Living in Chicago has made me realize that I need multiple winter breaks to tropical climates just to feel the warm sun on my skin. Chicago’s cold weather lingers from November until April. Some years we may not see temperatures consistently in the 60°s and 70°s until June. When I visited London and Paris over the New Year, both cities were cold, rainy, and snowy, not making it feel much like a vacation. Once I returned back to single-digit temperatures in Chicago, I knew I had to find a warm weather destination to retreat to. I’d asked my friends in February if they wanted to go to Cayman Islands or Turks and Caicos in the Spring for a getaway, but no one had the time to spare, so it would be a solo trip for me. My decision was between those two islands because I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, easy to access with a direct flight, and an island with great beaches. I settled on Grand Cayman after doing (social media) research. There was so much allure that I hadn’t seen many people visit the island, I wanted to uncover the mystery of why the rich hide their fortunes in the country’s tax haven, and I wanted to learn about the culture. Most importantly, I wanted to lie on a beach without thinking about work or responsibilities.
I decided to go in late April, and initially I was going to spend 7 days on the island. When I have longer vacations, I like to split my time between multiple hotels in case one doesn’t work out, I have another option to look forward to, as well as a reason to venture to different neighborhoods.

I knew I wanted to stay on Seven Mile Beach for the proximity to the ocean. I also hoped it would be similar to one of my favorite beaches in the world with the same name, Seven Mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica. I wanted to wake up to crystal-clear warm water and soft white sand under my toes daily.
I saw great reviews and pictures for Grand Cayman Marriott Resort as well as Westin Resort Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach, however from the pictures and reviewers online, the hotels seemed to cater to an older crowd of retirees or business travelers, and that wasn’t the vibe I was going for. My top two hotels were Hotel Indigo Grand Cayman for its sexy, sophisticated vibe, and close proximity to Bonny Moon Beach Club which all tourists and locals raved about. The other contender was Hampton Inn Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach. The online reviews and pictures for both hotels were great, but I was a little nervous to stay at Hampton Inn due to it being a lower quality hotel in the States focusing on families and also business travelers. I didn’t know whether the online pictures were up to date, and whether the hotel was still modern and had great service. Closer to arrival, I shortened my trip to 5 days and decided to stay solely at Hampton Inn, hoping for the best.
My hotel tour on YouTube is down below. Spoiler alert, Hampton Inn exceeded my expectations and was the perfect choice! Hampton Inn is separated from the beach by a condo building, but I would still consider it to be on the water as you take a short walk from the hotel pool to the beach. The service was 10/10 with everyone being warm and hospitable from the front desk staff, housekeeping, waiters at breakfast and Ms. Pipers (the hotel’s on-property restaurant), the bartenders, and pool service attendants. When I checked-in, the front desk attendant was so hospitable, giving me a lay of the land, and informing me of all the amenities my $50 per day resort fee covered including a free shuttle available upon request that brings guests anywhere along Seven Mile Beach, bicycle rentals, GoPro rentals, beach chair and towel usage daily, free breakfast, and poolside snacks, which in my opinion are samples. Every day at 4pm waiters offer small bites of whatever Ms. Piper restaurant or the pool bar has available. One day we received bite-sized flatbread pizzas, another day was squares of bread pudding, and on my last two days we received about 4 ounces of smoothie samples. It was a nice surprise and delight.

I took a direct flight south from Chicago to Grand Cayman for a flight time around 4 hours. Thankfully, they are in the same Central Time Zone during daylight savings time, so I didnt experience jet lag or having to acclimate to a different time zone. Cayman Islands has their own airline, Cayman Airways, with multiple direct flights to a half dozen U.S. cities, including Denver, Los Angeles, Austin, Tampa, New York, and Miami. The airline also flies to Jamaica, Cuba, Panama, and Honduras as well as between all 3 Cayman Islands. The only way to travel between the three Cayman Islands is by Cayman Airways or private charter boat. There are no ferries that travel between Little Cayman, Grand Cayman, and Cayman Brac.
When I landed at Owen Roberts International Airport in Georgetown, Grand Cayman, I was met with the airport’s open-air deplaning process. There were 3 other flights that arrived at the same time my flight did, so we all hurried through immigration. The process took about one hour from deplaning to making it through customs and immigration through the long winding lines of kiosks, then to an immigration official who stamped our passports. Once I was clear, I walked across the street to the car rental hub. When doing research and reading Google reviews, most people complained that they felt bullied at the rental car desk and were forced to purchase insurance even though they thought they had sufficient coverage through their credit cards or personal vehicle insurance. Some people even mentioned they were hit with a $1,500 credit card hold for refusing the insurance. I’d booked my rental car via Expedia and purchased rental car insurance via Expedia, but when I picked up the car, the agent told me U.S. insurance was not sufficient and didn’t include liability coverage. I could either take the rental with the insurance that I pre-purchased and have a $1,500 credit card hold until I returned the car, or I could purchase full-coverage insurance via Hertz for $30 per day with no hold. I took the latter option and went on about my day. For $200 I was able to rent a car on the island with unlimited mileage, full insurance coverage over five days, and zero worries except returning the car with the same amount of gas I rented it with.

