Located in the heart of Caribbean, Grand Cayman is the largest of three Cayman Islands. Cayman Islands are British overseas territory that is self-sufficient financially. The islands host a lot of world’s financial centers located in Grand Cayman and at the same time have beautiful sandy beaches and coral reefs. You can easily spend several days there relaxing on the beach and snorkeling with rays, but even one day is enough to have a taste of Cayman Islands.
When to visit Grand Cayman?
While the weather there is great year round, I strongly suggest visiting off season December to March to avoid crowds. There will be slightly higher chance of gloomy weather, but the water is always warm.
Currency and Language
Cayman islands official language is English, The official currency is Cayman island dollar (KYD). The US dollars accepted virtually everywhere.
GRAND CAYMAN IN ONE DAY
Swimming with stingrays.
Start your day from visiting Stingray city. Stingray city located is in the middle of North Sound, so you cannot visit it on your own. A lot of tour operators offers Stingray City tours. You can either book your tour in advance or jump in on the last-minute tour; the tours always spaces available, so even if don’t book in advance there is a very good chance you will be able to visit Stingray City. We went on the tour with The Captain Marvin’s . The tour was great.
When the boat approached the area, we saw see a lot of rays. The rays came close to us looking for the food. You will need to be careful when feeding the rays and they might bite. Swimming with rays in the bright blue water and holding the rays was the highlight on my Grand Cayman trip.
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Swimming with stingrays in Stingray City
The Devil’s Hangout.
Devils Hangout is a cute small tourist area named for the volcanic rock formations that apparently looks like “Hell”. The Hell has a small post office and a gift shop; there’s also an area near the rock formation where you can take pictures. You can send a post card home from Hell. You can spend some time in “Hell” and go back so that you can say “I went to Hell and back” later.
Walk the streets.
You will see a wide variety of architecture there from old colonial to modern tall and shiny buildings. You will see colorful small house there, little gift shops and many places to eat or grab a drink.
Visit Seven Mile Beach.
The Seven Miles Beach looks even more beautiful than you can imagine. With its endless miles of fine powdery sand and crystal clean turquoise water, it is a great place to soak in warm Caribbean water and enjoy the sun. While it is much busier that other beaches on the island, you can always find a spot to relax and not feeling too close to others.
Watch the sunset.
There’s something about Caribbean sunsets that makes them magical. I love spending time relaxing on the beach and watch color changing during the golden hour. Grab a drink, a towel and a camera and head to the beach to watch beautiful sunset.
Visit local fish market.
As you walk the shoreline around the pier area you will see several fish markets. Some of the are totally spontaneous. Watch the fishermen unloading the fish and cleaning it for customers. You can even pick a fish and get it cooked for you on the spot.
What to eat on Grand Cayman?
Conch Stew or Conch Chowder.
When I think Grand Cayman, the first thing that comes to my mind is conch. Conch (pronounces “konk”) is a large edible snail. The meat is a little chewy, remotely similar to octopus or calamari with very distinct taste. Conch stew is delicious.
Raw Conch.
You can also eat it raw with citrus (or not). Should you eat raw conch? I did and it tastes nothing special or remarkable, but worth trying. Avoid eating raw (or cooked) conch if you are allergic to seafood or have sensitive stomach.
Fresh cooked fish.
Stop by one of the small local market and get freshly cooked fish there. You can pick the fish and they will clean and cook it right on the market for you. It does not get any better (and fresher) than that.
Rum cake.
While rum cake considered to be a traditional Caribbean desert you can buy it on Grand Cayman year-round. Rum cake usually made in a form of bundt cake; it is soaked in real rum and some types have more than 10% of alcohol. Some cakes made with dried fruits.
Final thoughts.
Grand Cayman is a beautiful Caribbean destination that has a lot to offer starting from great food to beautiful bright-blue water beaches with coral reef. One day is enough to get a feel of the island, try some local food and spend time swimming with stingrays.
