Other Things To Do :

1.                  Breakfast at Westin Hotel.  On a planned trip to 7-Mile beach/Turtle farm; a great way to start the day is with an early breakfast at the Westin.  It and the Hyatt are the best on the island, and both are on the beach.  When you enter the Westin driveway, take a left into their parking lot…Ferdinand’s (the restaurant) opens at 7:00 AM; and has a wonderful buffet breakfast.  After breakfast, walk through the hotel, as they have 2-3 very nice gift/dress shops inside.great place to shop on your last day, too!  After breakfast, relax on their beach for a while or proceed north to the Turtle Farm. When the beach waiters show up, they may not want you sitting on their lounge chairs, but you will be gone to the Turtle Farm by then.

2.                  Turtle Farm.  949-3893. Nice visit for the kids. Great Gift Shop. Turtles raised for release and commerce. Tortuga Rum Cake Factory (they make them here) is right next-door. On the other side is “The Cracked Conch” restaurant (for lunch) AND they have a dive shop right underneath with a great dining patio at night on the water.  This is a great place for snorkeling. They have a swimming pool ladder into the water, and lots to see in their cove.  If you are certified, and aren’t flying in 24 hours…rent their underwater scooters (Divetech) for CI$25.00 each. It is a great dive, with a 50’ mini-wall. Lots of turtles, eagle rays and tarpon. Before you buy a Cuban cigar from the stand across the street from the turtle farm, know they are 30-40% cheaper at the duty-free shop in the departure lounge at the airport..

3.                  Stingray City.  Absolutely required while on the island.  My favorite operator is Ocean Frontiers for everything, but Red Sail Sports does a great job too. Ocean Frontiers only makes one/two Stingray City trips a week, and picks you up at the Kaibo yacht club.  Red Sail Sports has their 65’ catamaran with aluminum stairs that lower into the water (easy for elderly or unsure swimmers). Red Sail leaves from Kaibo as well.

4.                  Her Majesty’s Botanical Park.  In the middle of the island, this is a wonderful morning or late afternoon stroll.  It costs about $8.00/per; and is un-crowded.  The park offers a number of areas that are planted with different species of flowering plants, trees, etc…only those indigenous to the Cayman Islands.  There are quite a few benches to rest on, and restroom located on the farthest point from the giftshop (300 yds).  There is also a great white Gazebo with adirondack chairs you can relax in during the self-guided tour (bring refreshments in a pack..no alcohol, though). They also have a small snack shop/gazebo. 947-3558.

5.                  Rum Point Resort. About 7 miles west of Old Man Bay, this property belongs to the Hyatt, and the Hyatt runs a ferry 3 times a day between the Rum Point pier and the Hyatt canal on 7MB.  At the Rum Point Resort, there is a good restaurant (make reservations), a great “Wreck Bar”, and table service for the picnic tables.good lunch items.  Their Saturday afternoon “Jerk” chicken and pork dishes are tremendous. The Red Sail Sports franchise also rents waverunners, kayaks, etc…There is also a very large public restroom complex with a freshwater shower in front.  Also located here is a cute giftshop (The Treasure Chest).  

6.                  The Driftwood Village.  This is a sports bar on the ocean, halfway to Rum Point.  They get all the games (2-4 dishes), have a pool table, dart board and sell the cheapest beer on the island (Happy Hour).  Great, nearby bar to send the husbands out one evening…no one gets in trouble!  Additionally; on Sundays (4-7PM), Driftwood has a great Bar-B-Que dinner, catered by Durty Reid’s restaurant. They offer ribs, chicken and shrimp; with many sides.  Pretty reasonable….but you want to make sure there is a breeze when you go. No air conditioning, and people eat outside on the picnic tables.  My kids had a great time, finding other kids vacationing there as well (we found a babysitter there one time!).

7.                  The Kaibo. Down in Cayman Kai (go towards Rum Point, take a left just before you get there). This yacht club is recently built, and has a great bar/restaurant underneath. They have a small gift shop, and rent ocean kayaks. There is a public park on the sea adjacent to it, and they also have a small floating dock just 50 feet from the beach/lounge chairs, so you can watch little ones swim.  The water is clear, but have the kids wear pool shoes, and bring goggles/masks (sometimes sea itch though)….some fish swim by! 947-9975.