Things to know before you go:

Transportation
The Cayman Islands is a country made up of three islands: Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brac with a total population of less than 85,000 people. The Islands are a British Territory that has a local governor and all locally elected officials as a democracy. Because they are a British Territory, English is the official language and they drive on the left side of the street. I rented a car with Firefly, a subsidery of Hertz. I booked through Expedia for a low rate of $10 per day just for the rental and $30 per day for full coverage insurance, including liability. I’d seen YouTube and other social media videos of people renting a car in the Cayman Islands, and speaking about how easy it is. I specifically rented a car so I could experience driving on the left side of the road. Firefly gave me a Kia Sportage, but the steering wheel was on the left side, same as in the U.S. I did see other models of cars on the road with the steering wheel and driver on the right-hand side of the car, driving on the left. Because it is an island, there are an abundance of roundabouts and only a handful of traffic signals. The roundabouts took a bit of getting used to, remembering to give way to oncoming traffic, but I didn’t have any difficulty driving on the left. Ironically, it felt relatively normal and not that exciting, but a more convenient way to drive. I think if I had a car with the steering wheel on the right side, it would be more of a challenge, and I’d be more excited. On many of the major roads, there is a middle lane, not used for overtaking a slow driver in front of you, but to help people turn right or left off the main street and not cause traffic.
If you choose not to drive, the Uber app does not exist in the Cayman Islands. Your hotel will call a taxi for you. The taxis aren’t yellow sedans, but box SUVs, similar to white church vans, and they all have the TAXI roof topper to indicate they are a legitimate car service. Rates are fixed on the island. You can download the CI:GO app, input the number of passengers, pieces of luggage, destinations, and the app will provide you with the cost. The average cost from the airport to hotels on Seven Mile Beach should be CI $20. There are public buses that also look like box SUV church vans, but have PUBLIC BUS plastered across the windshield. The cost for the bus is CI $2 - $2.50 and the bus routes run on a loop. There are bus stop shelters along the routes to wait for the bus, but you can always hail one along the street if you are not near a stop. If you are staying at an AirBnB or vacation rental away from major hotels, I would recommend a rental car or hiring a private driver, especially if it is your first time on the island and you want an easy-going experience of not having to look for and worry about transportation, getting from point A to point B.

Currency
The currency in the Cayman Islands is the Cayman Island Dollar, KYD. There is a fixed exchange rate to the U.S. dollar: $1 USD = CI $0.80 or CI $1 = $1.20 USD. You can pay in CI or USD. If you are paying with a U.S. credit or debit card, you’ll always be charged in USD and there are no markups or fees from the retailer. There are many banks and ATMs to withdraw cash, but I did not need cash for any restaurant, vendor or excursion I patronized, so unfortunately, I have no KYD currency.
Unlike other islands, there is no haggling with businesses. The price you see is the price you pay. There is no sales tax, but at hotels you will pay a 13% tourist tax, and all dine-in restaurants charge a service fee of 15-18%.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted everywhere. Few places like hotels and more established restaurants accept Discover cards, but I didn’t see any restaurants or venues have signage that they accept American Express. All businesses use the handheld card readers, so tap to pay is widely accepted.

Drinking Water
Compared to other tropical destinations in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean, it is not recommended to drink tap water. In Cayman Islands, on the other hand it is perfectly fine to drink the tap water if you are staying at a hotel or certain condos/AirBnBs. If you are staying at a villa or a private home, it is best to ask the owner if they have well water or if their line is connected to the country’s reverse osmosis system. Restaurants offer free tap water with ice, and most hotels have free water available for guests to refill reusable water bottles.

Outlets/chargers
Although the country is a British territory, they see record numbers of U.S. tourists. On the bright side, if you are coming from the U.S., you do not need to worry about bringing a charging converter because the islands use the same electrical outlets as the U.S.

Neighborhoods
I immediately knew where I wanted to stay while I was in Grand Cayman, so narrowing down the hotels was the problem I faced. Hotels along Seven Mile Beach can range from $200 to $1,200 per night, but you get the luxury of being on the water with hotels that have great amenities. Hotels are pricey in general on the island. AirBnBs were a fraction of the cost, with many coming in around $100-$300 per night, without requiring a mandatory resort fee.

West Bay is primarily residential homes. You may be able to find an AirBnB or villa here as many people in this neighborhood have vacation homes on the island.
George Town is the country’s capital and the hub of cruise ships. This neighborhood is filled with jewelry stores, restaurants, and souvenir shops. It is family-friendly and central.
North and East Sides are quieter parts of the island that are less developed and away from the hustle and bustle of SMB and George Town. Staying on the North or East Sides is great if you’re looking to explore more and spend less time on populated beaches.

