Imagine – a week with no snow in February.
Not only is there no snow – but Grand Cayman has everything opposite to snow!! Palm trees, sandy beaches, hot days, warm nights, restaurants with patios overlooking the ocean, snorkelling… how can you go wrong with Grand Cayman in February!?
Why Grand Cayman?
Why not!?
Grand Cayman had me mesmerized from the minute I arrived. Laid back, safe, beautiful, perfect weather, amazing food, interesting wildlife, lots to do (if you so choose)…
Plan
Note: We were 6 adults (2 grandparents & 4 parents) and 4 kids aged 9, 11, 11 and 13)
Day 1 (Sunday – Travel Day)
Departure and Arrival
Unfortunately our departure did not go as we had hoped. We arrived mid-afternoon after a challenging couple of hours in the airport. My son had a panic attack just before boarding and wouldn’t get on the plane. We had a back-up plan for him (this is the third time this has happened) but still heart-breaking to all of us who had to watch him go through it and then realize he wouldn’t be with us for the family trip. (For more on managing a child with a flight phobia, click here).
We were staying in apartment-style accommodations in West Bay. Once we arrived, we settled in, tried to let go of our disappointment that our son wouldn’t be joining us and walked down to the beach. This was a very difficult afternoon for all of us.
By the time we were ready for dinner, we had come to terms with our son’s absence and made a decision to embrace the vacation as best we could. We ventured out to the Calypso Grill – which was absolutely fantastic. A lovely patio by the ocean and a wonderful dinner. Over our seafood meals, we were already starting to scheme how to live in Cayman forever.
Note: this restaurant (and all that we went to actually) were incredibly accommodating for my niece & nephew’s nut allergies
Tip: Arriving on a Sunday means most grocery stores and liquor stores are closed. McRuss is a small supermarket open 24 hours (a 10 minute drive from the airport in George Town) and has a decent selection of items – at least enough to get the basics. A quick google search of a liquor store near your hotel/apartment willI help you find one that might be open when you arrive.
| Day 1 | |
| Morning & Afternoon | Travel Day McRuss supermarket after arriving at the airport |
| Evening | Dive into the Grand Cayman vibe at the amazing Calypso Grill for dinner |
Day 2 (Monday)
Vacation Truly Begins
On our first day, we wanted to settle into Vacation Mode. We just lounged around the pool and the beach – napped, strolled along the sand and read. We ventured out to Fosters (grocery store chain across Cayman Island) to get supplies for the week. Low-key day and we loved it!
Having our own kitchen meant that we could prepare an easy (and less expensive) meal for dinner.
| Day 2 | |
| Morning, Afternoon & Evening | Lounge by the pool, nap, sit at the beach Head out to grocery store (Fosters) for supplies Chill out! |
Day 3 (Tuesday)
Pedro St James, Starfish Point, Rum Point and a Kayak Tour
While we all agreed that this day was SUPER fun – in the end, it was maybe a little too much to pack into one day.
We started the morning at Pedro St James – an historic building on the south shore. We were all very impressed with the video presentation that they created to explain the history of the property in relation to the history of the island. We probably spent just over an hour there – half hour for the presentation plus half an hour to wander around. Ages 7-8+
Next, we stopped at the Blow Holes along Sea View Road. This is just a quick 5-10 minute stop, but a fun thing to see!
Lunch stop: Kaibo on Rum Point – with every moment, we were sinking more and more into Cayman lifestyle…and this restaurant certainly helped! Picnic tables right on the calm blue water – starfish you could see from your table…it was truly idyllic. I could have stayed all afternoon but…
Onwards to: Starfish point! About a 5 minute drive from Kaibo is Starfish Point. At first we flocked to where all the boats were parked, but then as we wandered our own way down the point, we actually found more starfish than where the crowds were. A nice low-key place to visit and wade in the clear waters looking for…you guessed it…star fish!
Next on the itinerary: Rum Point. I loved Rum Point. I am told that I loved it because it was relatively quiet and no cruise ship crowds. That may be true…but I did love it. (It might be worth looking at the cruise ship schedule to plan your visit on a non-cruise ship day!) This beach was great for families with beach volleyball, an easy gradual beach, a pier to stroll along, lots of beach chairs and hammocks – as well as food and drinks and showers and bathrooms. (I read that you weren’t supposed to bring in your own food and drink – we didn’t try to but you might want to keep it in mind). I could have stayed here all day.
