Question Grand Cayman recommendations

[tkaelin]

GC is still a beautiful island with wonderful diving but development and costs are making it less attractive. Small condo complexes on 7mb are being bought up demolished and rebuilt bigger and more expensive. Traffic has also become an increasingly bigger problem.

We stopped staying on 7mb years ago opting for west bay and shore diving options and access but even west bay is experiencing the same development pressure.

If we return it will likely be to stay out on the east end.

 

[Doctorfish]

I agree with tkaelin. We have been going to GC annually for 20+ years and after last December, never again. Too much everything. Traffic jams, crowds at the beach and outrageous prices for groceries and restaurants make the west side of the island very unattractive for us.

East End is still relatively untouched.

 

[Alucard]

I agree with tkaelin. We have been going to GC annually for 20+ years and after last December, never again. Too much everything. Traffic jams, crowds at the beach and outrageous prices for groceries and restaurants make the west side of the island very unattractive for us.

East End is still relatively untouched.

There are definitely different parts of the island away from the SMB corridor.

Do you find groceries to be any cheaper out East? Or even on the sister islands?

 

[jonhall]

Preferably a hotel/resort with a dive shop and boat in-house. Shore diving would be awesome as well. Does not need to be all-inclusive, as we like to venture out and eat/visit other places when we travel.

Cobalt Coast is a good choice for a location. Weather permitting, you can shore dive there. It is a very short drive to town, the Cayman Turtle Center (Turtle Farm), and Macabuca to eat and/or do a shore dive. Divetech is a top notch dive op.

If you happen to stay on the East side, Compass Point with Ocean Frontiers is also a great place to stay and dive. Shore diving is a little harder to find on that side of the island. There are different things to take in on that end of the island though, such as Crystal Caves and the botanical garden.

 

[Scared Silly]

Are there any wrecks in Cayman Brac or Little Cayman?

@Scared Silly

On Cayman Brac there is the Capt. Keith Tibbetts that is regularly dived.

 

[Doctorfish]

Groceries East End same price as west. Even more expensive on Brac and LC and very limited selection.

 

[Scared Silly]

Groceries East End same price as west. Even more expensive on Brac and LC and very limited selection.

When going to LC and CB we have been known to bring staples from the states. And on our last visit we walked from the airport to the grocery store to load up with groceries before our island hopper flight to LC.

 

[Scoooter961]

On Cayman Brac there is the Capt. Keith Tibbetts that is regularly dived.

On Little Cayman there is the Soto Trader wreck on the south side.

 

[galodoido]

My first thought was Cayman Brac Beach Resort or Little Cayman Beach Resort. Yeah I know they are not Grand Cayman but GC is so overbuilt that we call the beach Seven Mile Strip Mall.

@Scared Silly how does the diving work at these resorts? Is there any shore diving or is it all from boats?

It's fine if it's all boat diving, but we do find it nice to have an easily accessible shore location for diving/snorkeling.

 

[Doctorfish]

There is no house reef at either Little Cayman Beach Resort or Brac Beach Resort. They offer 3 tank boat diving daily which is enough for most people.

There is shore diving/snorkeling on Brac and Little Cayman but you need a vehicle to get there from the resorts.

For snorkelling, a bicycle from the resort will be adequate.