Safety
Maybe I saved the best for last, or the most important thing for last, and that is safety. Yes I traveled solo, and yes I drove a car on the island solo. I felt 100% safe during my time in Cayman. I didn’t venture to any clubs, but I did go to restaurants after dark. I primarily encountered other tourists who were walking along the main paths to and from their hotels/resorts at night. I had trouble with my rental car one time when it stalled at a red light. Normally in the U.S., if you don’t immediately put pedal to the metal once the light turns green, people are honking their horns. People behind me were actually chill, and some drove around me. One driver actually came up to my car to ensure I was okay and to see if I needed any assistance.
I think overall, crime is relatively low on the island, with maybe petty crimes occurring. I didn’t come across any police officers nor see any police vehicles during my stay. Like any other destination, I would say keep your wits about you, be careful, and don’t put yourself in compromising situations.

Regardless of what neighborhood you choose to stay in, public beach access is available everywhere compared to other islands and beaches. No resort, hotel, or individual person owns beach access.

On my first day in Cayman, once I received my rental car, I took the 12-minute drive from the airport to Hampton Inn. Once I checked in, I got changed and ran to the ocean. I couldn’t stop smiling from ear to ear once my feet touched the soft sand. The weather was 78°, few clouds in the sky, sun beaming, and the cool water hit my legs. I spent my time shuffling between gallivanting in the water to the beach chairs to read my book and back. I purchased Tina Knowles’ memoir, MATRIACH when I was in New Orleans this past March at black-owned Baldwin & Co bookstore. I’d been trying to purchase the book since it came out in 2025, specifically from a local bookstore, but the bookstores in Chicago and New Orleans kept selling out during the book’s release. I actually had to wait an entire year after its release to get my hands on it. I read the entire book while on vacation, and it was so good! Definitely a must-read, and an easy read to finish in a few days.

Around 3pm, I was hungry, so I went to the hotel’s on-property restaurant, Ms. Pipers for a lunch to hold me over until dinner. I started off with a mocktail, Not Dull at All which consisted of passion fruit, lemon juice, and raspberry scotch bonnet syrup. The drink was so delicious that the scotch bonnet syrup provided a slight smokey kick. If you’d like a cocktail, they offer the same drink with mezcal as the Never Dull. All of their mocktails can be made into cocktails. I then ordered the chicken sandwich served with fries. The chicken sandwich was also delicious with the chicken breast fried to perfection and the sandwich topped with kimchi and a scallion aioli. My first meal in Cayman was starting off on the right foot as everything was flavorful.

Not Dull at All mocktail at Ms. Pipers restaurant Grand Cayman

Once I finished lunch, I went back to the beach to go between the ocean and my book on the lounge chair. Besides proximity to the water and the amenities that hotels offer, I also wanted to stay in a hotel rather than an AirBnB so I can communicate and connect with people when I wanted to. I would already be solo, so me staying in an AirBnB, I would likely never communicate with anyone else except at restaurants, on excursions, or if I went out of my way to start up a conversation. I saw a couple using a floaty in the ocean and I told the lady how cool and relaxing it looked, just floating and swaying in the water. She politely told me to hop on with her, which I declined. She said she was staying at the Marriott, which is next door to Hampton Inn— the hotel that I was initially apprehensive about booking — and she saw beachgoers out there the previous day, lying on the floaties, so she decided to get up early and stake her spot. I walked in the ocean where an empty floaty was, and I too staked my spot drifting and floating in the water. Marriott’s ocean floaties are tied to large cinder blocks on the ocean floor, so we were stationary. I would later learn that the Marriott Resort had a plethora of amenities for its guests, which covered the daily $75 resort fee. Marriott offers 2 free types of floaties in the ocean, gelato served poolside, snorkel and paddle boards rentals with life vests, along with GoPros.

Once sun set at quarter to 7pm, I made my way back to my hotel room to get ready for dinner. I came to Grand Cayman with no itinerary and no reservations of anything booked in advance. I had restaurants and businesses saved on Google Maps to stop in if I was in the area and would play everything by ear. I went across the street to Peppers Bar & Grill for dinner. Peppers is literally across the street from the Marriott Resort and Hampton Inn. When I looked at the map it said a 5-minute walk or a 1-minute drive, but I figured since I have the rental car, why not drive. Luckily, parking is free on the island except for the airport, I believe. Peppers is a casual bar and grill on Seven Mile Beach with covered seating, but it feels like you’re seated outside due to the breeze from the ocean. There is live music nightly starting at 8pm and their menu consists of Jamaican cuisine, ribs, smoked BBQ, grilled seafood, and the basics for picky eaters like French Fries, burgers, and pizza. I was unsure of what I wanted to order but my server told me everything on the menu was great. I started off with the mango daiquiri. What I’ve noticed on the island is that the bartenders pour the liquor in the glass of frozen drinks instead of blending it, so the pours seem heavier. The mango daiquiri was delicious and did not lack rum. I felt a little buzzed after one. For my main, I ordered the curry goat which was such a treat to me! Even in the U.S., I don’t think we have access to good goat meat, and when I’m in Ghana, they don’t offer curry goat. With the island’s close proximity to Jamaica and their influx of Jamaicans in Grand Cayman, I knew the curry goat would be what my soul craved, and it was. I ordered the curry goat with rice and peas, both had kicks of spice from the scotch bonnets, but the coleslaw had a hint of sweetness that cut in to the spice, and the side salad was able to balance all of the flavors. To round out my meal, I ordered the sticky toffee pudding with ice cream for dessert. While everything I ate was a hit, the dessert was a miss. The cake didn’t taste housemade or fresh, but moreso like they bought it from a wholesaler and microwaved it. For the price, it would be a skip moving forward.

