Inside: In search of a calming trip in a beautiful locale? We spent spring break in Grand Cayman on the East Finish with our teen. Right here’s our day-to-day itinerary.
Years in the past, my husband and I vowed to take a household trip yearly to construct reminiscences with our youngsters.
After a few journeys that have been enjoyable however extra adventurous than enjoyable (learn Our Spring Break in San Francisco and One Amazing Week in Costa Rica With Teens), I used to be able to press the simple button.
I didn’t know a lot in regards to the Cayman Islands (I needed to look on a map to determine the place they have been!), however a pal of mine not too long ago vacationed there and had good issues to say.
The Cayman Islands are situated within the Caribbean Sea. They’re simply south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is the biggest of the three islands, nevertheless it’s solely 22 miles lengthy.
Although the most well-liked space in Grand Cayman is Seven Mile Beach, recognized to be one of many prettiest and most pristine seashores on the earth, we stayed on the alternative aspect of the island, referred to as the East Finish. Throughout my analysis, I ran throughout this blog post from Our Candy Adventures and was satisfied that this quieter, much less crowded aspect of the island was a greater match for us.
I used to be proper. Although it was an extended drive from the airport and farther from a number of the huge points of interest, the East Finish was far more our pace and an amazing place for a very enjoyable trip.
In the event you want inspiration for a brand new trip vacation spot, listed here are extra particulars about our journey, together with our day-to-day itinerary:
DAY ONE
- Arrived in Grand Cayman early afternoon. Walked throughout the road to Alamo and picked up our rental automotive.
- Drove 40 minutes to the Wyndham Reef Resort, stopping on the small grocery retailer throughout the road from the resort to choose up objects like sunscreen and snacks.
- Checked in to the resort, and talked to the parents on the concierge desk about potential outings. Additionally grabbed a calendar of resort occasions.
- Picked up our snorkel gear, which is a free rental with the all-inclusive bundle (which we did).
- Settled in to our room. We had a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, ground-level rental. The bed room had a king-size mattress, and there have been two single beds in the lounge that pulled down from the wall. The rental had a full kitchen as nicely.
- Explored the resort a bit, had dinner, and went to mattress.
DAY TWO
- Had the breakfast buffet, and spent the morning snorkeling. Grand Cayman is understood for its snorkeling spots and unimaginable dive websites. And although there are far more sturdy areas on the island for snorkeling, we have been proud of our seashore. We may go in proper on the shore and noticed loads of fish, particularly across the two piers on and close to the resort.
- Ate lunch on the seashore bar.
- Drove to George’s Watersports for the Bioluminescent Bay Night time Snorkeling Tour. This was my one planning misstep. It was a protracted (and bushy–15 roundabouts every method!) drive from the resort. Although it was cool to snorkel in the dead of night and see the bioluminescent plankton mild up as we moved, we have been dissatisfied within the tour guides, who largely spent the boat journey flirting with a pair of younger ladies on the tour!
- Received again residence after the resort restaurant was closed, so we made peanut butter sandwiches in our rental for dinner and went to mattress.
DAY THREE
- Had the breakfast buffet–I ate frivolously as a result of I went to water aerobics on the pool afterwards!
- Snorkeled within the morning, ate lunch on the seashore bar, then headed to Cayman Crystal Caves, which was a really brief drive from the resort. We favored this guided strolling tour by a number of caves that have been fashioned over tens of millions of years. My teen particularly loved this outing.
- Ate dinner on the resort restaurant and went to mattress.
DAY FOUR
- I attended yoga by the pool whereas the blokes slept in.
- Ate breakfast on the buffet, then drove to Starfish Point, about half-hour away. We thought this may be a very good snorkeling spot, nevertheless it wasn’t. As an alternative, we checked out the starfish that dotted the sand within the clear water. This can be a extra crowded spot, and there have been a number of tour boats there. I used to be blissful we may drive there ourselves and see it without cost.
- Ate lunch on the seashore bar.
- Snorkeled on the resort.
- Drove again to Starfish Level to look at the sundown. In the event you’re staying on the East Finish, this was an amazing spot for the sundown.
- Had a late dinner on the resort, did some stargazing, then went to mattress.
DAY FIVE
- Watched the dawn from the resort dock then learn on the seashore for 2 hours (heaven!)
- Had the breakfast buffet, snorkeled, and ate lunch on the seashore bar
- Drove to Spott’s Seashore. Alongside the best way, we made pit stops on the Wreck of the 10 Sails Memorial and the Blow Holes (the Blow Holes have been a favourite!).
- Snorkeled at Spott’s Seashore. I had learn this was one of many fashionable spots for snorkeling, however the water was too deep and uneven for me. My husband and teenage stayed in and ended up seeing three sea turtles.
- Ate dinner on the resort.
DAY SIX
- Ate breakfast on the buffet, checked out, and left for residence.
What we favored in regards to the resort
Staying at an all-inclusive resort has its execs and cons. In the event you’re searching for a calming place the place you’ll be able to merely present up and have every thing taken care of, it’s excellent. In the event you choose to strive completely different eating places and have a extra non-public expertise general, you’re higher off at a resort or Airbnb.
