- Jen
Grand Cayman Island | Family Adventures
Updated: Sep 16, 2022
The Lido Travel Co. family recently spent 4 nights on the Grand Cayman Island, not only is the the island beautiful (and empty in September), the people and staff we very friendly!
We were excited to see the beautiful water and white sand we heard so much about. I can say I underestimated the beauty of it in person. We stayed at a smaller condo, Laguna Del Mar, which sits directly on the famous Seven Mile Beach and centrally located within walking distance to shopping and dining. We packed a lot into this shorter trip, and also planned for down time to relax and enjoy!
Day 1
Arrival Day
We landed around 12pm and found customs to be quick. We brought carry-on’s which helped the wait times…. Yes, I know we are crazy with a family of 4 and young kids. I can write an entire post on how to do that, but I will save that for another day.
After checking into our condo, we quickly made our way to the beach to soak up the sun and salty air.
We enjoyed dinner at Bacaro, the restaurant sits on the bay facing the east. They serve fresh, local ingredients, classic Venetian flavors with a little modern innovation. It was a fun vibe with mostly tapas style dining.
Day 2
Sting Ray City Excursion
We enjoyed an early morning breakfast excursion aboard a 65' luxury sailing catamaran through Red Sail Sports. This was a highlight of the trip, we were among the first to the Stingray City Sandbar. We experienced an up-close encounter kissing the stingrays and snorkeling the nearby reefs! Did you know if you kiss a stingray, it brings seven years of good luck?
I received several questions from friends and families while planning this excursion on safety with the stingrays. The water was no more than 3 ft deep (we brought kids vests) and the stingrays were friendly and gentle. We felt very safe during the entire excursion.
During dinner, we watched the sunset on the beach with a dining experience at Coccoloba, inside the Kimpton Seafire Resort. They offer a casual Mexican cuisine with a lively band and sunset views as you dine. The kids loved it here, they could get up and explore in the sand while we ate and enjoyed our meal.
Day 3
Turtle Centre and Camana Bay
We spent the morning exploring the Cayman Turtle Centre, with an up close encounter and education on the Turtle Centre. They offer an option to swim with the turtles in a lagoon filled with colorful marine life. Other attractions at the center we enjoyed were the:
· Turtle touch tanks & wading pools with baby turtles
· Turtle hatchery, up-close viewing of incubating eggs and baby hatchlings.
Next to the Cayman Turtle Centre is an ocean front tiki bar, Macabuca. It sits right on turtle reef, which is among the best shore sites for both scuba diving and snorkeling.
In the evening, we visited Camana Bay, a lively waterfront town that offers shopping and more than a dozen restaurants, bars, cafés and specialty eateries. Honestly, this was top on our list of favorite places to take the kids for dinner.
We could have spent every night there on the island. It was relaxing, they had live music and the kids were able to freely run around and get out some energy. We recommend stopping for dessert or coffee at the Gelato & Co. shop!
Day 4
Beach Day & Snorkeling
After several fun packed days, we needed a little relaxation with the kids, it was a great way to spend our day on the island. We relaxed on the beach, snorkeling, making sandcastles and looked for starfish. The ability to snorkel right off our beach was a great experience.
Sunsets at our condo were beautiful. We recommend staying on Seven Mile Beach , facing west to get the best sunset views.
Overall, we loved exploring the Grand Cayman Island, it goes down as a top destination in our travel books!
I always enjoy discussing our travel adventures with you. If you or anyone you know is thinking about visiting The Grand Cayman Island and has any questions, please connect with us.
Jen
Owner & Travel Advisor
Lido Travel Co.