curry goat dinner at Peppers Bar & Grill Grand Cayman

sticky toffee pudding cake and ice cream at Peppers Bar & Grill Grand Cayman

On my first night in Grand Cayman, I forced myself to make plans for the next day which was a Saturday. Many establishments are closed on Sundays, so I knew I had to plan my big excursions immediately. The only excursions I wanted to do were snorkel, visit historic sites, then go with the flow based on recommendations and what was available. I saw Stingray City on Expedia offering a bundled excursion of visiting Starfish Island, swimming with stingrays, and snorkeling off the boat. With less than 12 hours before the excursion, I booked it. Stingray City has its own website, but I found their direct site to be a few dollars more expensive than booking with a third party. I also prefer to book excursions with a third party internationally, in case anything happens and I am unable to connect with the vendor, it is easier for me to get a refund from the OTA (online travel agency). Stingray City does offer hotel pick up and drop off, but no one contacted me the day before or day of the excursion to arrange for transportation, so I went to the meet up point in my rental car. Most excursions do offer hotel pick up and drop-off, so I am not advocating on anyone getting a rental car. I just found it to be easier for me to explore at my own pace.
The excursion through Expedia was $55 and lasted a little over 3 and a half hours. Water and sodas on the boat are provided by Stingray, but there are no snacks or food available. The excursion started off with a 30-minute boat ride from West Point to the other side of the island at Starfish Point, near Rum Point on the northeast side of the island. Alternatively, if you have a car, you can venture to Starfish Point on your own. It is a public beach with free parking, restrooms, and picnic tables.

We hopped off the boat and were able to spend 15-20 minutes with the starfish. The starfish rest in the sand, and you can pick them up and hold them, but you cannot take them out of the water. We saw almost 10 starfish scattered about close to shore. For today’s excursion, I rented a GoPro from the hotel and was able to capture underwater pictures and videos. I also brought my waterproof phone pouch to use my phone.

From Starfish Point, we went maybe 10 minutes away to the middle of the sea where stingrays like to congregate. There were many other boats and we all made a circle around the stingray. The fish were varying sizes, so our boat captain took fresh calamari, told us how to hold it to feed the stingray and held each stingray for us to kiss, touch, and take pictures with. The water was choppy and the tides were high. The water was maybe 5 feet deep in this area, but the waves were ferocious. I put on a life vest, and couldn’t move a few inches away from the boat. I was afraid to step on a stingray, and it sting me, but I was also afraid of being taken away by the current. Almost everyone else got off the ship without a life vest and ventured to the stingrays. The boat captain warned us not to wear water shoes when we got off the boat for the stingray encounter like we did with the starfish. He also warned us not to kick up sand, and wail our hands and feet because that can cause the stingray to sting us. Even me standing in the water close to the boat, I was jumping up the boat’s ladder to get away from the fish and their long barbs in hopes that they didn’t see me as a threat and would not sting me.

Our last stop was Coral Gardens for snorkeling. The area where we stopped was 10-12 feet deep. The captains got out of the boat to help people swim and float to the coral to see the reefs and fish. Because I wouldn’t have been able to stand on the ground, I opted not to venture far from the boat, but to hold on to the boat to float and use the provided snorkel gear to see the colorful fish.
We ended the excursion with a serene 30-minute ride back to the meeting point in West End with reggae music blaring from the boat.

It was only 1:30 pm when we finished the excursion and I had the entire day ahead of me. I drove 10 minutes to Bonny Moon Beach Club. Bonny Moon is on the beach, which is across the street from Hotel Indigo, the other hotel I considered. Hotel Indigo is not right on the beach, so it would take a little bit to walk through a long parking lot, past Bonny Moon, then to the beach. Once I saw that, I was glad that I picked Hampton Inn.

Bonny Moon has a Tulum vibe to it with boho decor, but a cool girl aesthetic. There is inside open-air seating, or you can sit on the beach at a table with umbrellas, or even opt for a more relaxed approach and sit in cloth beach chairs in the sand. They have a walk-up cafe and coffee bar for beverages to go. They accept reservations, but I just walked in and was able to be seated at a table on the beach. If you’d like the full beach experience, you can rent a daybed, which I believe is $100 USD.
I was hungry leaving the excursion, but I didn’t want anything too heavy to spoil my dinner. Bonny Moon has moreso light bites like sushi, flatbread pizzas, burgers and sandwiches, salads, and bowls. I started off with a pina colada, which was delicious and had a generous pour of rum on top. I sipped on the pina colada while I browsed the food menu. I started off with the spinach and callaloo fritters. I was also debating between ordering two appetizers but figured I’d order more if I was still hungry. While I waited for the fritters to come out, I ran in to the ocean to cool off and frolic. I ended up running in to one of my plane mates from Chicago to Grand Cayman and we chit-chatted for a while. My fritters finally came out and I dug in. The fritters were larger than I was expecting, portion-wise. The four deep-fried veggie-filled fritters are good portions and easy to share with a table. They are served with a cool jerk aioli that helps to combat the freshness of the fritters and is reminiscent of ranch. I wanted to order their dynamite shrimp initially, but was full from the fritters at the moment. I went back in to the water for a while, then ordered another pina colada and called it a day at Bonny Moon.

