If you don’t believe in magic, you will after visiting Grand Cayman. A Caribbean jewel, the island is a stunning utopia of pristine white sand, sparkling waters and breathtaking natural beauty. Visit this gorgeous island, and you may wish you’d only bought a one-way ticket!
Is Grand Cayman nice? Absolutely! At Captain Marvin’s, we want to show you just how nice it is and introduce you to our favorite residents – stingrays! Swim with them, pet them and even kiss them for luck. We also offer exciting fishing trips, snorkeling tours and wondrous bioluminescence encounters. Book your unforgettable excursion with us today and fall in love with Grand Cayman!
A tour we think you'll love
Whether you’re laid-back, looking for adventure, or visiting on a cruise ship, Grand Cayman Island has something for everyone:
Have A Perfect Day At Award-Winning Seven Mile Beach
Crowned one of the Caribbean’s best beaches for several years, Seven Mile Beach is an enchanting ribbon of pearly sand located in Grand Cayman’s West Bay, just north of George Town. It’s public property, so you can stroll end to end for free.
The stunning beach is ideal for basking in the warm, tropical sunshine or wading in its shallow, motionless waters to glimpse vibrant tropical fish. Showers and restrooms are also conveniently located along Seven Mile Beach.
If you get the itch to do something more active when you visit Grand Cayman, the beach offers adventures including jet skiing, snorkeling and wakeboarding. After you’ve worked up an appetite, stop by one of the lovely hotels such as The Westin Grand Cayman. Unwind at its waterfront restaurant and bar and indulge in some delectably fresh sushi and heavenly cocktails.
When you’re at Seven Mile Beach, you may want to check out adjacent West Bay Beach for people-watching and soaking up the toasty rays.
Fun Fact: Despite its name, Seven Mile Beach is only 6.3 miles long, making it a bit shorter than you might expect, but still packed with stunning views, soft sands, and plenty of activities to enjoy along its beautiful shoreline!
Experience Camana Bay
Only a short walk from the robin’s-egg blue waters of Seven Mile Beach, Camana Bay is a lively Cayman Islands waterfront town that uniquely blends retail, recreational, commercial and residential areas. A hub for both locals and visitors, it will captivate you with:
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Shopping – Looking for another vacation outfit? Want to find the perfect souvenir? Camana is filled with jewelry stores, boutiques and bookstores sure to provide you with satisfying retail therapy.
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Restaurants – Curb your cravings at Camana’s many stellar restaurants. There are countless eateries, so you can sample a new one for each day – or for each meal! Check out a waterfront brunch, a quirky sushi restaurant, an upscale bar and grill or a traditional fish and steak house – the choices are endless!
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Must-Visit Places – From a high season farmers market, to local live performers, to a sports complex, there’s something for everyone who wants to take time out from the beach. Visit the 75-foot Observation Tower (don’t worry, it has an elevator) for a breathtaking, 360-degree aerial view of Grand Cayman.
Pro Tip: Make sure to take a leisurely stroll along the waterfront in the evening when the area comes alive with twinkling lights and vibrant energy – it’s the perfect way to unwind after a day of exploring and enjoy the beautiful Caribbean sunset!
Explore Cayman Crystal Caves
The Caribbean Islands are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside. Their Crystal Caves showcase stunning crystal stalactite and stalagmite formations. The underground caverns are located in a lush tropical forest in Grand Cayman’s Old Man Bay.
During a 1.5-hour group tour, your guide will lead you through three otherworldly caves, as well as the tropical forest above them. Cayman Crystal Caves also offer a Dusk-to-Dark Evening Bat Tour. But don’t worry – these intriguing creatures are more interested in insects than blood!
Visit Cayman Turtle Farm (Turtle Centre)
The Cayman Turtle Farm, located in West Bay (also called the Cayman Turtle Centre), displays and works to conserve the endangered green sea turtle. Watch huge adults silently glide by in the breeding tank, pet cute baby turtles and even swim and snorkel with these magical creatures in Turtle Lagoon.
The Turtle Farm also has a free-flight aviary which houses feathered friends, including Cayman parrots, that may mistake your head and arms for perches! Be dazzled by the winged rainbows flitting through the Butterfly House enclosure and even share a grin with the 300-pound, 11-foot-long crocodile named Smiley.
Take The Plunge At Exciting Dive Sites
With 365 dive sites, the Cayman Islands are a scuba diving paradise. Boasting epic vertical walls, warm, translucent waters, stunning coral reefs and mysterious shipwrecks, there is something for every diver, every day of the year! Here are some of Cayman’s best diving sites:
Bloody Bay Wall (Little Cayman)
Featuring an astonishing, 6,000-foot drop-off to the ocean floor, Bloody Bay Wall in the Cayman Islands features tube sponges, vibrant coral, stingrays, turtles and teeming schools of dazzling fish. This site’s water is prized for its exceptional clarity, which can exceed 100 feet.
USS Kittiwake (Grand Cayman)
History buffs will love the USS Kittiwake dive wreck. Dubbed one of the world’s best diving sites, the USS Kittiwake served for five decades as a rescue ship. Decommissioned in 1994, the ship was sunk as an artificial reef. Its plentiful marine life includes peppermint shrimp, turtles, eagle rays and fireworms.
East Chute/Cayman Mariner (Cayman Brac)
East Chute is a unique diving site that offers a combination of an immense reef wall and a shipwreck, the Cayman Mariner. You’re likely to spot groupers, parrotfish, angelfish and larger species such as reef sharks. Due to its depth and possible currents, East Chute is best for experienced divers.
Devil’s Grotto (Grand Cayman)
Devil’s Grotto is prized for its intricate mazes of caves and tunnels, which host gorgeous corals and plentiful underwater wildlife. The labyrinths are fairly short, and the water is clear, so they’re easy to navigate. Sunbeams cast beautiful patterns as they dance on the cave walls, and schools of silversides flash a wondrous, metallic silver display.
