A Glorious Grand Cayman Getaway

Stretching 22 miles along the Caribbean coast, with pristine beaches, preserved wildlife habitats, and a relaxed, old-school culture that charms every visitor, Grand Cayman offers the perfect setting for a nature-filled island getaway.

The magical expanse of pearly sand and turquoise waves known as Seven Mile Beach is perhaps Grand Cayman’s most famous landmark and for very good reasons. Unfolding on the western end of the island with crystalline water edged by coral reefs, Seven Mile Beach consistently tops lists for the world’s best beaches. Water sports operators, beach bars, and hotels line the beach so there’s always something to do, whether you want to swim or just lounge around.

The Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort provides a convenient location to enjoy the beach with options for kayaking, parasailing, paddle boarding, snorkeling, or soaking up the sun in luxury cabanas complete with dining and bar service.

Explore the island’s marine world a little deeper with a trip to Stingray City, an unforgettable experience that allows travelers to interact with stingrays in the open sea. Hop aboard a boat that sails to the Stingray City Sandbar. This hallow sandbar is about two miles from the shore. Fisherman used to discard their fish scraps into the area and stingrays started to associate the sounds of boat engines with food and they gradually became accustomed to human contact.

Tour boats float up to the sandbar and travelers can swim alongside fevers of stingrays and even feed and pet the gentle sea creatures. For adventurous spirits, guides will help you lightly hold a stingray or even kiss it on the head, which brings seven years of good luck according to Caymanian legend.

Another signature Grand Cayman animal encounter is an excursion to the Cayman Turtle Centre. The facility is one of the few places in the world that showcase every stage of the lifecycle of green sea turtles. Visitors can opt for different tours to interact and learn about the turtles. The Turtle Safari guides them through an exciting series of activities including Green’s Breeding Bay, where some turtles weigh more than 500 pounds, Turtle Encounters where young turtles crawl around, Smiley’s Croc Cove to view an 11-foot Cayman Crocodile, The Education Centre & Hatchery, where more turtle background and conservation are available and guests can watch new hatchlings moving through the sand during the breeding season of April through September, view sharks and other predators at the Predator Reef, catch glimpses of the vivid green and rose feathers of the Cayman parrot and other regional birds at the Caribbean Free Flight Aviary and see the soft yellow petals of Grand Cayman’s national flower, the Wild Banana Orchid, as well as local trees and plants while strolling through the Blue Hole Nature Trail.

Head into the capital of George Town for a scenic dose of Caymanian history. The quaint town is filled with white-washed architecture and a bustling harbor packed with cruise ships. Wander past the fanciful Stingray Fountain in front of Bayshore Mall and to the Grand Caymans National Museum, overlooking Hog Sty Bay. (The unusual name reflects the local tradition of selling hogs to ships at port during the 17th and 18th centuries.)

Housed inside the red-roofed former court building, the museum, located in a 19th-century structure, is the oldest surviving public building on the island. Boasting over 10,000 artifacts that highlight the historical, cultural, and botanical significance of the Cayman Islands, the museum takes visitors on a journey through the island’s major developments and events. A short film introduces a brief overview of Caymanian history and traditions. The two-story museum contains lots of fascinating exhibits and objects, with standouts like a handmade, 14-foot catboat and a virtual submarine dive into Cayman’s marine world.

Taste some of the culinary innovation that Grand Cayman is noted for at Aqua, an elegant restaurant that mixes Caribbean, Italian, and Peruvian influences. Sample a variety of ceviche including local catch and Peruvian, flavourful offerings like eggplant ravioli, or ossobucco risotto, and decadent main dishes like snapper with calamari, wild shrimp, and crispy cassava.

Top off your getaway with a relaxing and restorative treatment at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort Hibiscus Spa. The signature Seven Chakras Energy Balancing Ritual uses reflexology, and hot and cold stone geothermal massage to balance moods and release stagnant energy. Or select the Organic Ginger Healing Body Renewal, which slathers locally grown, mineral-rich ingredients on your skin and exfoliates with the beneficial properties of raw ginger. Then a moisture-infused wrap pampers your skin before a calming neck, shoulder, back, scalp, and foot massage. Finish off your experience with the invigorating cascades of the only Vichy Shower treatments on Grand Cayman.

From the tropical treasures of Seven Mile Beach and Sting Ray City to the cultural highlights of George Town, Grand Cayman serves up the ultimate low-key island getaway.