frozen pina colada at Bonny Moon Beach Club, Grand Cayman

I went back to my hotel to make use of my $50 daily resort credit to lay out on the beach chair and use the towel that I already paid for, and to use Marriott’s floaties. After I while I got a little hungry again, but still had hours until dinner, but nothing at Ms. Pipers called to me.
I decided to go to the Burger Shack, a 3-minute drive away, still within Seven Mile Beach. I’d passed it before while driving around the island, and it is easy to miss as it is literally a little shack in the middle of a strip mall. Burger Shack is on the realm of Five Guys as your food is cooked to order and there are mounds of free toppings to choose from. You can choose a burger, lettuce wrap, veggie burger, chicken sandwich, hot dog, or grilled cheese sandwich with French fries, sweet potato fries, or cassava fries. There are a handful of tables and chairs for guests to dine at, so I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and ate there until retreating back to the water.

bacon cheeseburger and fries from Burger Shack, Grand Cayman

I had a late dinner because I had a late lunch, so I went to Fireaway Pizza, which is in another shopping strip. Fireaway had good reviews when I searched, and for good reason. When I walked in, there were no other patrons even though they offer dine in and carryout service. The host gave me the rundown of the menu, and their offerings. Fireaway serves 12-inch pizzas with 8 slices and any pizza can be turned in to a calzone. Besides pizza and calzones, they sell chicken wings, salad, garlic knots, and pasta dishes. For kids pizzas, I thought it was so cute that they turn the pizza into a smiley face with garlic knots as ears on top. Fireaway’s menu has a lot of specialities with ingredients that you normally wouldn’t find on a pizza like Tandoori chicken, oxtail, corn, and jerk chicken. I took my server’s recommendation and ordered the jerk reggae pizza. It came with a plantain base topped with jerk chicken, pineapples, green onions, and a jerk aioli drizzle. I would have never ordered this on my own, but he told me to try something new, and it was delicious. It was also enough for 2 servings!

On my third day in Grand Cayman, I stuck to my routine of waking up with the sun at 6 am, going to the hotel’s gym to workout, then enjoying the hotel breakfast. Since this day was Sunday, I knew my options were limited in terms of excursions and activities to participate in. During breakfast, I booked a tour of the Crystal Caves for an afternoon slot. I was hesitant to book this excursion because I tried to reserve online with third parties, and the minimum is for 2 people. The prices were over $120 per person with roundtrip transportation included. I ended up booking directly with The Cayman Crystal Caves and it was only $45. Crystal Caves does not provide transportation, so I drove myself to northeast side of the island, which takes about 40 minutes from Seven Mile Beach. There was no traffic on the Sunday afternoon, and seeing a different portion of the island was breathtaking driving along the coast and beautiful waterfront homes.

Once I arrived to Crystal Caves, the encounter was pretty smooth. At the front gate, you either purchase a ticket for a time slot, or you check-in with your pre-purchased ticket. There is free parking and clean restrooms. The check-in area has a smoothie bar that serves beverages, chips, and water. Crystal Caves provides bug spray and mosquito repellent for free to use. There is also a mining area where you can purchase bags of sand and dirt from the smootie bar to sift through to uncover treasures like gemstones, rocks, and crystals from around the world.

There were maybe 20 people in my group for the guided tour. Our guide gave us instructions as to not touch anything in the three caves we were set to visit, to bring our water because we would need it on the hour-and-a-half trek, and be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces along the trail. We took the shuttle from the check-in area to the beginning of the nature trail. Our first stop as a group was the Treehouse Restaurant which is the onsite restaurant. The menu looked yummy, offering a lot of seafood, jerk, and sandwich options, as well as American appetizers, specialty cocktails, and smoothies. If you’d like to dine at the restaurant, you can place your order before the tour, and the restaurant will have it ready for you once the tour is finished. Treehouse Restaurant also shared space with Crystal Caves gift shop. If you didn’t want to mine your own gemstones and crystals at the check-in area, the gift shop has some crystals sourced directly from the caves, jewelry, locally made crafts, local food, and other knick-knacks.
We walked through the nature trail observing the trees and plants native to Cayman like the ironwood tree that is said to be so strong, nails and iron cannot puncture it. But many years ago, most homes on the island were made from this wood. We saw the national bird, the Cayman parrot in the country’s tree, the ironwood, hiding from us.

