Grand Cayman Favorites

Favorite thing: The East End is the windiest district on the island. In the winter (late December - late February) the 'Christmas Winds' from stalled fronts off the mainland and nor'westers blowing through can create windy conditions for consecutive days on both the East End and North Side. If bad, the wind can make sitting on the beach unpleasant and snorkeling near impossible due to choppiness and steady currents. Like hurricanes, it is a chance you take. If conditions are unpleasant, many folks will spend the day on Seven Mile Beach or over at Rum Point where it is usually much calmer. Anyone staying on the East End or North Side really needs to have rental car.

The snorkeling on the East End and North Side is some of the best on the island, as well as the Caribbean. Here is a link to a guide of the area:

http://snorkelblog.tumblr.com

Fondest memory: Sighting my first shark while snorkeling.

Fondest memory: When you debark from the tender that will take you from your ship to the shore, walk around to the Immigration Office, in the building to the far left - above the souvenir shop. It is a government office - just ask for a stamp in your passport, and the nice folks behind the desk will oblige!

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Favorite thing: Of course the climate - where the temperature, summer or winter, seldom goes lower than 70 deg. F. or higher than 90 deg. F.

A getaway in winter where the average temperature is 78 deg. F. in the winter and about 84 deg. F in the summer.

Between May and October the prevailing winds are from east to south; from November to April, the coolest season of the year, prevailing winds are from the northeast to northwest. I try not to go in the hurricane season which typically lasts from June to November.

Fondest memory: My friends from 20 to 30 years ago who still live on the island and with whom I have shared wonderful memories.

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Favorite thing: Have a look at some of these photos if you don't believe me - all were taken while snorkeling. One of the best sites, admittedly, was the one we reached by boat: On our snorkeling excursion to Stingray City's shallow sandbar with Fantasea Adventures, there was a second stop included with the afternoon's trip, to nearby Barrier Reef (see photos with tips above for Barrier Reef area).
But the Caribbean Reef Squids pictured here I encountered while snorkeling by the Sunset House, as was the lovely little Blue Tang in the next shot. And snorkeling by the TurtleNest Inn we saw lots of lobsters, and even a dark phase Goldentail Moray Eel chasing a small Red Grouper from its front doorstep under a rock ledge!

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Favorite thing: For those of you who are non-divers, don't think there is less for you to do on Grand Cayman. There are so many wonderful and easily accessible snorkeling sites around too! One of the best was right outside our door at the Turtle Nest Inn. Another was Spanish Reef, where my mom snorkeled while I went on a little shore dive. And then there are the 2 lovely resorts past East End, both of which have great snorkeling and swimming beaches, Morritt's Tortuga Club & the Reef Resort.

Favorite thing: if you arraving via a cruise ship... don't book your activities with the ship. as soon as you get onto land there are tour people ready to take you and it's less expensive. taxis to 7mile beach are not to expensive either. i could have stayed on that beach forever. wear sun block... even if you tan. that sun is friggin hot.

Fondest memory: here's my perfect day in cayman...

go swim with the gigantic stingrays, find a restraunt on beach with a table facing the ocean, order some conch chowder and rice and beans, hop in a cab to 7 mile beach and order a pina colada, then finish off the day with a bit of shopping to bring home presents.

great gift i dea for kids... cayman money!

Favorite thing: Kayaking
We did some kayaking with a company called Cayman Kayaks. We did a Sunset Tour and their Bioluminescence Tour. Neither my husband nor I have ever kayaked and we found it very easy. Very enjoyable to glide on the Caribbean with an introduction to the Mangroves, stop at sunset for a Rum Punch and watch the sun disappear on the horizon. The tour that takes your breath away and is almost indescribable is the Bioluminescence Tour. You paddle to a cove full of glow-in-the-dark ?water?. You stir up the water and it?s a glowing cloud of light. They do a great job of explaining the phenomenon. It has to be pitch black to get the best effect so the tour only runs for a couple of weeks a month. We lucked out with our timing. . When the fish streak by, they leave a trail of light like fireworks, leaving you speechless. They mentioned that there is only one other place in the world with such concentrated bioluminescence I highly recommend trying something unique like this.

Favorite thing: The Turtle farm is an informative and worthwhile experience, especially if your visit coincides with the periodic release of some of the sea tortoises into the wild. The cost of your entrance fee goes to a worthy cause; this is the prototypical turtle farm, established to preserve and propagate the dwindling sea tortoise population.

Why care about preserving sea turtles? Beyond all eco-concerns, I can give you one VERY good reason if you like to swim: They eat jellyfish!!!

Shown here is a Hawksbill Turtle, harvested almost to extinction and prized for its famously patterned tortoise shell.