Spring Break in Grand Cayman on the Island's East Finish

Inside: In search of a calming trip in a stunning locale? We spent spring break in Grand Cayman on the East Finish with our teen. Right here’s our day-to-day itinerary.

View overlooking beach bar at the Wyndham Reef Resort in Grand Cayman East End — Overlooking the seashore bar the place we had lunch daily.

Years in the past, my husband and I vowed to take a household trip yearly to construct recollections with our youngsters.

After a few journeys that had been enjoyable however extra adventurous than stress-free (learn Our Spring Break in San Francisco and One Wonderful Week in Costa Rica With Teenagers), I used to be able to press the straightforward button.

I didn’t know a lot concerning the Cayman Islands (I needed to look on a map to determine the place they had been!), however a good friend of mine not too long ago vacationed there and had good issues to say.

The Cayman Islands are situated within the Caribbean Sea. They’re simply south of Cuba and northwest of Jamaica. Grand Cayman is the biggest of the three islands, however it’s solely 22 miles lengthy.

Although the most well-liked space in Grand Cayman is Seven Mile Seaside, recognized to be one of many prettiest and most pristine seashores on the planet, we stayed on the alternative aspect of the island, referred to as the East Finish. Throughout my analysis, I ran throughout this weblog submit from Our Candy Adventures and was satisfied that this quieter, much less crowded aspect of the island was a greater match for us.

I used to be proper. Although it was an extended drive from the airport and farther from a number of the large points of interest, the East Finish was far more our pace and an ideal place for a really stress-free trip.

When you want inspiration for a brand new trip vacation spot, listed below are extra particulars about our journey, together with our day-to-day itinerary:

View from a ground-floor condo at the Wyndham Reef in Grand Cayman's East End — The view from the again door of our rental.

DAY ONE

Arrived in Grand Cayman early afternoon. Walked throughout the road to Alamo and picked up our rental automotive.
Drove 40 minutes to the Wyndham Reef Resort, stopping on the small grocery retailer throughout the road from the resort to choose up objects like sunscreen and snacks.
Checked in to the resort, and talked to the parents on the concierge desk about doable outings. Additionally grabbed a calendar of resort occasions.
Picked up our snorkel gear, which is a free rental with the all-inclusive package deal (which we did).
Settled in to our room. We had a one-bedroom, one-bathroom, ground-level rental. The bed room had a king-size mattress, and there have been two single beds in the lounge that pulled down from the wall. The rental had a full kitchen as effectively.
Explored the resort a bit, had dinner, and went to mattress.

Woman on chaise lounge holding a pink drink in Grand Cayman — I wished a calming spring break, and that’s what we acquired!

DAY TWO

Had the breakfast buffet, and spent the morning snorkeling. Grand Cayman is thought for its snorkeling spots and unbelievable dive websites. And although there are far more sturdy areas on the island for snorkeling, we had been pleased with our seashore. We might go in proper on the shore and noticed loads of fish, particularly across the two piers on and close to the resort.
Ate lunch on the seashore bar.
Drove to George’s Watersports for the Bioluminescent Bay Evening Snorkeling Tour. This was my one planning misstep. It was a protracted (and bushy–15 roundabouts every approach!) drive from the resort. Although it was cool to snorkel at nighttime and see the bioluminescent plankton mild up as we moved, we had been upset within the tour guides, who largely spent the boat experience flirting with a pair of younger ladies on the tour!
Acquired again residence after the resort restaurant was closed, so we made peanut butter sandwiches in our rental for dinner and went to mattress.

Charcuterie Board at the Wyndham Reef Resort in Grand Cayman — The charcuterie board on the resort’s seashore bar.

DAY THREE

Had the breakfast buffet–I ate flippantly as a result of I went to water aerobics on the pool afterwards!
Snorkeled within the morning, ate lunch on the seashore bar, then headed to Cayman Crystal Caves, which was a really brief drive from the resort. We preferred this guided strolling tour via a number of caves that had been fashioned over hundreds of thousands of years. My teen particularly loved this outing.
Ate dinner on the resort restaurant and went to mattress.

