We spent time in Grand Cayman in July 2017 and absolutely LOVED it! It is probably our new favorite Caribbean island! Grand Cayman is the largest of the 3 islands that make up the Cayman Islands. By “largest” I mean really only 22 miles long, but still larger than the other two – Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. The Cayman Islands are British islands whose main source of income is banking, so everyone speaks English and accepts US dollars, which makes it a super easy vacation destination! One thing I would definitely recommend is to rent a car. Car rentals are pretty cheap (we paid $24/day, plus a one-time fee of $15 for a Cayman driving permit) and it gave us so much freedom, especially since the attractions of the island are pretty spread out! Keep reading to find out more about our favorite spots on the island!
1.) 7 Mile Beach
This one is obvious, and you’ve probably already heard about this one if you’re even 
remotely interested in Grand Cayman…and for good reason! Easily our favorite Caribbean beach, 7 Mile is absolutely breathtaking! The sand is white and the water is clear and beautiful…..clear enough to see 50 feet in all directions and a wonderful ombre color of blue and turquoise! We visited in early July 2017 and the water was warm enough to not be chilly, but cool enough to be refreshing – a perfect blend! It’s also great for snorkeling….we saw a variety of fish at 7 Mile Beach, and even a few wild sea 
turtles! There are plenty of restaurants and bars on the beach (our favorites were Luca and Royal Palms) within walking distance. We stayed in Caribbean Club (read more here) right at 7 Mile Beach, which is located further away from other resorts which allowed us to have a pretty quiet stretch of beach that was amazing! By far our favorite beach and an absolute must-see! Not to mention the sunsets…..be sure to check out 7 Mile sunsets too! Options like jet skiing, scuba diving, paddleboarding, and other attractions are also available for those interested! We would highly recommend 7 Mile! For more reviews check it out here.
- Luca: Luca is the on-site restaurant at Caribbean Club, but is open to the public as well and is an island favorite. We went once for a quick snack after we first arrived and had a spectacular lobster bisque-type soup that had a wonderful lobster flavor. We went to Luca again a few days later for dinner and had some of the best Red Snapper and Mahi Mahi of our life! The fish is caught local, cooked to perfection, and paired wonderfully with sides of asparagus, lemon risotto, and fingerling potatoes. The atmosphere is perfect and if you sit outside you get a wonderful view of the perfectly manicured courtyard and beautiful infinity pool that leads right to 7 Mile Beach. If you plan your dinner right, you can even catch the sunset at the beach which makes for a perfect night! Lunch is pretty casual and we came in right off the beach, but dinner is a classier affair for which everyone dressed up a bit. We didn’t get alcohol and our total bill was still around $70 I believe….but so worth it! We would highly recommend this restaurant for it’s outstanding food, service, and views, and would absolutely return! Check it out here
Lobster Bisque
Mahi Mahi
Red Snapper - Royal Palms: We took a 10 minute stroll down the beach to have dinner at Royal Palms and we were not disappointed! The location is absolutely perfect, you literally walk in right off the beach onto a deck that is built over the sand, so we got to have dinner on the beach as the sun went down! My husband had a wonderful seafood linguine and I had some fabulous fish tacos. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the linguine was loaded up with healthy portions of fresh seafood, and every bite had seafood in it. The tacos also had healthy portions of fish, which was complimented with a wonderful mango salsa. The service was great and we even received a complimentary dessert of some type of delicious raspberry chocolate truffle! We enjoyed our experience here so much so that we came back the next day for a take-out lunch of mahi burgers which were absolutely delicious! We loved the casual laid-back vibe of this restaurant/bar that offered delicious food and spectacular views! Read more here.
Seafood Linguine
Fish Tacos
Beach View
Mahi Burger
2.) Rum Point
Known for their famous mudslides, this super cute little spot is a popular tourist stop. 