8.                  Morritt’s Tortuga.  This is a time-share resort is on the northeast corner of the island.  The reason I mention it, is that it is a great place for little kids and big kids alike.  They have a nice sandy beach, and a bar hut for ordering drinks.  They also rent catamarans, windsurfers, paddleboats, kayaks, etc… Very protected reef lagoon.  The highlight is when your kids walk into the beautiful water around the pier/dock (with their goggles/masks) they will see thousands of little minnows and some 3-4 foot Tarpon in schools! (they are safe).  Very shallow, safe beach, with few waves.  The restaurant is spotty, but the swim-up bar at the infinity-pool is marvelous. A great beach, with sand chairs and lounges…and a few shady gazebos. 947-7449

9.                  Vivine’s Backyard.  If you are looking for a cheap local place to eat an authentic Caymanian lunch , drive a mile south of Portofinos in the East End.  Literally, it is Vivine’s backyard to her house!! Cute black/white checkered sign, she cooks out of her kitchen!! Great home-cooked meals on picnic tables overlooking the ocean. Very reasonable prices, no beer/wine. The B-B-Q Chicken is great.

10.              Caribbean Charlie’s.  On the way to Rum Point, across from the post office, there is a left turn to “Hutlands”.  You wind through a neighborhood, and take your (I think) second left to his house (small sign).  Charlie Ebanks makes handcrafted whimsical birdhouses and furniture, etc.. It is all handmade, painted, etc…it is not cheap, but if you are looking for something unique to take back from the island that is local to the northside…you may find it there. It is worth a look, either way (if anyone in your group is a giftshop nut!). 947-9452.

11.              Lighthouse Restaurant.  Absolutely one of the best restaurants in the east of the island.  Make reservations for the screened porch. The food and atmosphere are fantastic. Save room for their signature dessert, Beignettes! Order only one plate for every 4-5 people! It is large, but this is the best advice I will give you during your visit.  If you eat somewhere else in town, and are driving back to Northside, and only get to stop for Beignettes and coffee, do it…also, they sell the little lighthouse coffeepot/teapots out front…a great (cheap) memento. 947-2047.

12.              Atlantis Submarine Trip.  In Georgetown, near the main harbor, is the Atlantis shop on the water.  They take you out (on a boat) to their submarine docking station just offshore. For about $70.00 (the cost of a two-tank dive) you get to go in a state-of-the-art submarine down to about 100 feet.  They have a truly professional crew of Australian/Canadian/Americans that operate these around the world.  Very safe tour.  If your group won’t do it…there is the Nautilus semi-submersible just up the street.  It, however, never submerges. It is like the Disneyland submarine, but larger, with drink service. Whichever you choose, the evening tours are the best, as the predators/nocturnals start to come out (Tarpon, barracuda, sharks, squid, lobster, and octopus). 949-7700 (Atlantis); 945-1355 (Nautilus)

13.              Go to Hell?   North of 7 Mile Beach, in West Bay, is a stark, limestone/stalagmite field that the locals have named “Hell” (Complete with t-shirts, etc..) Don’t waste your time, unless your kids are screaming to go (which they won’t).  The only thing redeeming, is that it is close to “Ristorante Papagallo”, which is a very nice, (Polynesian Architecture) restaurant…but it is so far away from everything..especially Cayman Sands, that we have never been!

14.              NEW TO THE ISLAND- Roland’s Garden – Roland is a former chef who runs an outdoor (campy) "restaurant" at his house in the Cottage District, on the South coast of the island. Not well-marked- but you will see about 10 tables in the trees behind an anchor chain fence--about 1.5 miles East of the Frank Sound road intersection at the bottom of the island.  You arrive at his place, he tells you about dinner tonight, if it sounds good to you, you stay and eat (bring your own beer/wine in a cooler)...after dinner you pay him what you feel the meal was worth. No bill. It sounds hokey, but true. I have eaten there many times. His food is very good. Make a reservation first 926-7670.

15.              Sunset House.  South of 7MB is Georgetown. If you go straight south through town (along the water), Sunset House Hotel is on your right. If you see the oil storage tanks, you’ve gone too far. Pull all the way down to the parking lot behind the hotel.  There is a great bar/snack restaurant, and Cathy Church’s photo shop under the hotel. In addition, it is a great place for a shore dive or snorkeling with the kids. This place has a swim ladder to help get into/out of the water.  Also has a nice restaurant (Sea Harvest-air-conditioned) if it is too hot to sit outside. You can watch the Atlantis shuttle go out to the rendezvous point, or dive boats come in. Best outdoor bar on the island (Thatched roof).

16.              Smith Cove.  Just south of Sunset House (1 mile) in Georgetown is a small public beach cove that many people on the Island consider the best shore snorkeling on the island. Great for kids, as they can walk straight into the water. If the winds & waves are strong on the North/East of the island, Smith Cove is a good daytrip for the waves are sure to be calmer.

17.              Golf.  I would leave my sticks at home. The only nice course is the Links at Safehaven, just north of 7MB.  It is a well-maintained, 6,000 yd.+ course that is close to the Hyatt complex/resort.  It is not cheap, and a trek to get to, unless you take the Rum Point Ferry, and then take a cab. For New Yorkers, it would be like a regular day of golfing (the commute out to Long Island)!