Cayman Crystal Caves in Grand Cayman East End — Cayman Crystal Caves

DAY FOUR

I attended yoga by the pool whereas the blokes slept in.
Ate breakfast on the buffet, then drove to Starfish Level, about half-hour away. We thought this could be a very good snorkeling spot, however it wasn’t. As a substitute, we checked out the starfish that dotted the sand within the clear water. It is a extra crowded spot, and there have been a number of tour boats there. I used to be completely satisfied we might drive there ourselves and see it without cost.
Ate lunch on the seashore bar.
Snorkeled on the resort.
Drove again to Starfish Level to observe the sundown. When you’re staying on the East Finish, this was an ideal spot for the sundown.
Had a late dinner on the resort, did some stargazing, then went to mattress.

Boy holding a starfish at Star Fish Point in Grand Cayman — Getting in contact with sea life at Starfish Level

DAY FIVE

Watched the dawn from the resort dock then learn on the seashore for 2 hours (heaven!)
Had the breakfast buffet, snorkeled, and ate lunch on the seashore bar
Drove to Spott’s Seaside. Alongside the way in which, we made pit stops on the Wreck of the ten Sails Memorial and the Blow Holes (the Blow Holes had been a favourite!).
Snorkeled at Spott’s Seaside. I had learn this was one of many common spots for snorkeling, however the water was too deep and uneven for me. My husband and teenage stayed in and ended up seeing three sea turtles.
Ate dinner on the resort.

Blow Holes on the East End of Grand Cayman — The Blow Holes on the East Finish had been well worth the pitstop!

DAY SIX

Ate breakfast on the buffet, checked out, and left for residence.

What we preferred concerning the resort

Staying at an all-inclusive resort has its execs and cons. When you’re in search of a calming place the place you’ll be able to merely present up and have all the pieces taken care of, it’s excellent. When you choose to strive totally different eating places and have a extra personal expertise general, you’re higher off at a resort or Airbnb.

That is what we preferred concerning the Wyndham Reef Resort:

Our rental felt spacious, and each has an ocean view. When you go, ask for a rental away from the seashore bar, which tends to get noisy particularly within the night.
You possibly can snorkel proper from the shore (you received’t see as a lot selection as you’d at a number of the common snorkel spots or on a snorkel tour, however it was positive for us).
There was ample shade. This was vital for me. There have been loads of umbrellas, in addition to palm timber that supplied shade.
The meals was good. I beloved the recent fruit and in a single day oats at breakfast (the primary time I’ve truly loved in a single day oats!). My husband and teenage thought the wings on the seashore bar had been a number of the finest they’d had. We ordered the mahi mahi a number of nights for dinner. And my son and I ate key lime pie each evening for dessert.
The seashore was steps away from our room. It was simple to shuttle from the seashore to the rental all through the day. We had learn that the seagrass might get heavy on the Grand Cayman East Finish seashore, however it wasn’t dangerous and didn’t trouble us in any respect.
It felt small and informal. The buildings had been solely two tales excessive. And whereas it was beautiful, it didn’t really feel fussy or fancy. Some folks had been dressed up at dinner, however we felt simply positive in our shorts and Birkenstocks.

View from the beach bar at the Wyndham Reef Resort in Grand Cayman — The view from a seat on the seashore bar.

What we didn’t like:

As a result of it’s a small resort, the seashore space is correct in entrance of the swimming pools, which might get loud with youngsters enjoying.
The seashore bar might get noisy with nighttime actions like karaoke and theme dinners, which we didn’t do. But it surely was quiet in our rental, which was a distance away.