Complete with a pier, lounge chairs, shops, and dining, you could spend all day here! We went on a Sunday morning (during the rainy season) and had the whole place practically to ourselves, which is how we were able to get photos without other people in it, although I’ve heard that it can get pretty crowded. However, the downfall of a Sunday morning trip was that we couldn’t get mudslides unless we were willing to wait until the bar opened at noon, and we weren’t since we had other things to do that day. But we would definitely recommend a stop-in! We walked along the 
boardwalk area, along the beach, and up and down the pier before finding some chairs to lounge in and eventually snorkel a bit. Since we didn’t end up getting mudslides, this ended up being a free activity for us, so for those on a budget this is a great option! This was about a 45 minute drive from our hotel in 7 Mile Beach, so we were glad to have a car. Rum Point is also situated right next to Starfish Point…so if you make the trip over here I highly recommend making a stop at both locations! Check it out here.
3.) Starfish Point
We almost didn’t do this trip because we didn’t have a ton of time and we aren’t really big starfish people….but we were so glad we did! We didn’t stay that long, but it was definitely worth going! It’s a free little state park-type “beach” where the woods back all the way up to the water.
Dotting the water are all kinds of starfish that you can pick up and touch. Now, you aren’t supposed to pick them up out of the water, but you can hold them in your hand under the water. There isn’t anyone monitoring, but it’s important that visitors are respectful of wild life in their natural habitat. We waded around and collected different sizes and types of starfish and had a great time! Fair warning, this is not a beach that you’d lay out at, and there are no chairs or anything around, you literally only go to wade around and play with starfish, but what more do you need?! Again, this was a Sunday morning trip for us, so there was no one else around when we visited, but I would imagine that it can get busy during peak hours of high season. This spot is a short 3 minute drive from Rum Point, so if you’re headed that way make sure you stop and check out both spots! Read more here.
4.) Smith Cove (Barcadere)
Having done research ahead of time, we knew we definitely wanted to be sure to fit in a 
trip to Smith Cove. One of our favorite things to do is explore un-commercialized coves and areas of natural beauty, so we knew this would be a highlight. From what I’ve read, this spot can be 
crowded when cruise ships are in town, but there were only 3 people there when we got there….then again, we went around 8:00am in order to avoid any crowds 😉 We were a bit disappointed to find that the rocks were not as high as we had thought they would be, we had read about cliff jumping, but these were definitely not cliffs. Still super fun though, we were still glad we went! This is definitely not a commercialized spot as there is nothing around it, and no bars or restaurants to rent beach chairs from. There is a little beach area, but you’ll have to bring your own chair or just use a towel. The cove is perfect for snorkeling 
though, and we had a great time jumping of the rocks and exploring all the nooks and crannies under water and meeting all kinds of fish! This would also be a great area to kayak or paddle board to. This is definitely a great place on the island to visit, especially if you’re on a budget since it’s free! Just be sure you have some kind of shoes on… those rocks are super sharp 🙂 Also, it’s kind of hard to find, so downloading Grand Cayman on Google Maps ahead of time and searching for “Smith Barcadere” helps! Find it here.
5.) Camana Bay
We almost missed this spot but we made it there on our last night on Grand Cayman and we were so glad we did! We went on a Sunday night for some amazing gelato at Gelato & Co. Cremeria Italiana (check it out here). My husband had hazelnut and chocolate gelato, and I had a Nutella and Ferrero Rocher gelato…needless to say, I won (obviously) 😀 We got our gelato and walked around the cute little bay, which had an amazing fountain, docks, and a bridge that went to a tiny little island that had rocking chairs where we rocked and ate. It was a perfect low-key ending to our night! There is lots of shopping and dining in Camana Bay as it really is more of an outdoor mall, however everything was closed when we went on Sunday night except for the bars and restaurants. But if you’re a shopper then you’d probably love this location for the shopping as well! To see more about Camana Bay you can read additional info here.
Other areas that we didn’t get to explore but would have liked to try are listed below…if you try them out you’ll have to shoot us a message and let us know how they are! We’d love to hear from you!