Rum Point
Next stop: Tukka for dinner. This was the one part of the day that we didn’t time quite right. At Tukka, they feed the Frigate Birds between 5-5:30pm. Unfortunately, we just couldn’t tear ourselves away from the beach in time and we arrived closer to 5:30… so we caught the last few seconds of the birds in the air before it was done. It would have been cool to see – kids would have loved it. At any rate, the food was amazing (including a kids’ menu) and there was a lot to do here for the kids – while we waited for dinner, there were binoculars to look out at shipwrecks, pet iguanas to look at, a pretend captain’s wheel to sail, a flip-flop tree and a beanbag tossing game to pass the time. Definitely recommend.
Next stop: Bioluminescence Kayak Tour (leaving from Rum Point). We all loved this. You need to be ready to do some paddling – all adults were matched with a kid and we were all fine – but it wasn’t a coasting trip. You go out at night (star gazing is pretty fantastic) and paddle from Rum Point to a nearby bay. While in the bay, you get to witness some really amazing glowing in the water. The guides have lots of ideas for you on how to experience this. It was a very unusual thing to do and we all loved it. There are several companies that run this tour – best to google and see which fits your schedule best.
Tip: If you are interested in doing this, call or email the company before you arrive. They can only go out when the moon is not high in the sky so some nights the tour doesn’t run – it’s important to know ahead of time so you can plan which evening of your trip works best.
Phew! Big day! But an amazing one! Back home to bed!
| Day 3 | |
| Morning | Pedro St James – an historic building on the south shore Blow Holes along Sea View Road |
| Afternoon | Lunch: Kaibo on Rum Point Starfish Point Rum Point Beach |
| Evening | Tukka for dinner (be there by 5pm for bird feeding) Bioluminescence Kayak Tour (leaving from Rum Point) |
Day 4 (Wednesday)
Hell, Turtle Farm, Cracked Conch, Farmers Market & Art Gallery
We started the day with a stop in Hell. I think this might have been my 8 year old nephew’s favourite part of the week since he was “allowed” to say Hell as much as he wanted! There are 2 little shops, a post office (to send goofy Hell post cards to friends) but don’t miss the namesake lookout platform just behind the buildings! Odd, black rock formations … Unusual and worth checking out.
Welcome to Hell!
We continued our tour at the Turtle Centre. Now… I will admit that we all thoroughly enjoyed this excursion, but I have to be honest and say that there are some recent articles on-line questioning their conservation practices. I hadn’t seen these articles before our visit and while I was there I didn’t see anything that felt alarming. My father is a veterinarian and we are a very conscientious animal-loving family. You will need to make up your own mind about whether or not you feel this stop works for you. Our experience was very informative and we had lots of opportunities to feed and hold the turtles. If you are there when they’re feeding the crocodile, it was also quite a show!
TIP: The wading pool where you can stand in a tank and hold the turtles was definitely a highlight so if you go, be sure to wear sandals that are easy to slip in and out of – no need to bring a towel.
LUNCH: we zipped over across the street to the Cracked Conch for lunch – yet another fabulous sea-side patio with some interesting rock formations to examine below. Let me tell you, that by now…we were definitely on “Island Time” – so relaxed and chill. I never wanted to leave!
After lunch we drove into Camana Bay to their weekly Farmers Market (held on Wednesdays from 10am-3pm).
This area is like an outdoor shopping mall with stores, cinemas, coffee shops, restaurants and small grocery stores. None of us found the shopping particularly fantastic, but it was an interesting stroll around the market and stores for an hour or so. The girls got their hair braided here.
One group returned to the resort and another group made a quick stop at the National Gallery of the Cayman Islands right across the street from the market. While we didn’t spend more than 45 minutes or so at this art gallery, we really loved the exhibits and the variety of artwork in this small but beautiful museum (Free Admission Open 10-5 Daily, Closed Sundays)
Eventually everyone regrouped at the pool and beach of our “Cayman Home” to spend the rest of the day chilling out in the sunshine. Since we had been out most of the day, we chose to make our own dinner that evening, play some games and have a night-time swim in the pool.
| Day 3 | |
| Morning | Hell Turtle Centre |
| Afternoon | Lunch: Cracked Conch Camana Bay to their weekly Farmers Market (held on Wednesdays from 10am-3pm) National Gallery of the Cayman Islands |
| Evening | Dinner at our apartment & an evening of family games |
Day 4 (Thursday)
Stingray City Boat Tour, Dinner at Vivo
We started our day meeting our boat & tour guide for our cruise to “Stingray City.”
