Stingrays and Shopping on Grand Cayman

Swimming with the stingrays at Grand Cayman’s Stingray City Sandbar is one of the most thrilling and fun things to do while vacationing on the island.  The stingrays are tame and used to mingling with humans.  It’s an experience you and your family won’t forget.

Conversely, if shopping is your thing, George Town is another great place to spend a few hours.  Kirk Freeport has an excellent selection of watches, jewelry, Herend collectibles, and china.  Guy Harvey’s Grill and Hard Rock Cafe are great places to have lunch.  If there are many cruise ships scheduled that day, the stores and restaurants may be difficult to navigate because of the crowds.

How to Avoid Grand Cayman Cruise Ship Crowds

Tourism is an important industry for the residents of Grand Cayman and the island happily welcomes all visitors whether they come by plane or by boat.  However, there are times when the stingray sandbar, as well as George Town, become crowded with lots of cruise ship folks who are looking forward to enjoying their time on the island, as well.

Instead of a morning trip to the stingray sandbar, we recommend an afternoon snorkel trip.  Unless you schedule a private boat and the captain is able to avoid the crowds and take you to less populated snorkel sites and letting the crowds die down, an afternoon excursion will be better because the cruise ship travelers will be reporting back to their boats around 2pm and will need to leave the sandbar before then.

The Grand Cayman Port Authority keeps a daily schedule of cruise ship arrivals.  Simply click on the link and enter the month or day of interest.  We encourage our Our Grand Cayman Villas and Condos guests to take a look at the schedule before heading to George Town or Seven Mile Beach for the day.

Cayman is so much fun.  We want you to have a fantastic and relaxing vacation!

Many islands in the Caribbean have nice all-inclusive resorts, however, that’s the only thing offered.  One choice.  One contrived experience.   There’s also a question of safety if you want to leave the resort and explore the rest of the island.

One of the most amazing and wonderful things about visiting Grand Cayman is that you have a choice of how you wish to experience the island.

On the West Bay side of Cayman is Seven Mile Beach.  A short drive from the airport and the tourist hub of George Town, Seven Mile Beach is miles of pristine sand, beautiful crystal blue water, condos, shopping, and the most five-star restaurants in the Caribbean.

The North and East Sides of Grand Cayman, offer a quieter and more private experience while continuing to provide plenty of water activities as well as unique dining experiences.  Jet skis, paddle boards and petting the stingrays are all available on the North Side of the island, however, you won’t have to fight the traffic to get to dinner, or make sure you’re downstairs early to secure enough lounge chairs at the condo.

You can have your morning coffee sitting in your own lounge chair in your private villa and watch the sunrise all by your lonesome. Some of the most amazing scuba diving in the Caribbean may be found in the East End of Grand Cayman.  The dive masters at Ocean Frontiers and Tortuga Divers are professional and take great care of their guests.  You’ll see reef sharks, angel fish, tarpon, lion fish, turtles, and maybe even an eagle ray or two.   Many of the private villas have great snorkeling sights off their beaches.

Grand Cayman is a family friendly island that is easy to get to and offers something for everyone.  That is, the entire island of Grand Cayman, not just a small part of it!