How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Grand Cayman

The legendary white sands of Seven Mile Beach put the Cayman Islands firmly on the map as a beach destination, chosen by Travel + Leisure editors as one of the best places to travel in 2023. However, beaches are just the start in Grand Cayman, an island increasingly known for everything from its budding art scene to its foodie bona fides that extend beyond the Caribbean.

Home to the annual Cayman Cookout at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, the island is considered the culinary capital of the Caribbean. "It earns the title. Grand Cayman is small enough that all the chefs know each other and can collaborate. It makes for great synergy," says Sandy Tuason, the executive chef at The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa.

Innovation from Grand Cayman's tastemakers continues beyond the food. Several new, elevated cocktail bars, with Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa's Library by the Sea at the helm, are transforming the island into a full-blown mixology destination. 

Refurbished beachside accommodations and new, stylish boutique properties like Palm Heights add a healthy dose of style to the island. With one of the most extensive flight lifts in the Caribbean, Grand Cayman looks more accessible and appealing than ever.

Best Hotels & Resorts

The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa

The largest pool in Grand Cayman and the longest stretch of white sand on Seven Mile Beach make The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa one of the most impressive resorts on the island. Extensive health, wellness, and activities offerings, plus a kids club, the Hibiscus Spa, and innovative dining options like Woto are highlights.

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa

Voted one of the best resort hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Bahamas in 2020 by T+L readers, the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa sits on the heart of Seven Mile Beach. This 264-room property also boasts the impressive Library by the Sea cocktail bar and Mexican street food-inspired beach eatery Coccoloba, which warrant a visit even among travelers staying elsewhere.

The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman

Home to the largest luxury suite in the Caribbean, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman shines after an extensive refurbishment in 2021. "It sits along the Seven Mile Beach so the stunning beach is conveniently accessible," says Susmita Baral, T+L's travel editor. "While guests should leave the property and explore the island, you could stay on-site the entire time and have a great time."

The resort's Cayman Cookout festivities every January are a must for foodies, though the tasting menus at Blue by Eric Ripert make the resort a culinary destination year round. "Guests at the Cayman Cookout can experience great food and famous chefs, but it's really about making memories," Marc Langevin, general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman tells T+L at the 2024 Cayman Cookout. "We hope to create a myriad of experiences — a moment and memories — that they'll remember when they go home."

Palm Heights

Opened in October 2019, Palm Heights is a stylish boutique property and one of the newest resorts in Grand Cayman. As Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon recently reported for T+L, Palm Heights is "a haven for creative types — and those who want to be near them — who crave a bit of visual stimulation with their relaxing resort vibes." With just 52 rooms and suites, it offers a refreshing boutique experience amidst nearby mega-resorts.

Related: Top All-inclusive Cayman Islands Resorts

Best Things To Do

Stingray City

A short cruise takes visitors to a sand bar surrounded by crystal-clear waters to swim with giant yet gentle stingrays at Stingray City. One of the most popular experiences in Grand Cayman, these excursions also offer optional snorkeling at colorful Coral Gardens.

Kittiwake Shipwreck

"Throw on a snorkel anywhere in Grand Cayman, and it's like National Geographic out there," says Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa's Jim Wrigley. However, one of the island's most unique dive sites is the shipwreck of the USS Kittiwake, sunk in 2011. Turtles and tropical fish now populate the wreck, known for being easily accessible even for less-experienced divers.

National Gallery of the Cayman Islands

The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands is "the best place to discover Caymanian art and to understand its evolution," says Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon for T+L. It's just the start of numerous galleries and art exhibits for travelers looking to discover a burgeoning art scene on the island.

Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park

Visit Grand Cayman's impressive botanical gardens to see all the richness of the island's flora, including species of orchids you won't find anywhere else on the planet. The park also welcomes visitors to its conservation facility for the island's endemic blue iguanas.

Nightlife

Library by the Sea

Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa's Library by the Sea serves a curated collection of literary-inspired cocktails that offer "a slice of time and history with each sip," says the resort's beverage manager Jim Wrigley. Highlights include a glowing blue Dune-inspired drink and a Hemingway daiquiri made using 1932 Bacardí rum, just like the author would have had at El Floridita in Havana. Drinks are "served" with first-edition and vintage copies of the tomes that inspired their creation.

Next Door

Located in the shopping and entertainment hub of Camana Bay, Next Door is a new cocktail bar offering some of the most innovative drink creations on the island. A commitment to using sustainable ingredients and frequent live music events have made it one of the island's best happy hour spots.

Best Restaurants

Blue by Eric Ripert

The Caribbean's only AAA Five-Diamond restaurant, Blue by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton offers tasting menus highlighting local seafood, making it the undisputed fine dining star of Grand Cayman. "Blue by Eric Ripert created the dining scene in the Cayman Islands, Langevin tells T+L. "It's the flagship restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton and elevates the dining experience on the island."

Ms. Piper's Kitchen + Garden

Patterned after a bohemian backyard oasis, Ms. Piper's Kitchen + Garden might just be the coolest place to eat in Grand Cayman. The retro 70's vibe woven into every detail and international-inspired menu are refreshing and unique.