The caves were said to be discovered in 1935 by a fisherman looking for a lost anchor. But the Cayman caves only opened to the public as a tourist attraction in 2016.
These caves were formed millions of years ago, and as ocean levels dropped and the surrounding land rose, water erosion created these underground chambers. Over these millions of years, rainwater seeped through the ancient limestone ceilings, depositing calcium, leading to the development of stalactites and stalagmites. Stalacite crystals hang from the ceiling and stalagmite crystals rise from the floor and grow 1cm every 100 - 1000 years depending on how much rainwater they have access to. When these crystals meet, they form a column, which takes hundreds, if not thousands of years to form. Because these crystals take centuries to form, they are precious. The heat and oil from a person’s finger and touch can erode them and cause them to fall, which is why our tour guide initially told us not to touch anything. The Cayman Crystal Caves are privately owned, but government protected, so if someone were to touch and break the crystals, they would be civilly responsible for tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage.

There are 3 caves open and available to the public: open ceiling cave, root cave, and probably the most popular by photos is lake cave. Their names are easy enough to understand why each cave is named that. We visited all three starting with open ceiling. We took a spiral staricase from the walking trail in to the cave. It received that name of open ceiling, because from the floor of the cave, there is a hole and you can see the above ground and sky. Going in to the caves, surprisingly it wasn’t humid, and neither was it dry. There was just no wind circulating, so you quickly began to sweat. The average temperatures inside the caves range from 80° - 90°F. The caves for the most part are large enough to fit groups, so I didn’t feel claustrophobic. The ceilings are high enough in most of the caves that I didn’t have to worry about ducking down. They are dark, pitch black almost, but our guide had a very strong flashlight which we were all able to see highlights that he pointed out to us. He also used the flashlight frequently to show us how the crystals reacted to light and we could see the iridescence.
In open ceiling cave there was a singular bat hanging in a nook and cranny of the cave that our guide pointed out. We would see plenty more throughout our excursion. Our guide, with his flashlight also pointed out the remains or outline of what was once coral in the limestone of the cave to prove that these caves were once deep under saltwater of the ocean.

From open ceiling cave, we ventured to roots cave which in my opinion was a bit more fascinating than open ceiling because there were many channels to this cave. Near the entrance of root cave, were a series of tree roots that dropped in to the cave. These roots are not native to the cave, but started growing from a nearby tree in the last 15-20 years, I believe from the last major hurricane.
In root cave, we were finally able to touch a crystal that had fallen years ago. The crystals are surprisingly heavier than they appear, and are not hollow on the inside. Every funny formation our guide was able to call out as he told a funny story, but also to use as wayfinders. Because root cave had more passages and hidden channels than open ceiling, it was good to remember we passed formations that resembled Spongebob and Squidward.

Our final stop was in lake cave. We were immediately met with bats hanging in the rafters of the cave. Many were flying around, but none of them got close to us, even after our guide repeatedly shined his flashlight on them so we could see.

As the name suggests, lake cave is a cave that houses a lake made from freshwater, rainwater, and calcium carbonate. The lake is quite shallow, just a few inches deep. There is no life in the water, and no fish. Because the cave has a long passageway, and away from sunlight — likely why the bats prefer this cave — there are many lighting features that the staff brought in this cave so guests can maneuver and see. Our guide used the lighting in the cave to show how the different calcium deposits reflected off the water’s surface. We were also able to see a bat come in and take a few sips of water from the lake.

It only took about an hour to explore the 3 caves. Finishing the tour, our guide brought us back to Treehouse Restaurant, where we were allowed to dine if we wanted or peruse the gift shop. I ended up purchasing a magnet made with crystals sourced from the caves.
The shuttles would take us back to the check-in area for our cars and group transportation.

I drove towards Seven Mile Beach, but I first had to stop at Scratch Donuts & Bakehouse near the airport. I saw several reviews of Scratch on TikTok and everyone raved about how delicious their donuts are. They are open limited hours Wednesday - Sunday from 7 am - 3pm. Since this was Sunday, and I was leaving on Tuesday, this was my last opportunity to try them. I arrived almost a quarter past noon and they were completely sold out of their baked goods! The employee told me they usually sell out by 12 pm noon, and the only items left were coffees, teas, and cheesecake. She assured me that I would love the cheesecake, but I was sad that the bakery case was empty, not even a crumb was left! I purchased a slice of their basque cheesecake at $5.65 KYD and left disappointed. I hopped in the rental car to see what the cheesecake was talking about, and Miss Ma’am was right, I did enjoy it! I love a homemade cheesecake, and this slice was rich with the burnt top and crunchy graham cracker crust. This made me even more sad because if the cheesecake was the last thing available, then I knew the yeast donuts would have made my day.

To have a proper meal, I went to Cayman Cabana in Georgetown on the water for lunch. Because Georgetown is the cruise ship terminal hub, the area is really quiet when there is not a ship in port. The jewelry stores nor souvenir shops were open — maybe because it was a Sunday, or maybe because there was no cruise. I was the only person at Cayman Cabana for lunch around 12:30pm. Again, I saw this restaurant on TikTok, and the creator posted a seafood salad that looked amazing! I didn’t need to look at the menu once I sat down, I already knew what I was ordering. The salad had a base of mixed greens, tomatoes, purple cabbage, avocado, shredded carrots, lemon wedge, a citrus vinaigrette, with the star of the show being all of the grilled seafood. There was a grilled lobster tail, grilled tail-on shrimp, and the fresh, locally caught fish of the day for $29 KYD or $35 USD. I left the restaurant full and satisfied. Besides the amazing seafood salad, Cayman Cabana has a large seafood menu, many jerk dishes, sandwiches, burgers, as well as pasta.
You should probably already know what I did next. I went back to the hotel to change for the beach.

