16 Best Things to do in the Grand Cayman

Visiting the Grand Cayman and looking for things to do besides relax on the beach? Then you have come to the right place. My guide not only “lists” the best things to do in the Grand Cayman but goes into detail on what makes each activity fun and special. Whether you are visiting from a cruise ship or staying for a week, there are plenty of things to do on this beautiful island. From the most popular attraction, Stingray City to the famous Seven Mile Beach, fun brewery and distillery tours, snorkeling, riding jet skis, and much more.

So grab a pen, some paper, and a cocktail – here is my guide of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman to include in your itinerary.

Full disclaimer –  Our post may contain affiliate links. When you click on the link you will have the option to purchase a product at no extra cost to you, but we would receive a small commission. Furthermore, we were offered a generous discount by White Sand Water Sports to go on their tours. As always, our opinions are non-biased and our own. We want to thank White Sand Water Sports for their generosity and for everyone following and supporting us on all of “Our Sweet Adventures.”  

Best Things to do in the Grand Cayman Out At Sea

Stingray City

Of course, one of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman is visiting Stingray City. Stingray City is not only the most profitable and popular attraction in the Grand Cayman but the entire Caribbean! Visitors get the opportunity to go swim, feed, touch and even kiss the stingrays.

Some may be thinking how is this safe or ethical. For one, these stingrays are very docile and unique to the area which make them special. The stingrays are also 100% wild and are not held in captivity. They come and go in the shallow sand bar as they please. Some will approach you on their own while others may just swim beneath your feet. I can assure you – this is an experience you cannot miss in the Grand Cayman.

Tours run daily to Stingray City and make it very easy and accessible for visitors. Some tour operators will provide complimentary transportation from the cruise terminal or hotels on Seven Mile Beach. Most tours last for three hours and will also include snorkeling to a nearby reef. I highly recommend booking your tour to Stingray City with White Sand Water Sports, especially if you are staying on the East End. They are truly the best tour operator on the island! As you continue to read my guide, you will see we booked every tour with White Sand Water Sports because of their outstanding service.

Ride Jet Skis

If you have a need for speed and want to have fun in the sun, I highly recommend renting jet skis or going on a guided eco-tour. Moreover, you can even take a jet ski tour to Stingray City!

Visitors can experience the thrill of riding jet skis all around the Grand Cayman. You can take a leisurely ride around the stunning waters of Seven Mile Beach, take a guided tour to Rum Point and Starfish Point, or go snorkeling on the East End to some of the best spots on the island. The options to have fun on the jet skis are almost endless.

During our time in the Grand Cayman, our Jet Ski Snorkel tour with White Sand Water Sports was at the top of our list for being one of the best experiences on the trip. So I highly recommend you add jet skis to your itinerary.

Bioluminescence Tour

Bioluminescence is a special experience that only happens at specific times of the year and only in certain parts of the world. The Grand Cayman happens to be one of the very best destinations in the world to see this natural wonder. So going on a bioluminescence tour is truly one of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman.

To the naked eye, bioluminescence looks like sparkling blue water from Avatar. It is caused by millions of single-celled plankton that produce light when disturbed in the water. To put it simply, the effect is magical. With that said, you can only see the bioluminescence a week before and after the New Moon. So if this is a priority for your trip, make sure you check the schedule or call a tour operator beforehand to confirm dates.

You can experience a bioluminescence tour two different ways – via boat or kayak. Each tour operator offers something different. Some offer snorkel gear to swim in the water whereas White Sand Water Sports offers the only glass bottom kayak tour.

Private Boat Charter

For a fun day out at sea, book a boat charter with a group of friends or family. Pack some alcohol, food, and drinks on board to have the ultimate party in the Grand Cayman’s deep blue sea.

There are several different boat charters to choose from. The private charters are more expensive but can be reasonably priced if split amongst others. We chose to do a pontoon boat charter with White Sand Water Sports on the East End of the island. The pontoon boat is a double-decker so you can jump from the deck or race down two slides into the ocean. In addition to having a good time, the charter excursion includes two fantastic snorkeling spots and a shipwreck sighting. You will have so much fun on a boat charter, you will not want to ever come back to shore.

Snorkeling

Snorkeling is definitely one of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman. We snorkeled countless times during our trip because it was truly the best underwater experience we’ve ever encountered.

The Grand Cayman is known for their crystal clear blue water with abundant sea life, so it is no wonder why it is one of the best places in the world to snorkel. There are several different spots to snorkel whether its by boat, an excursion or just on your own. In our experience, we found the East End of the island to have the best snorkeling. You can find reef sharks, spotted eagle rays (yes, our group did see one!), spotlight parrotfish, blue tang, and more.