Tee Off At World-Class Golf Courses
Grand Cayman offers two spectacular golf courses for visitors who want to experience the game in an island setting:
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North Sound Golf Club – The island’s only 18-hole course. Designed by legendary architect Roy Case, it has hosted many golf luminaries. It offers spectacular ocean views, a lush green course and maybe a lounging iguana or two.
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Ritz-Carlton Golf Club – A prizewinning, nine-hole course designed by former golf pro, Greg Norman. The golf course is built around a gorgeous, natural lagoon that provides golfers with extra challenges.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to book your tee times in advance, especially during peak season. If you can, try to play early in the morning to enjoy the cooler weather and catch a beautiful sunrise over the ocean – it’s a perfect way to start your day!
Befriend A Fish At Stingray City
Although they don’t bark or fetch, the stingrays at Stingray City are so friendly that they’re nicknamed “puppies of the sea.” A shallow sandbar near George Town, Stingray City is a special place where you can hand-feed and interact with these graceful creatures when you visit Stingray City.
About 50 Southern stingrays live in this area. They do have stingers, but if they’re treated gently and respectfully, they’ll return the favor.
Hoist A Mudslide At Rum Point
Rum Point is part of a remote, Grand Cayman peninsula that stretches near Cayman Kai and Starfish Point. Located far from tourist pandemonium, it exudes an authentic island vibe. Swing on a hammock (conveniently hung on palm trees that face the sunset), relax on the glistening white sand or enjoy a day of water sports.
A visit to Rum Point wouldn’t be complete without a stop at the Wreck Bar, originator of the Grand Cayman Mudslide. Basically an alcohol-drenched milkshake, it’s made with vodka, Bailey’s Irish cream whisky, coffee-flavored Kahlua and is a celebrated local drink.
Fun Fact: Rum Point is said to be named after a 1700s ship carrying rum barrels that wrecked on the shore.
Stroll Through Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park
Occupying more than 65 acres on Grand Cayman’s East End, the Botanic Park was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1994 to preserve and promote local flora and fauna. The park features seven remarkable attractions:
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Visitors Centre
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Orchid Boardwalk
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Floral Colour Garden
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Xerophytic Garden (xerophytes are plants that require very little water)
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Heritage Garden
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Woodland Trail
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Children’s Garden
The park’s centerpiece is the iguana habitat, featuring the fantastical blue dragons. Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park serves as a captive breeding ground for these endemic reptiles, who teetered on the brink of extinction three decades ago. Thanks to the park’s conservation efforts, the iguanas’ numbers have grown from fewer than 20 to more than 1,000.
Pro Tip: Visit the Orchid Boardwalk in May through June when the orchids are in full bloom.
Get Hooked On Deep Sea Fishing
Deep sea fishing in Grand Cayman is incredible because you can quickly access water as deep as the 20,000 foot-deep Cayman Trench. With plunging depths so close to the coastline, you’ll spend more time fishing and less time getting to fishing sites.
The turquoise waters are teeming with game fish, including:
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Mahi mahi
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Yellowfin tuna
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Blackfin tuna
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Great Barracuda
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Blue marlin
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White marlin
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Wahoo
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King mackerel
All fish are plentiful throughout the year, except wahoo, whose season runs from November to March and tuna, whose season runs from March to June. Be aware that the Atlantic hurricane season is from June 1 to November 30, so unless you’re particularly adventurous, you may want to store your rod during those dates.
Fun Fact: The heaviest fish ever caught in Cayman waters was a 250lb blue marlin.
Escape To Tranquil Smith Cove
Also called Smith Barcadere, Smith Cove is a secluded beach located on southwest Grand Cayman. If you’re looking for a getaway from civilization, this idyllic beach is the place to be. There are no restaurants, no hotels and few people, except when a cruise ship comes rolling in.
The marine life and coral at Smith Barcadere are close to the placid shore waters, making it ideal for snorkelers. Known for gorgeous photo ops, the beach can easily carry you away with its beauty. If you’re hanging out on the sand, don’t be surprised if a chicken or two hangs out with you.
Get Blown Away By Blowholes
One of the Cayman Islands most spectacular attractions are the East End blowholes. The island’s limestone foundation has been eroded by the pounding surf, carving holes along the shoreline. When the tide comes up beneath them, it blasts a huge jet of water through the hole.
These geological wonders can drive water 20 feet in the air. Be careful when you visit the blowholes, because the surface is very uneven and slippery.
Pro Tip: Visit the blowholes at high tide for the most dramatic waterworks.
Spend A Day At George Town
George Town is the Cayman Islands’ capital and a major Caribbean cruise port, thanks to its spectacular weather and irresistible turquoise waters. Also a major financial hub, it boasts about 600 banks and investment firms.
Key features of George Town include:
- Duty-Free Shopping – Stores in the Cayman Islands’ capital offer duty-free merchandise such as high-end jewelry, designer clothing and luxury perfumes. These items are often deeply discounted.
- Cayman Islands National Museum – The museum offers a thought-provoking look at the island’s rich history and culture.
- Cayman Spirits Co. Distillery Tour – You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at the distillation process and sample their signature rum and vodka.
Pro Tip: To avoid crowds, visit George Town between Friday and Monday, when cruise ships aren’t in port.
Is Grand Cayman Worth Visiting?
You’ll say “yes” when you experience its vibrant mix of natural beauty, rich culture and outdoor adventures. Captain Marvin’s exciting stingray excursion is the ultimate outdoor adventure. We’ll guide you to an amazing world where stingrays touch, hug and even kiss you!
Get ready to meet these amazing creatures and book your excursion today!