That is what we favored in regards to the Wyndham Reef Resort:
- Our rental felt spacious, and each has an ocean view. In the event you go, ask for a rental away from the seashore bar, which tends to get noisy particularly within the night.
- You may snorkel proper from the shore (you received’t see as a lot selection as you’ll at a number of the fashionable snorkel spots or on a snorkel tour, nevertheless it was effective for us).
- There was ample shade. This was vital for me. There have been loads of umbrellas, in addition to palm timber that offered shade.
- The meals was good. I cherished the recent fruit and in a single day oats at breakfast (the primary time I’ve truly loved in a single day oats!). My husband and teenage thought the wings on the seashore bar have been a number of the greatest they’d had. We ordered the mahi mahi a number of nights for dinner. And my son and I ate key lime pie each night time for dessert.
- The seashore was steps away from our room. It was straightforward to trip from the seashore to the rental all through the day. We had learn that the seagrass may get heavy on the Grand Cayman East Finish seashore, nevertheless it wasn’t unhealthy and didn’t trouble us in any respect.
- It felt small and informal. The buildings have been solely two tales excessive. And whereas it was pretty, it didn’t really feel fussy or fancy. Some individuals have been dressed up at dinner, however we felt simply effective in our shorts and Birkenstocks.
What we didn’t like:
- As a result of it’s a small resort, the seashore space is correct in entrance of the swimming pools, which may get loud with children enjoying.
- The seashore bar may get noisy with nighttime actions like karaoke and theme dinners, which we didn’t do. Nevertheless it was quiet in our rental, which was a distance away.
What I’d do subsequent time
We wished to spend extra time enjoyable than driving round, so we didn’t hit every thing we wished to see. Listed here are a number of the spots I’d wish to go if I return sometime:
- Cayman Parrot Sanctuary: Situated on the East Finish, and a four-minute drive from the resort.
- Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Garden: That is situated on the East Finish, about quarter-hour away from the resort.
- Stingray Metropolis: A sandbar the place you’ll be able to stand up shut and private with stingrays. That is farther off shore and requires a ship journey.
- Cayman Turtle Centre: That is situated on the west aspect, which was longer drive from the resort.
- Hell: It’s a cool geological web site on the island of black limestone and is free to go to. I actually wished to go to the publish workplace there and ship a postcard from Hell!
- Snorkel tour: The Wyndham has a dive store referred to as Ocean Frontiers and charters excursions to shipwrecks and reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Useful issues to convey
- Cowl-ups, together with swim shirts (each lengthy and brief sleeve). The solar is intense!
- Water sneakers. The ground of the ocean off the shore might be rocky, and water sneakers are a lifesaver. I truly wore them in lieu of flippers whereas snorkeling (my husband and teenage most well-liked flippers). These are the ones I got for everybody.
- Hats and sun shades
- Closed toed sneakers to discover the caves
- Sweatshirt or mild jacket for evenings. The evenings bought cool with the breeze, and I want I’d packed multiple long-sleeved prime.
- Reusable bag. I packed the one proven within the picture above to make use of for buying and as a seashore bag.
- Waterproof cellphone case. Not a necessity, however we used this for taking photos underwater and to guard the cellphone in the course of the boat journey to the bay.
- Some money for tipping, particularly tour guides.
Q&A about spring break in Grand Cayman
What’s the foreign money?
They settle for US {Dollars} and Cayman Island {Dollars}, so we didn’t convert any of our cash. Remember that when you pay money in US {Dollars}, you might get Cayman Island {Dollars} again in change. Once we paid for issues, we principally used our bank card.
What airport do you fly into?
You’ll arrive in Grand Cayman on the Owen Roberts Worldwide Airport. If you wish to go to the opposite two islands, you’ll must take one other brief flight.
What’s the greatest time to go to Grand Cayman?
The Caymans keep pretty warm year-round. The most well-liked time to go to is March-June. The summer time months and fall are typically probably the most reasonably priced, in keeping with the vacationer bureau.
Is Grand Cayman protected?
We felt very protected in Grand Cayman. Not like in Costa Rica, we weren’t given any warnings about leaving our rental automotive or belongings unattended. We didn’t have detrimental experiences wherever. As of this writing (Spring 2024), the US Department of State doesn’t have any advisories or cautions in opposition to touring to the Caymans.
What time zone is Grand Cayman in?
The Caymans are on Jap Customary Time however don’t observe daylight financial savings time. So once we have been there in April, it was an hour sooner than our residence state of Ohio, which is on EST as nicely.
Do we want passports?
Sure. The Caymans are a British Abroad Territory. So until you’re a British citizen, you have to a passport to journey there.
What was the driving like?
In Grand Cayman, they drive on the left aspect of the street. Our rental automotive’s steering wheel was on the alternative aspect as nicely. My husband did all of the driving (I plan the journey, and he drives!). He’s a assured driver and did effective. However personally, simply the thought of doing roundabouts on the opposite aspect of the street makes my head spin! The roads have been emptier and simpler to navigate on the East Finish.
What language do they converse within the Caymans?
In response to the Cayman Islands Tourist Bureau they converse a “British type of English”, however every district has a singular dialect. We had no hassle speaking with anybody.
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