Some of the best snorkeling spots near Georgetown include Smith Cove, Cheeseburger Reef, Eden Rock, Cemetery Beach, Wreck of the Cali, and Wreck of the Gamma. Other great snorkeling locations include Rum Point, Spotts Beach, Cayman Kai Beach, and the Coral Gardens (typically included in the excursion to Stingray City).

If you are going snorkeling on your own, some resorts will allow you to take equipment off-site but I highly recommend purchasing your own. My family and I found this snorkel gear to be perfect!

Scuba Diving

For those wanting to delve deeper into the ocean to see marine life, scuba diving in the Grand Cayman is amazing! If you have never scuba dived before, do not worry – learning in the Grand Cayman is the perfect opportunity. Several different tour operators offer PADI certified lessons so that you can learn and go scuba diving before it’s time to go home. If you are already an avid scuba diver, then you will be pleased to know there are some amazing spots to discover. The most popular diving sites include Devil’s Grotto, USS Kittiwake, Sunset House, and Babylon.

Kayaking and Stand-Up Paddleboarding

For those wanting to stay above water, two fun water sport activities to enjoy are kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding – just don’t fall over like my parents. Most hotels on the Grand Cayman offer complimentary kayak and stand-up paddleboards for guests to enjoy at their leisure. However, if complimentary rentals are not an option, both activities are still very budget-friendly.

What we love about kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding is the freedom to glide peacefully over the beautiful water. It is fun for all ages and a great way to spend a few hours on the water.

Seven Mile Beach

Of course, the last but certainly not the least best thing to do out at sea in the Grand Cayman is spending time at Seven Mile Beach. People travel from all around the world to walk this pristine white sand and to see the prettiest clear blue water. Moreover, the water is the warmest we have ever experienced while swimming in the ocean. To say Seven Mile Beach is breathtaking is truly an understatement.

If you are staying in a hotel on Seven Mile Beach, you have perfect beach access. Some higher-end hotels such as The Westin, also have cabanas, umbrellas, and service directly on the beach. If you are not staying on Seven Mile Beach and have a rental car, the best way to visit is from Governors Beach. This is a great part of Seven Mile Beach because it has free public parking and direct access to the beach.

With that said, Seven Mile Beach is comprised of several different beaches. A few other great ones are Cemetery and Public Beach. Cemetery Beach is on the northern part of Seven Mile Beach and has some of the best snorkeling on the island. Public Beach is the largest and most popular amongst visitors. It is located near a few luxury hotels such as the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. Therefore, there are nearby public restrooms, cabanas, and water sport rentals.

Best Places to Visit in the Grand Cayman

Rum Point

A trip to the Grand Cayman is not complete without visiting the legendary Rum Point. You can spend an entire day here because Rum Point has everything you need – delicious food and drinks at the Wreck Grill and Bar, water sports, snorkeling, white sand beach, crystal clear shallow water, hammocks for relaxation, and more. If you do not have a rental car, there are excursions and half-day tours that can take you directly to Rum Point.

Starfish Point

Another great spot to explore in the Grand Cayman is Starfish Point. As the name states, it is known for its abundant residents of starfish. You can find them in both shallow water and deeper into the ocean laying on a bed of seaweed. To be completely honest, it is a hit or miss of whether or not you can find more than a dozen or just a handful – we found about six starfish but others have found a lot more.

The starfish are very beautiful creatures and easy to spot with their bright orange colors even amongst the seaweed. Just like Rum Point, you can visit on your own or take an excursion. When you take photos, PLEASE do not take the starfish out of the water. Starfish do not breath air and can die when exposed out of the water.

Crystal Caves

A visit to the Crystal Caves is one of the most unique things to do in the Grand Cayman. If you need a little break from the sun, the Cayman Crystal Caves is a great attraction to visit. When you enter the underground caves, you feel as if you have stepped into another world entirely. Just like the Crystal Caves in Bermuda, there is a large body of water inside the cave with spectacular stalagmite and stalactite crystal structures. It is a true sight to see.

Though the Cayman Crystal Caves have existed for millions of years, it was only recently discovered in the 1990s. Guests will learn the history and significance of the Cayman Crystal Caves during the 90-minute guided tour. Visitors must make reservations for a guided tour prior to their visit. The guided tour includes walking through three different caves and a lush tropical forest. Be sure to pack your camera along to take photos of Mother Nature’s beautiful work of art.