18.              Charter a Fishing Boat.  Whether you want to go offshore for a full/half day, or go salt-water fly fishing at Barkers flats (near Morgan’s harbor); fishing in Grand Cayman offers a lot of opportunities. I included a few charter services, but haven’t used any as of yet. A local charter (Jerry Whittaker) takes out guests on his ’33 Blackfin (Au’sum). It has a head, shower, A/C, TV and microwave.  Wahoo, Tuna, Barracuda, Snapper, Grouper, Mahi-Mahi can be caught while trolling. His rates are the same as everyone’s on the island..full day deep sea fishing US$800, half day $US450.  Bait, sodas, ice provided by Jerry. Cell number is 916-4069 .

19.              Shopping.  Downtown Georgetown has a ton of jewelry stores, dress shops, souvenir shops, etc.. The Colombian Emerald Shop and the Diamonds in Paradise shops are pretty large. 24K-Mon Jewelers also sells mounted Atocha (and other ships’) coins. I am told the prices are pretty reasonable, especially for emerald and coral items.

20.              Time Share Tour.  If you have the time and are an adventurous type, the time-share “show-and-tell” tour at Morritts or Royal Reef Resort (they are next door to each other in the East end) will get you a free lunch & drinks, $50.00 cash and a North wall dive trip! The time-shares at Morritts are registered with RCI, I don’t know about Royal Reef Resort. The latter is very new, and I am told, very nice inside. Their beach is great..and they have a ton of water toys to rent. 947-7449.

21.              Pirate Caves of Boddentown.  About 15 minutes southwest of our house (on the way to town) is a small gift shop that advertises “Pirate Caves”.  The gift shop is small but cute, and they have a mini-zoo (iguanas, parrots, rabbits, etc..) in back. The highlight of the visit is a limestone cave about 10 feet below the surface that they have “schmaltzed up” with pirate swords, chests of gold, skeletons, etc…my little boys loved it. I think the gift shop charges a nominal fee to visit the zoo/caves..but nothing gross. It is nearby, and is fun.

22.              Blowholes.  About 3-4 miles east of the Lighthouse Restaurant is a low limestone shoreline that has caves at the waterline. When the surf gets rough, the water shoots vertically out of the limestone about 40 feet. Kids love to watch it. There is a small roadside stand across the street that sells stuff.

23.              Public Beach on 7 Mile Beach. North of the Westin and right across from the new Marriott Courtyard on 7MB is a public beach with about 6 brightly painted gazebos.  The gazebos are nice because they offer shade, and the beach has restroom facilities (albeit modest).  Also available on the beach are rental water toys.

24.              Pedro Castle. In Savannah (20 minutes away) is the oldest stone building in the Cayman Islands. Pedro St. James was once the capital building of the Caymans, as well as a private residence. It is the original “island architecture” and is featured in many Cayman advertisements. There are tour guides, a multi-media theater, gift shop, café and resource center. Turn South at Texaco Station in Savannah. Nominal admission charge. 947-3329

25.              Cayman National Museum.  This museum (waterfront in Georgetown) offers an extensive insight into the past of the Cayman Islands. A presentation is offered every half-hour, and you then take a self-guided tour of the building. This landmark was home to the Island’s first Governor. It has been used as a courthouse, jail, Post Office and survey post. Nominal admission charge. 949-8368.

26.              Mastic Trail.  (close to Botanical Park) For the “hikers” in the group, this 2-1/2 hour “eco”-tour of the trail used as a shortcut to the Northside in the late 1800’s is both great exercise and informative. Sensible walking shoes are a must (no sandals), even though the trail is very level. You see native birds (including parrots), their nesting places, plus many varieties of fruit, vegetable and plant life stilled farmed on the island. The Cayman National Trust oversees this preservation project. Reservations. Small admission charge. 949-1996

27.              Real Estate Shopping!  As you drive around the island, you can’t help but think that every house and lot is for sale!! There are literally hundreds of “for sale” signs everywhere.  What has happened is that Grand Cayman has experienced a tremendous boom in real estate prices over the past 10 years. There are 2,800 sq. ft. condos on 7 MB that sell for $3 Million!!  Cayman Kai lots that sell for $1 Million!! That boom (in part) has been fueled by the growth of the number of realtors/firms on the island, the economic expansion of the last 10 years…and that some people arrive in Grand Cayman with (literally) suitcases full of cash (how they got it who knows?) wanting to purchase a home and retire here. The realtors have preyed on this fact and encouraged homeowners to list their homes. There are many tales of foreigners offering obscene prices for homes. That is why you will see so many signs.  It is also another reason why (if you decide to look around) you should engage a realtor to cull the fluff from the motivated sellers. Get a copy of the CIREBA (Cayman Islands Real Estate Brokers Assn.) Magazine and the Century 21 Magazine and start looking!!