The beach at the Wyndham Reef Resort in Grand Cayman — The seashore on the Wyndham Reef Resort

What I’d do subsequent time

We wished to spend extra time stress-free than driving round, so we didn’t hit all the pieces we wished to see. Listed below are a number of the spots I’d prefer to go if I return sometime:

Cayman Parrot Sanctuary: Positioned on the East Finish, and a four-minute drive from the resort.
Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Backyard: That is situated on the East Finish, about quarter-hour away from the resort.
Stingray Metropolis: A sandbar the place you’ll be able to rise up shut and private with stingrays. That is farther off shore and requires a ship experience.
Cayman Turtle Centre: That is situated on the west aspect, which was longer drive from the resort.
Hell: It’s a cool geological website on the island of black limestone and is free to go to. I actually wished to go to the submit workplace there and ship a postcard from Hell!
Snorkel tour: The Wyndham has a dive store referred to as Ocean Frontiers and charters excursions to shipwrecks and reefs for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Woman walking in the Grand Cayman's East End — The East Finish was much less crowded and fewer developed, which we preferred.

Useful issues to carry

Cowl-ups, together with swim shirts (each lengthy and brief sleeve). The solar is intense!
Water footwear. The ground of the ocean off the shore might be rocky, and water footwear are a lifesaver. I truly wore them in lieu of flippers whereas snorkeling (my husband and teenage most well-liked flippers). These are those I acquired for everybody.
Hats and sun shades
Closed toed footwear to discover the caves
Sweatshirt or mild jacket for evenings. The evenings acquired cool with the breeze, and I want I’d packed multiple long-sleeved high.
Reusable bag. I packed the one proven within the picture above to make use of for procuring and as a seashore bag.
Waterproof telephone case. Not a necessity, however we used this for taking photos underwater and to guard the telephone in the course of the boat experience to the bay.
Some money for tipping, particularly tour guides.

The view of the sunset at Star Fish Point in Grand Cayman — Going to see the sundown at Starfish Level

Q&A about spring break in Grand Cayman

What’s the foreign money?

They settle for US {Dollars} and Cayman Island {Dollars}, so we didn’t convert any of our cash. Remember the fact that should you pay money in US {Dollars}, chances are you’ll get Cayman Island {Dollars} again in change. Once we paid for issues, we principally used our bank card.

What airport do you fly into?

You’ll arrive in Grand Cayman on the Owen Roberts Worldwide Airport. If you wish to go to the opposite two islands, you’ll have to take one other brief flight.

What’s the finest time to go to Grand Cayman?

The Caymans keep fairly heat year-round. The preferred time to go to is March-June. The summer season months and fall are typically probably the most inexpensive, in line with the vacationer bureau.

Overlooking the Wreck of the Ten Sails Memorial in Grand Cayman's East End — The water’s many blue hues had been stunning!

Is Grand Cayman protected?

We felt very protected in Grand Cayman. Not like in Costa Rica, we weren’t given any warnings about leaving our rental automotive or belongings unattended. We didn’t have damaging experiences anyplace. As of this writing (Spring 2024), the US Division of State doesn’t have any advisories or cautions in opposition to touring to the Caymans.

What time zone is Grand Cayman in?

The Caymans are on Jap Commonplace Time however don’t observe daylight financial savings time. So once we had been there in April, it was an hour sooner than our residence state of Ohio, which is on EST as effectively.

Do we want passports?

Sure. The Caymans are a British Abroad Territory. So except you’re a British citizen, you will want a passport to journey there.

What was the driving like?

In Grand Cayman, they drive on the left aspect of the highway. Our rental automotive’s steering wheel was on the alternative aspect as effectively. My husband did all of the driving (I plan the journey, and he drives!). He’s a assured driver and did positive. However personally, simply the thought of doing roundabouts on the opposite aspect of the highway makes my head spin! The roads had been emptier and simpler to navigate on the East Finish.

What language do they communicate within the Caymans?

Based on the Cayman Islands Vacationer Bureau they communicate a “British type of English”, however every district has a novel dialect. We had no bother speaking with anybody.

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