In the middle of North Sound, in the waters between West Bay and Rum Point, there’s a sandbar where Stingrays tend to congregate aptly named “Stingray City.” Day-cruises to this spot are very popular with tourists – and for good reason. On a beautiful day (which most days are in Cayman!), being out on the water for a boat trip is joyful enough! Add a stop where you can get out of the boat, stand on a sandbar and touch/pet stingrays… well, it’s pretty awesome!
TIP: choose a company that stops for a snorkel as well as Stingray City. While the snorkelling isn’t spectacular, it’s a fun addition to a great day out on the water.
TIP: be mindful of where your cruise departs. Since we were staying in West End, we chose a cruise leaving from that area. Tours of Stingray City leave from various places on the island so you should be able to find one that suits your location.
After returning to our accommodations for a relaxing afternoon at the pool and beach, we decided to go out for dinner that night at Vivo.
While no one in our family is vegetarian, not one of us missed having meat at this meal. It’s a fantastic restaurant with beautiful views to the sunset. Highly recommend.
| Day 4 | |
| Morning | “Stingray City” Snorkel & Boat Tour |
| Afternoon | Relax by the pool & beach at apartment/hotel |
| Evening | Dinner: Vivo |
Day 5 (Friday)
Cemetery Beach
While we loved the quiet atmosphere of our accommodation, it was time for a white-sand beach day. We chose to try Cemetery Beach on the northern end of Seven Mile Beach.
There are some trees along the shore where we were able to put our blankets down out of the sun. This is a beautiful white-sand beach – and while there are no facilities here – that also means it is very quiet. We were able to walk quite a ways down the beach and back – and there are a few areas to snorkel here.
We returned home for the afternoon and dinner.
| Day 5 | |
| Morning & Afternoon | Beach Day at Cemetery Beach |
| Evening | Dinner at apartment |
Day 6 (Saturday)
West Bay Public Beach
Another day to venture out to find a white sand beach – this time we tried West Bay Public Beach which is also part of Seven Mile Beach.
While this was not as private as Cemetery Beach and there was less shade (bring your own umbrella if you can), there were facilities here including a restaurant that had beach chairs, pavilions, beach volleyball courts and a children’s playground. Since we were there mid-week and not during any major school holidays, we were some of the only people on the beach. Once again, we had an amazing day playing in the sand and the waves.
That evening, we ended our family vacation at the lovely Ristorante Pappagallo.
Ristorante Pappagallo was right across the road from our accommodation and had fantastic Italian food, an interesting location in the middle of a bird sanctuary and a salt-water lagoon and parrots to “meet” while you’re waiting for your meal.
A lovely end to a wonderful family holiday.
| Day 6 | |
| Morning & Afternoon | West Bay Public Beach – Beach Day |
| Evening | Dinner: the Ristorante Pappagallo |
Planning Tips for Large Family Groups
Full disclosure: I did not plan this trip. My parents wanted to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with their extended family in Grand Cayman. Yes. Very cool. They have been coming here for years to escape the Canadian winters and they wanted to share all the things they love about Grand Cayman (and believe me – there are many things to love here!).
Planning a trip for a larger group (our family of 5, my brother’s family of 4 as well as my parents) involved different strategies:
The hotel was never really a discussion – my parents always stay at the Pappagallos Condos on the northwest shore. It’s perfect for them because it’s away from the crowd, has a long quiet (non-swimming) beach to walk (they don’t really swim in the ocean much) and there are many restaurants a short drive away. We loved it for all of those reasons as well – but I think if I were to come back with kids, I would try staying somewhere along 7 Mile Beach. Our kids swam in the pool a lot and we did lots of fun excursions (including to 7 Mile Beach) but I think you can’t beat being right on a huge sandy beach with kids!
At a family dinner a few months before the trip, my dad had a list of all of the things we could do in Cayman and had everyone pick their top 3-4 choices. I thought it was actually a great way to narrow down what we would do as a family. After the main excursions were chosen, people could choose to add in whatever else they wanted to do on the days “off”. We had 3 car rentals between us, so people could go do the activities that interested them.
My dad created a schedule with the group activities and emailed it around a month or two before we left. This way we could see which days had activities and which days were open in case we wanted to add our own events.
The expectations were laid out right away – which days we were going out for dinner and which days we were cooking!
