Grand Cayman 2017

I don’t want to say that Grand Cayman was second choice, but we had a trip to Italy planned for 2017 and it was cancelled at the last minute due to an emergency appendectomy. We luckily had trip insurance so we were able to re-book our Italy trip until June of 2018 and travel to this beautiful Caribbean destination as a back-up alternative. I can’t stress enough how thankful we were that we had gotten the insurance. Instead of losing our money, we gained a bonus trip!

Where we stayed

My teen and I were searching for hours for a last minute getaway, but my husband is the one that found a really great deal on Costcotravel at a boutique hotel called Sunshine Suites Resort in Grand Cayman. We couldn’t pass up the extremely great package that included airfare, hotel and free breakfast every morning. Our resort had a highly rated poolside restaurant, Sunshine Grill, on-site. The package also included access to all of the amenities listed below at their sister resort at Westin Grand Cayman that was directly across the street on Seven Mile beach.

Westin Grand Cayman amenities

• Use of the pool and beach chairs and towels
• Pool and Beach Ambassadors to service your needs and assist you with beach lounge chair placement
• Unlimited use of the Fitness Center at our neighboring sister property
• Hibiscus Spa facilities, limited to sauna, hot tub and steam room . Many other spa services available at current pricing
• Concierge Run Program
• Beach Yoga

If you do a price comparison between the two locations you will see that you pay a significant premium to stay directly on the beach side at the Westin (we are sure the rooms themselves are nicer too) but the Sunshine Suites was only a short walk from the Westin beach.

The staff at the Sunshine Suites was extremely friendly and helpful. They helped us with converting US dollars to KYD-Cayman Dollars when needed. The US dollar is accepted in the Caymans, but a lot of the prices will be written in the country’s official currency, known as the CI dollar. Here is a currency converter to help you calculate the exchange rate.

We had been to Grand Cayman on a cruise ship before our daughter was born and knew about the port at George Town and some of the excursions that were available. We were excited to go back to the island and spend the entire week there as opposed to just a few hours. The extra time allowed us to really delve into the area and relax at the beach. Who can resist seven days of white sand beaches and turquoise water when they get the chance?!

Each morning before we started making our plans for the day, we had a free continental breakfast at our resort and a visit from the local chickens and birds.

Grand Cayman Adventures

Stringray City

On our first full day, we planned an excursion to Stingray City. We had taken the tour before (many years ago) but we wanted our daughter to experience it too. The guide takes you out by boat to waist deep water of the Caribbean sea. You put on your flippers and snorkel gear to prepare for the adventure.

You can swim, touch and feed the stingrays while the guide takes plenty of pictures of you and your group. We had a blast even though our daughter admitted she was afraid of the stingrays! You will want to take that into consideration with your little ones. The stingrays are tame and have no fear of humans so they can be surprisingly aggressive as they investigate if you have treats for them!

Snorkeling

Cayman Turtle Center

We took a full day island tour with Webster’s that made stops around the island with our first stop at the Cayman Turtle Center where you can learn about the conservation efforts made by the turtle farm to supply the needs to a local market and then continue to release them back into the wild. We had the opportunity to learn how to pick them up and take photos with them.

Hell and Tortuga Rum Cake Factory

We then went on to the rock formation of Hell and the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory. Make sure to send a post card to someone back home from Hell and take a photo with the devil.

At the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory, be sure to sample the variety of flavors of rum cake and purchase a few packaged cakes for later.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

The next stop on the tour was Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. The park is beautifully landscaped with native plants. You may even have the chance to spy an endangered Blue Iguana. We, unfortunately didn’t see any. 🙁

Pedro St. James National Historic Site

Our final stop was to Pedro St. James National Historic Site. We watched a movie presentation and then had a tour of the oldest building in Grand Cayman. We learned a lot about the rich history of the Cayman Islands. The end of the tour, leads you to a rum tasting room, which of course means you have to buy a bottle to take home. We were having a blast until our tour driver (who didn’t drink) rushed us because he had a tight schedule to keep.

Georgetown

The staff at Sunshine Suites recommended the days and times to visit downtown Georgetown to avoid the arrival of cruise ships. Make sure to look out for the chickens ironically hanging out in front of KFC. 😉

Caymana Bay

On an excursion free day, we decided to spend the day shopping, dining and hanging out at Caymana Bay. It was about a two mile walk from our hotel (we walked back after our day was over), but took a bus to get there. It was a great waterfront area with a variety of activities for the whole family. And if you need a break from shopping, dining and walking, you can cool off in the splash water fountains or grab a hammock to watch for wildlife (like Aruba there are plenty of iguanas.). This place is beautiful but husbands out there need to brace themselves as their wives abuse the credit card!

Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach

The times that we weren’t out on excursions, we were swimming and snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea. We spent a lot of time at the Westin Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach.

We took advantage of the pool at both resorts and did yoga on the beach and had our first experience at Stand-up paddle boarding. Chris even saw a turtle swimming around his paddle board!

Splurge at The Grand Old House

We highly recommend having dinner at The Grand Old House. The food is delicious and the views of the Caribbean sea are magnificent. We even had our very own tableside harpist play music for us. I mean does it get any more romantic than that?

Final Thoughts

Grand Cayman is a beautiful, tropical place to visit. The temperatures are an average of 81 degrees (Fahrenheit), with cooler weather in November- March. The white sand beaches, turquoise waters and coral reefs filled with brightly colored fish are waiting for you! Grab your suit, sunblock and snorkel gear and make your travel plans!

Have you been to Grand Cayman? What is your favorite Caribbean island?

Let us know in the comments below!