Woto

As Grand Cayman's first dedicated poke, sushi, and ceviche restaurant, The Westin's Woto has quickly become a favorite dining destination. Chefs trained in Japan make dishes authentic, while locally-sourced ingredients root them in Caribbean flavors. 

Peppers Bar & Grill

Tastemakers, foodies, and chefs across the island all recommend beachfront Peppers Bar & Grill as one of the best local restaurants in Grand Cayman. "The jerk chicken, rice, and peas are the best on the island," says Wrigley.

Coccoloba

Coccoloba at Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa is Seven Mile Beach's elevated beach bar experience. The Mexican street food-inspired menu offers everything from fresh-catch tostadas to churros and an incredible piña colada.

Best Time To Visit

Grand Cayman enjoys warm, tropical weather year round, with temperatures hovering around the 80s. Wet weather and tropical storms are possible during the Atlantic hurricane season between June and November.

Travel high season falls from December through April. While prices are the highest and beaches the busiest, consistently mild weather and sunny skies make these months one of the best times to visit the island. For a sweet spot combining lower prices, fewer tourists, and nice weather, the late spring months of April, May, and June are another great time to visit Grand Cayman.

Cayman Cookout is held annually in mid-January and is worth planning your trip around. The event brings celebrity chefs to the forefront with cooking demos, wine tastings, curated dinners, and an array of exclusive activities. (In 2024, guests could go deep sea fishing with chef Emeril Lagasse and take a private jet to Jamaica's GoldenEye resort with chef Eric Ripert and the CEO of New Zealand-based winery Craggy Range.)

Visit in early May for Cayman Carnival Batabano. Batabano isn't as over-the-top as the carnival celebrations of some Caribbean neighbors, but it’s a fantastic time to experience Caymanian food, music, and dance traditions.

How To Get There

Grand Cayman is one of the most accessible Caribbean islands for North American travelers. Numerous airlines offer frequent direct flights to Grand Cayman's Owen Roberts International Airport from cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and others. Miami, just under two hours away, is a gateway city to the Cayman Islands, with up to four daily direct flights to Grand Cayman during the high travel season.

Cayman Airways offers small daily inter-island flights between Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. While there is no public ferry service between the islands like you might find in other Caribbean destinations, travelers can also choose private boat charters, which are relatively affordable.

Many visitors also arrive in Grand Cayman by cruise ship at the port in the capital city of George Town. The cruise port allows for up to four ships to anchor at once; any additional ships remain in harbor. Passengers are tendered to shore and arrive at one of three terminals.

Neighborhoods To Visit

Seven Mile Beach

Nestled along the white sands of one of the most beautiful beaches in the world is the indisputable center of the action in Grand Cayman. The Seven Mile Beach area is home to Grand Cayman's buzziest resorts, bars, and restaurants, all within short walking distance of each other.

Camana Bay

Just a stone's throw from Seven Mile Beach is the Camana Bay area. Jump on a catamaran cruise from the harbor or explore the bustling Town Centre, which features frequent events and a Wednesday farmers and artisan market from 12:00 - 7:00 p.m. This modern neighborhood has lots of shopping and some of the island's best eateries and bars, including Next Door and chef-favorite Agua.

Rum Point

Kick back and relax on the breezy white-sand beach at Rum Point for a quintessentially Caribbean escape from the island's built-up resort area. Rum Point's Wreck Bar holds the distinction for creating the iconic Caymanian cocktail known as the mudslide. While the recipe differs from many classically Caribbean beverages - think vodka, Kahlua, Bailey's, and cinnamon — it's an island classic. 

East End

Head east for the antithesis of the built-up Seven Mile Beach area. Weekend farmers' markets and more remote beaches are favorites. "East End is more of a trek, but the local food here is worth it. You'll find food shacks where you just walk up and receive a plate of delicious food from grandma in the back who has been doing this for ages," says Wrigley. 

How To Get Around

Rental Car

With so many of the best resorts, bars, and restaurants in Grand Cayman clustered along Seven Mile Beach, booking a rental car is only a necessity for travelers looking to explore Rum Point or the island's East End. The airport is the best place to rent a car, with a number of large companies here. Remember that cars drive on the left side of the road in the Cayman Islands, though you can find cars with the steering wheel on either side of the vehicle.

Taxi

Taxis tend to be the best transportation option for most travelers in Grand Cayman, though they can be comparatively expensive. Download CI:GO, an app the Cayman Islands government created to calculate taxi fares between locations, which will estimate your fare in USD and Cayman Islands Dollars (KYD).

Rideshare

Grand Cayman doesn't have the ridesharing companies most visitors will recognize from home. The local app Island Ride is an alternative, though many travelers tend to stick with taxis, as ridesharing can be even more expensive than a standard taxi.

Local Buses

Mini-buses run on predetermined routes around the island and cost just a few dollars per trip, though they tend to get crowded and won't stop if they're already full. Catch a bus at a stop along the route or by flagging one down as it passes. More information on routes and schedules is available on the Public Transportation Unit website.