Best Things to Eat and Drink in the Grand Cayman

Cayman Spirits Distillery Tour

If all distillery tours are like the Cayman Spirits Co. Distillery then sign us up because we had a BLAST! This was our first time at a distillery and it will not be our last after this fun experience. So with that opening statement let me tell you why this is one of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman. Besides the obvious of drinking a lot, the tour itself is very engaging and basically a party. For every tasting you receive (which is 12), they crank up the music and at the end, you can volunteer to do a shot ski!

With that said, the tour is broken into two segments. The first is drinking. For the majority of the tour, the bartender guide will pour tastings while describing the process and uniqueness of each spirit. Their famous and flagship spirit, Seven Fathoms has a special process. The rum barrels are dropped 42 feet to the bottom of the ocean. Then the barrels mature for up to three years. Cayman Spirits are the first and only distillery to mature rum this way. Cayman Spirits also only use a sugar cane base, natural extracts and no artificial flavorings or colors.

After tasting every spirit, you may or may not be feeling tipsy for the second half of the tour. Another guide will take you into the distillery where you will see different tanks and vats. Here you will be able to see first-hand the process of producing spirits. After the distillery tour concludes, guests have the opportunity to purchase spirits and merchandise at the store.

Cayman Islands Brewery Tour

When you visit the Grand Cayman, you will find Caybrew beer everywhere and for good reason – it is the BEST! From hotels to restaurants and bars, you must drink the Grand Cayman’s local beer. With that said, in addition to drinking the Caybrew beer, I highly recommend going behind the scenes and taking a tour of the Cayman Islands Brewery.

The tour offers visitors the opportunity to drink, mingle, have fun, and learn what makes Caymans Islands Brewery the best beer in the Caribbean. It all starts with their sustainability. In addition to making great tasting beer, Cayman Islands Brewery also supports our global environment. They ask customers to bring back the bottles so they can recycle and reuse them. Furthermore, the six-pack rings are biodegradable, so if they find their way into the ocean or sun, the rings will decompose.

In addition to learning about their sustainability, the Cayman Islands Brewery tour also takes guests through the entire process of brewing their beer. Visitors get to see it all – from the first stages of brewing to fermentation and even bottling on site.

Now for the tasting! Cayman Islands Brewery typically has 13 beers in production and you can taste ALL of them HERE! Every guest receives five tokens to cash in for a glass of beer. Once you run out of tokens, you can purchase any beer on tap. Every beer at Cayman Islands Brewery is excellent! In fact, they are some of the best beers we have ever had – the Mango Tango is by far my favorite beer ever! Just remember to drink up because Caybrew Brewery does not ship to the United States…yet.

Drinking Mudslides

Obviously, one of the best things to do in the Grand Cayman is drink…a lot. The Grand Cayman is known for its famous Mudslide drink. Essentially the Mudslide is a White Russian with Baileys Irish Cream instead of heavy cream. It all started back in the 1970s at the Wreck Bar and Grill on Rum Point. Since then it has evolved into the island’s number one drink and into many different variations.

While we stayed on the East End at Wyndham Reef Resort, we enjoyed a more dessert-heavy version of the Mudslide and LOVED IT! Probably because this version has a lot of chocolate sauce and ice cream. The original Mudslide at Wreck Bar and Grill contains a lighter version but heavier on the alcohol. Wherever you order a Mudslide, you will not be disappointed – just don’t leave the island without trying one!

Eat Tortuga Rum Cake

Another staple of the Grand Cayman that you cannot miss is Tortuga Rum Cake. The Tortuga Rum Company was established on Grand Cayman back in 1984 and immediately became a Caribbean sensation with the original rum cake. Now, Tortuga Rum Company has bakery operations in Barbados, Jamaica and the Bahamas. They also have a factory in Miami, Florida to distribute rum cakes worldwide. Unfortunately, there are no tours to see the process of baking the historic Tortuga Rum Cake or bakeries to purchase a fresh cake. However, you can find rum cakes all over the island in a variety of stores.

I recommend purchasing the original and chocolate Tortuga rum cakes. You can definitely taste the rum in all of the cakes but the chocolate cake balances out the rum with its decadent richness.

So there you have it – the best things to do in the Grand Cayman. I hope you have found a lot of fun activities to include in your itinerary for your trip. You cannot go wrong with any of them but if you are looking to narrow the list down, some of our favorite things to do in the Grand Cayman include going to Stingray City, jet skiing, snorkeling, partying on a pontoon boat, drinking mudslides, eating rum cake, and visiting Cayman Islands Brewery and Cayman Spirits Distillery. What will you include on your trip to the Grand Cayman?

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