Once I got back to Hampton Inn, I changed to my bathing suit and ran to the ocean to claim my spot on a floatie, then went back and forth to my beach chair to reach a few chapters in MATRIACH. I stayed out on the beach until sunset and called it a night staying at the hotel and listening to live music by the pool.
I was sad that my trip was coming to an end, and was truly enjoying tanning, the beach, the people, and the food.

Monday was my last full day on the island, and I felt like I still had so much more to do, see, explore, and eat. Though my excursions so far were good, I wanted to have more interactions with actual Caymanians. Everyone who worked at my hotel were immigrants from the Philippines or Jamaica. The only Caymanians I came across were the boat captains from the snorkel excursion and my waiter at Fireaway Pizza. On Monday morning, I decided to take a guided tour at Pedro St. James Castle on the southern coast of the island. St. James is almost a midway point between Seven Mile Beach and the Crystal Caves. If you plan your time well on the island, you can visit both attractions on the same day. St. James is only a 20-minute drive from Seven Mile Beach.

St. James offers tours hourly, and can be booked directly online or at the castle. I waited until I arrived to the castle and paid $25 for the one-hour guided tour. You can purchase a self-guided tour for $20 USD, but it is worthwhile to hear facts and ask questions from the guides. After the tour, you are able to walk the grounds by yourself.
The tour started with a 25-minute sensory video (similar to a 4-D movie with fog machines, lights, and animatronics) about the island’s founding and settlers. I learned that Christopher Columbus allegedly did discover the Caymans, but found Little Cayman and Cayman Brac first. The island was uninhabited when Christopher and his crew discovered it because turtles and alligators inhabited the islands. When Christopher first saw the islands back in the 1500s, he originally named the islands Los Tortugas because from a distance on the ships, all he saw were rocks, which turned out to be turtles. Turtle stew is now the national dish of the Cayman Islands. That goes to show you just how plentiful they were on the island. The British took control of the island in the 1600s, but used it as an area of refuge for food from the turtles, water, and to replenish their boats. Cayman was looked at as a sister island to its neighbor Jamaica which was flourishing at the time. Enslaved Africans weren’t taken directly to Cayman Islands, but were sent to Jamaica, then later to the Cayman Islands. Once the island started growing in population from the Europeans and enslaved Africans by way of Jamaica, settlements started appearing. People were building homes using the native resources like mahogany wood, and building their homes on stilts from the country’s national tree, the ironwood tree, which we saw at the Crystal Caves. An Englishman, William Eden had an expansive house built from slave labor which is now called St James Pedro, using concrete and stone, while other homes of that time had wood foundations. The house was 3 stories high, had a jail cell, courthouse, government assembly area, as well as a restaurant. St. James Pedro was where it was decided to form an elected Parliament on the island.
In the late 1800s, the home was abandoned after lightning struck the Eden daughter. For over a century, the home changed hands several times, with the only original piece of the structure surviving being the stone base on the first floor. The Cayman Island government purchased the building and surrounding land which was once a plantation in the 1990s. The government restored the home and finished it with their interpretation of how the multi-use building was decorated and laid out during the 1800s and later opened it to the public as a historic site.

My guide finished my guided tour, and I was free to roam around the grounds. Back in 2004, Hurricane Ivan devastated the island. Two people on the island lost the lives, and the category 5 hurricane destroyed the island. There is a sculptural art piece at St. James Pedro to commemorate the hurricane.
Given the country’s deep tourist scuba culture, at St. James, there is a scuba museum showcasing early scuba gear, artifacts, and a list of Scuba Hall of Famers.

Before heading back to my hotel and doing my usual song and dance of hopping from the ocean to my beach chair under the umbrella with my book and back and forth until sunset, I had one final excursion in me. I went to the Tortuga Rum Company Factory on North Sound Road in Georgetown which has the rum cake bakery tours. There is another location in West Bay that I believe is where Tortuga’s rum is distilled, and they offer the distillery tour. On Tortuga’s website, you can request to book a free tour, but I walked in as a cruise group was entering, so I joined their tour. Upon arrival, there was an attendant passing out samples of Tortuga’s famous rum cakes. I received the coconut, pineapple, and coffee flavors. They were also offering samples of the rum. I tried the mango and pineapple flavors, which were really sweet, but not liquers. I’m told that locals drink these flavors with sodas like Sprite, but not in mixed cocktails. We then tried Tortuga’s Gold Rum Reserve, which can be used in cocktails like pina coladas or simply with rum and Coke, and can be sipped by itself.

