Things to Do in Cayman Islands

Pedro St. James Historic Site is a living heritage museum, re-creating life on Grand Cayman in the 18th century. An impressive three-story building of stone and wood, Pedro St. James was built by an English plantation farmer in the late 18th century. Known locally as ‘the castle,' today the restored house is furnished with period details and surrounded by landscaped grounds.

A visit to the great house includes a multi-sensory 3D presentation outlining the history of Pedro St. James and the Cayman Islands.

One look at Grand Cayman Island and you can see why it’s among the most popular cruise ports in the Caribbean. Its pristine white sand beaches, picturesque ocean side villages, and plethora of sports and activities, Grand Cayman may well be the archetype of what all of those Caribbean cruise stereotypes are based off.

How to Get to Georgetown

Grand Cayman harbor has a tender wharf, and ships must remain at sea for the duration of their stop. Passengers must board smaller ships to shuttle them to the island and back. However, once on land you will find yourself immediately in the heart of Georgetown’s shopping area.

One Day on Grand Cayman

Despite being small, Grand Cayman is a bustling cruise hub that hosts almost two million visitors a year. Grand Cayman is especially known for its lush underwater ecosystems. Try the semi-submarine and fish feeding show or the Atlantis Submarine Excursion to take it all in from the safety of an Atlantis underwater vehicle. Or, get up close and personal with some rays in a one-tank dive during the Stingray City Dive.

Visitors looking to keep their heads above water can wander through the beautiful Queen Elizabeth II botanical garden, or get their retail therapy on at the mall in Governor’s Square featuring designer and luxury goods.

Port Information

Many major cruise lines dock at Bridgeport, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity, and Norwegian. The Caymen Islands are a British territory, so the locals should all speak English fluently. The official currency is the Cayman Island Dollar, but American dollars are accepted almost everywhere. There are over 500 ATM’s around the island, so access to cash should never be far.

Take a drive to the northeastern tip of the bay on Grand Cayman to find an idyllic spot where a spit of sand stretches into the blue Caribbean, with shallow water all around that is a popular gathering place for pillow cushion sea stars. These plump starfish look like stuffed animals, though they are very much alive and grazing along the seafloor. 

Grand Cayman’s resort central is Seven Mile Beach, dubbed one of the Caribbean’s most beautiful beaches.

The Caymans’ most developed stretch of sand is lined with luxury resorts and up-market condominiums, white coral sand and palm trees. There are artificial reefs offshore for snorkeling.

It’s a public beach, so don’t feel shy about strolling past those resorts. Some of the resort restaurants are open to the public, and there are beach bars for a seafront drink or two.

The Cayman Islands' first-ever national park was created around the northern end of West Bay, in an area called Barker’s National Park. Here you can find a long stretch of undeveloped beach alongside mangrove forests, where you can go for a hike or join a horseback-riding excursion. You can also see the park as part of a West Bay bike tour. 

Started back in 2007, Cayman Islands Brewery is the island's best spot for sampling delicious craft beers. Choose from a pint of their flagship, Caybrew, or up the flavor with Ironshore Bock, or chocolaty 345 Stout. While it's possible to simply visit the brewery and sample a casual pint, many visitors choose to partake in the short, but interesting brew tour, where you see the process of beer being brewed, fermented, bottled, and sold. All tours include free samples of their regular and seasonal beers, and the brewery is a favorite stop on the island's distillery and brewery tours. Aside from providing the Caymans with beer, Cayman Islands Brewery is also renowned for their sustainable, philanthropic practices, with beer sold in recyclable bottles and proceeds devoted to conservation.

Once you arrive in the paradise of the Cayman Islands, you can take a side trip to Hell, literally. There’s a swath of land in the West Bay area about the size of a football field that is stark, and sharp, limestone formations eroded from ironshore. 

If you're a car enthusiast, don't miss the chance to peruse the collection at the Cayman Motor Museum in West Bay. Built by Norwegian businessman Andreas Ugland, the museum is an incredible collection of about 80 rare and classic cars and motorcycles. 

The Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1994. Since its opening, the park’s central woodland trail has been joined by a lake and wetlands, tropical flower gardens and an iguana habitat.

The Heritage Garden is pretty enough to live in, with a pink traditional cottage, fruit trees and sand garden.

The park’s highlight remains the woodland trail, a 20 minute stroll from wetlands to cactus and mahogany woodlands. Orchids and butterflies can also be spotted in the park.

Explore the incredible underwater world of Grand Cayman without ever getting wet aboard the Seaworld Observatory. This specially designed boat was built for Atlantis Submarines to offer passengers an up-close look at the reefs and shipwrecks around the island. 

A must-try for all visitors to the Cayman Islands is the local Tortuga rum cake, which was first made in 1987 by the founders of the Tortuga Rum Company from a local family recipe. The cakes became such a hit with locals and visitors alike that they kept increasing production, and today you can visit the factory where they produce more than 5,000 cakes a day. If you’re in the West Bay area, stop in to check out the factory. 

To learn about the history and culture of the Cayman Island, make a stop at the Cayman Islands National Museum. The museum is housed in a historic building—the oldest public building in the islands—made from traditional wattle and daub architecture and that has been used as a jail, courthouse and post office over nearly 200 years.