quiet relaxation. It is not too far from Red Sail/Tortuga at Morritt's Resort, or Ocean Frontiers at Compass Point resort, to go boat diving - and the East End has good diving - but it can get rough in winter. The dive ops will go north, east, or south to find the best diving.

It is pretty far from most everything else on the island, there are a couple of restaurants out that way and a small grocery store, but not a lot else. It is about a 45 minutes to an hour drive from the airport, George Town, and Seven Mile Beach. There isn't any shore diving on that end of the island.

We like the Bodden Town area (a more residential area) and prefer to stay at Turtle Nest Inn where a rental car comes with the apartment. It has a lovely little sandy beach with some rocks and turtle grass, but not bad, and there is good snorkeling right outside the door. It is about 20 minutes drive from the airport and George Town and 7MB - and there are places to walk to nearby like the Grapetree Cafe and the Czech Inn, or we can drive to restaurants that are not too far away. When we want to go boat diving we usually go East and North to Ocean Frontiers or Red Sails/Tortuga in East End. Bodden Town is not a popular tourist area, but we like it.

From Rum Point, East End, or Bodden Town, you could go West to the many dive ops and restaurants and attractions around 7MB, but the traffic can be bad during rush hours, so not very good for an early morning dive. And it is a drive to access most of the shore dives on the island that are on the west side but north of 7MB, like Macabuca and Coconut Bay, but if we travel mid-day that is not usually a problem.

You have to be willing to rent a car and drive on the left if you stay any place except 7MB or George Town, and GT gets overrun with cruise ship passengers from 10 am to 3 pm most days, but it is okay in the late afternoon and evening or early morning.

Another place you can look at is Sunshine Suites, these are apartments in the heart of the touristy area of 7MB, but it is across the street from the Westin and you will have full access to the Westin's beach and amenities (for a daily resort fee!) and you will be near many dive ops, including a larger Red Sail dive-op which is the onsite op at the Westin. Lots of restaurants and amenities in that area.

Eating out 3 meals per day is very expensive in the Caymans. We usually look for a place with a kitchen so that we can prepare some simple meals and eat out once per day - or we look for a place with a meal plan. There aren't any big all-inclusive resorts in the Caymans.

Sunset House might be a good place to consider for a first trip to GC, breakfast and diving is included, and it is near to GT and has a house reef for shore dives. It is on the water but not the beach. You could rent a car for a day or two and do some exploring to check out the various regions around the island and see what appeals to you for a future trip. But you have to be willing to drive on the left and negotiate the roundabouts!

No place on earth is 100% safe, but the Caymans are generally considered a safe destination, so if you decide to rent a VRBO property, it should be fine.

 

[Trailboss123]

Rum Point is a very nice area, and you would have access to sandy beaches and a lot of quiet relaxation. It is not far from Red Sail or Ocean Frontiers to go boat diving. It is pretty far from most everything else on the island, there are a couple of restaurants out that way and a small grocery store, but not a lot else. It is about a 45 minutes to an hour drive from the airport, George Town, and Seven Mile Beach.

We like the Bodden Town area (a more residential area) and prefer to stay at Turtle Nest Inn and a rental car comes with the apartment rental. It has a lovely little sandy beach with some rocks and turtle grass, but not bad, and there is good snorkeling right outside the door. It is about 20 minutes from the airport and George Town and 7MB - and there are places to walk to nearby like the Grapetree Cafe and the Czech Inn. When we want to go boat diving we usually go East and North to Ocean Frontiers or Red Sails up near Rum Point.

We could go West to the many dive ops around 7MB, but the traffic can be bad during rush hours, not good for an early morning dive. Ocean Frontiers offers 2-tank afternoon dives so it is easy to get there for some dive. From BT it is a bit of a drive to access most of the shore dives on the island that are on the west side but north of 7MB, but if we travel mid-day it is not usually a problem.

You have to be willing to rent a car and drive on the left if you stay any place except 7MB or George Town, and GT gets overrun with cruise ship passengers from 10 am to 3 pm most days, but it is okay in the late afternoon and evening or early morning.

Another place you can look is Sunshine Suites, these are apartments in the heart of the touristy area of 7MB, but it is across the street from the Westin and you will have full access to the Westin's beach and amenities (for a daily resort fee!) and you will be near many dive ops, including Ambassador, the onsite op at the Westin.

Eating out 3 meals per day is very expensive in the Caymans. We usually look for a place with a kitchen so that we can prepare some simple meals and eat out once per day - or look for a place with a meal plan.

Sunset House might be a good place to consider for a first trip to GC, breakfast and diving is included, and it is near to GT and has a house reef for shore dives. It is on the water but not the beach. You could rent a car for a day or two and do some exploring to check out the various regions around the island and see what appeals to you. But you have to be willing to rent a car and drive on the left and negotiate the roundabouts!

Leave it to @KathyV to once again nail it on the head! I never get tired of these Cayman threads. Between the 3 islands and all that they have to offer and all of the things that any one person might be looking for, there are a myriad of answers and options. Pretty diverse for such a tiny little island nation.

 

[Damselfish]

Rum Point is a nice area to chill - in some ways even more isolated than East End, with possibly even fewer restaurant options, which is saying something. But it would be my last choice on Cayman if I planned on doing any amount of diving, due to lack of a nearby dive op. Diving isn't convenient and it seems an area best suited to fairly casual or non-divers.

Red Sail has some kind of watersports and retail presence at Rum Point but as far as diving, it appears they only have a dive boat departing from there on Wednesdays (actually run by Tortuga Divers, which is the dive op at Morritt's Tortuga Club and a Red Sail operation.) Other days you'd have to drive like 12ish miles to Tortuga Divers, or a little further to Ocean Frontiers which would be my preferred choice out there. This is not really clear on the Red Sail website, especially to folks unfamiliar with the island. But you can find it mentioned on Tortuga Divers site.

 

[mi000ke]

As @Trailboss123 mentioned, the weather on the north side and northeast side can get a bit rough in late Oct/early Nov. We come down for a week every year at that same time (for a condo owners' meeting), and I have never been able to get to the north side to dive during that time. Diving is usually limited to West Bay or South Sound (which works if you stay in Boddentown).

When we first starting coming to the island, we rented condos on the north end of SMB up towards West Bay (anything from Harbour Heights north - e.g., Christopher Columbus, Discovery Point, Bonnie's Arch) , and as a couple of people have mentioned, it's relatively quiet, you have some places with nice beachfront, you are near Turtle Reef and Lighthouse point shore dives, there are a few restaurants, a couple of dive ops, and a Fosters supermarket near by, and you are a 7 minute drive to SMB if you decide you want more activity, and another 7 minutes past that to Georgetown. And you will pretty much be able to get out to dive the west side every day. And the other thing I like about diving west, is that you are only a 5 to 10 minute boat ride to the reef/wall.

 

[EastEndDiver]

I have been going to Cayman since 1980 I have owned on island for over 10 years if I want any info Kathy is the most knowledgeable one here with precise up to date accurate info......I defer to Kathy.