The guide did a quick 10-15 minute presentation of Tortuga’s history through the Caribbean and we were able to see the machinery used to make this facility’s rum cakes. This factory produces hundreds of cakes daily, with each Caribbean country having their own unique rum cake flavor. The company was started in 1984 by a local husband and wife duo, with the wife, Carlene Hamaty baking the cakes at home. The company is still family-owned and run, with the recipe to their moist cakes a secret.
After the tour, we were free to browse and shop the retail store. The retail store had every flavor of rum cake available at deeper discounts than what I saw at the airport, and they also sold the Tortuga rum in multiple flavors.
I purchased the Cayman Islands flavored rum cake, which is sold exclusively in the Cayman Islands, and I don’t believe is exported to other countries.

It was almost 2pm when I wrapped up my day of excursions and made it back to lay out on the beach until sunset. I had one last dinner in me, so my final meal had to be great.

I went to Tukka Restaurant on the West End. There are two locations on opposite sides of the island — each restaurant may have the same menu. I didn’t have a reservation when I arrived, but this was the most crowded I’d seen any restaurant besides Peppers. Tukka sits on the water near the west end marina and is across the street from Calypso Grill, another popular restaurant on the island that I wish I had time to dine at. My waiter sat me closest to the water. Because I went at 8pm, the water and outside was pitch black, besides the lighting from the pier to guide people to their boats. I’m sure the restaurant and the view would be a beauty at sunset! Tukka is owned by an Australian couple, so the menu has Aussie delicacies as well as Caribbean, jerk, and fresh seafood. I scoured the menu before I arrived, and wanted desperately to try kangaroo! I have no desire to visit the land down under anytime soon, so why not try Tukka’s kangaroo sausage and BBQ filets?! I asked my server what his appetizer recommendation was, and he steered me away from kangaroo as he thought the meat in general was gamey. I took heed and ordered the crocodile and conch fritters. The deep-fried meat balls are served with an oily scotch bonnet chili dip. The croc meat wasn’t gamey; when I’d previously eaten conch, I thought the fish was chewy, but since this was mixed it was the perfect consistency. The balls were flavorful on their own, and the serving was sufficient and easy to share with a table.

conch and crocodile fritters from Tukka West Bay Grand Cayman

For my entree, I was unsure what I was going to eat. I settled on three tacos: two coconut prawn tacos, and one lionfish taco. Lionfish are invasive to the Cayman Islands and they have no predators, so the best course of action to protect the local marine life is to eat the fish. The lionfish was seasoned, grilled, and topped with fresh veggies: purple cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, tartar sauce, and a sweet chili sauce. None of the sauces nor ingredients took away from the fresh seasoned flavor of the fish. It was my first time eating lionfish, so it reminded me of a flaky white fish that isn’t oily or fishy tasting. The coconut shrimp tacos were dressed perfectly with a mango salsa and a mango sauce. The tacos themselves were a great size, and they lacked no meat or toppings. These tacos were probably the best meal I’d eaten in Grand Cayman, with the seafood salad at Cabana coming in second place.

I had to end the night with a sweet treat, and ordered the cassava cake, because where else can you find a cassava cake? Unfortunately the cake was a bit of a let down. At $12 KYD, the portion size was small considering the portions of the rest of the food. The cake also did not taste housemade, but tasted similar to the sticky toffee pudding at Peppers; like they microwaved a premade cake, and sat it in a coconut condensed milk cream sauce. The dessert is topped with ice cream and garnished with coconut flakes, a strawberry wedge and fresh mint.

Knowing what I know now, I would skip desserts at restaurants and only order sweet treats from standalone dessert shops. If you’re familiar with Devon’s House Ice Cream in Jamaica, Scoops Ice Cream in Seven Mile Beach exclusively sells Devon’s House ice cream. They are located across the street from Burger Shack. They are known for their Grape Nuts flavored ice cream which is their best seller. I truly believe Post Cereal is producing Grape Nuts cereal solely for Caribbean families. I tried the Grape Nuts ice cream, which is a simple combination of their vanilla ice cream with Grape Nuts cereal pieces mixed in. It actually tasted like a salted caramel ice cream. I also sampled the stout ice cream, and that was an easy pass for me as someone who doesn’t like beer. Not only does Scoops sell Devon’s House ice cream, they also served local baked goods like cheesecakes, brownies, cookies, carrot cake slices, bread and potato pudding.

On the small island of Grand Cayman, there are still so many attractions that I want to go back to see, including the turtle sanctuary. Hopefully, the next time I return to Cayman Islands I can visit Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Before I arrived on the island, I’d heard that Cayman is laid back, and boring. I cannot agree with the latter part. If you’re keen to clubbing until the early morning, maybe you won’t find that on this island. I saw many women having their babymoons here, so that should give you insight on how laid back and safe the island is. I also came across many business travelers working in finance and land development. I didn’t come across any college-age Spring Breakers, nor groups of twenty-somethings. Grand Cayman is a safe island for foodies, scuba and snorkel enthusiasts, and luxury seekers. A long weekend is the perfect amount of time to get a feel for the island while hitting the main attractions, but also soaking up the sun and lying out on one of Cayman’s many beaches.

Let me know in the comments below if you’ve been to the Cayman Islands as well as your experience. If not, have the Cayman Islands been added to your list of must-visit places?

May 17 Spend a Long Weekend in Grand Cayman