Fun things to do in Cayman Islands

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One of the best times we had (except when I got seasick) was feeding the stingrays. Our guide gave us some squids and the stingrays came to us. I guess the stingrays were already used to the tourists. They were very friendly. There were so many of them.

When the stingrays started swimming closer to us, our tourist guide told us that we can feed them, touch and kiss them. They were tamed at the same time wild. In the beginning, I was scared because of the fact that I know Steve, the crododile man, died from a stingray. However, after few minutes on the sandbar, I got used to seeing the stingrays swimming beside me.

My children loved the fact that we were able to swim with them and touch them. Feeding the stingray was also a great experience.

I held tight a squid and I extended my arm to the bottom of the stingray. The stingray just sunctioned it fast! I felt how it sunctioned the squid on my hand and the sensation of being sunctioned experience was very memorable. Also, we were allowed to kiss the stingrays. We extended both of our hands and lifted the stingray to give a gentle kiss!

The National Museum is the first building you probably notice here since Grand Cayman is so small. The street is bubbling with cars and tourists and you will see this white house fronting the shipyard at the Grand Cayman.

The National Museum in Grand Cayman houses some of the national treasures of the islands including birds, and some flora and fauna. It shows the cultural history also of the Caymanian people.

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I can tell you that this is where my daughter enjoyed diving! She jumped from the second deck of the boat that we rented. She was not even scared at all...She climbed that boat several times just to dive. Some other fellow travellers also dove from the second floor.

They were diving for conch while I was so miserable on the boat because I got so seasick. This was the reason why I don't have a lot of pictures about the Cayman Islands.

Plan to take a day driving around the island. Somewhere just past the shortcut through the island on Queens Road, is a mango plantation on the island side of the road, not the ocean side.
Of course, take a day to shop in Georgetown, but try to find a local restaurant (NOT HARD ROCK) and eat there. The traditional food of the Caymans is really good!

Try to find the local things to do. Go to the harbor in Georgetown in the morning and get a fresh fish from one of the locals. They will filet and scale it right there for you. Then, cook that for lunch with some local mashed bread fruit. If you are not sure how to cook it, ask someone. They will love to tell you how.

There is place called Hell. Most of us plan to avoid it, but when in the Caymans, you must see this crazy spot. With unimaginable terrain, a boardwalk is provided to amble from the post office into the depths of post volcanic Hell. Make sure you go back to the post office to write a letter to someone you know and it will arrive postmarked from Hell. Classy.

Well, OK, it's probably one of the most over-dived sites in the world, but it's still a lot of fun! Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto is right at the George Town harbor with the cruise ships parked just a stone's throw away. Due to heavy use, the coral isn't in great shape, but there is still a lot of life. And so many fish!!! It is just like swimming in an aquarium, except in some spots there are more fish than water. But what really makes Eden Rock so much fun is the caves and chutes you can swim through and explore. Inside the caves, holes in the ceiling allow just enough light in to give each room an other-wordly atmosphere. Fish and shrimp swim upside-down along the ceilings. Schools of huge tarpon congregate in alcoves. Don't mind the crowds and the surly dive-shop staff, and don't miss Eden Rock!

Another very pretty shore dive is the second Dive Tech location at Cobalt Coast Resort - diving open to the public. You get the same great amenities as the Lighthouse Point location (high benches for set-up, outdoor shower, fresh water dip tank for cameras, regs, etc), plus a pool and a restaurant & bar. The entry/exit is from a long, skinny wooden dock that could have used some maintenance when we were there. If the surf is up at all, it's a little difficult to exit on their ladder as you have to take your fins off and time the surge so that you get onto the ladder without getting smashed into it. But when the water is calm, this site is a pleasure! The deep wall isn't far once you drop below the surface by the marker buoys. However, the surface swim to get to the buoys is a little long. Bring a snorkel! I suggest swimming to the right if the current allows, and follow the reef fingers to the North Wall. Navigating back is easy: Follow the reef fingers back to the mini-wall and then follow the mini-wall to the marker buoys.

You can sign one waiver and run one tab for both the Lighthouse Point and Cobalt Coast Dive Tech locations. They just call the other location to confirm information.

Also, when we were there, they had a special going, $20 for shore diving and lunch, which is a great deal! Especially considering that rental for tanks & weights is $15 and you can't even buy groceries to make your own lunch for $5 on Grand Cayman!

I've made three dive trips to Grand Cayman, and in my opinion, there is little reason to get on a boat to dive there. The shore diving is that fabulous! There are many dive shops on the water with their own cement docks for easy giant-stride entry, and ladders for easy exit. That's enough to spoil this New England diver! Rental for tanks & weights was around $15 Cayman.



These are the shore sites that we have done:

Lighthouse Point (Dive Tech):
http://www.divetech.com/what1.htm

Cobalt Coast (Dive Tech):
http://www.divetech.com/index.htm

Sunset House:
http://sunsethouse.com/

Eden Rock/Devil's Grotto:
http://www.edenrockdive.com

Sun Divers at the Turtle Reef

Coconut Harbor

Spanish Bay Reef

See more info about these spots at:
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/31411/ab2/4/



Just about all of the dive shops around George Town and West Bay have 2 reefs: one shallow and one deep wall. The shallows are from 30-60 feet deep. Then 50-100 yards further from shore, across sandy flats, you'll hit the deep wall at around 70 feet and you will never see the bottom.