- Mastic Trail
- Cemetery Beach
- Bioluminescent Bay (Bio Bay)
- Georgetown (duty free shopping)
selling any product, and the user experience at Caribbean Club is top notch! Caribbean Club did not miss a beat, starting from the week before our stay, when we got an email from the hotel asking if we had anything in particular we would like our room stocked with, to the welcome package that greeted us when we arrived. Full disclosure, there is a stocking fee, so we didn’t take advantage of that perk, but definitely a great option to have! You can easily walk to the grocery/ABC store too if you’d like. Every detail of your stay is thought out by the hotel ahead of time so that all you have to do is focus on relaxing…not that that will require much concentration 🙂
bags for us and provided towels so that we could change and hit the beach right away. The walk from the lobby to the beach is absolutely breathtaking. The patio lends itself to the hotel restaurant, Luca, which is both super convenient and also absolutely delicious. Read more about Luca 
and is unlike any other we’ve been to. The water was absolutely perfect….cool enough to be refreshing, yet warm enough to not be chilly, and clear enough to see 50 feet in all directions. So perfect, in fact, that you could almost think that you were in a pool with how clear it was! It is perfect for snorkeling and offers a wide variety of fish to discover…in fact, on the last morning of our stay we found ourselves swimming with wild sea turtles, which was super cool! Arguably, the other best feature of this particular area of 7 Mile Beach is how private it is! Caribbean Club, in my opinion, is situated on the best stretch of 7 Mile Beach in that it is close enough to little beach bars that is easy to stroll down and find something to eat or drink, but it is private enough that you pretty much get your own stretch of beach! Caribbean Club only has 37 rooms, so their beach isn’t crowded like many other hotel beaches are. They offer lounge chairs, mats, and umbrellas for every guest, and you don’t even have to get up early to make sure that you get a seat. Literally the most perfect beach, and we even visited during the rainy season! The other major perk of this location is that it also offers prime sunset views 🙂
Caribbean, just 18 miles from Venezuela. Also known as “The Happy Island”, it is a Dutch island owned by the Netherlands, which makes it part of the “Dutch Caribbean”. It’s capital is the colorful city of Oranjestad, which boasts Dutch-inspired architecture and colors, and the weather maintains a pretty consistently amazing 82 degrees year round. About 75% of Aruba’s gross national product comes from tourism, so you will find plenty of resorts, casinos, restaurants, shopping, and taxis. The locals are all extremely friendly and willing to help, and pretty much every establishment will accept US dollars and speak English. My husband and I visited Aruba for 3 days and 2 nights in February 2017 and had a blast! Fair warning though, I wouldn’t classify Aruba as one of our cheaper destinations. Being that they rely on tourism, they are used to tourists spending money, so prices aren’t overly friendly. I think of all of our travels over the past year and a half, we spent the most per meal on food in Aruba than anywhere else. Still wasn’t bad, just not as budget friendly as other places we’ve visited and we weren’t necessarily aware of that when we booked it. There are, of course, ways to MAKE it more budget friendly, but just a head’s up, it may require a little more research and creativity! Below is a list of some our favorite parts of Aruba!
not. This is one of the most popular beaches on the island, characterized by its white sand and beautiful turquoise water. However, the unique feature of this beach are the trees that appear sporadically throughout the beach. These famous divi-divi trees are common throughout the Caribbean, but the uniqueness of the Arubian divi-divi tree is the fact that all the branches of these trees in Aruba point southwest due to the constant trade winds that blow across the island. The trees are a popular photo subject and are also a common place to post up for the day for whoever gets there first, so you may have to try a few times before you’re able to get a photo without anyone else in it! However, other than the trees, this is a gorgeous 
beach that surely won’t disappoint. Most hotels/resorts have a block of lounge chairs and umbrella huts that you can use, however, they fill up quick, so you’ll need to get down there early to claim your spot (early like 6am!). There are also several beach bars spaced throughout the beach where you can get drinks….be sure to ask about Happy Hour to get that BOGO pina colada! Just a head’s up, if you’re looking for seclusion and privacy, this is probably NOT your beach. It isn’t the most crowded beach we’ve ever been to, and you can still find plenty of room to walk and swim, but it is a popular beach. If you are looking for more seclusion I’d recommend walking down the beach away from the resorts, however, there won’t be chairs for you there, so you’ll have to prioritize what’s more important to you. We stayed right next to Eagle Beach, read more 
More of a local place, so it’s not overly “touristy”. My husband and I shared the seafood paella plate which was wonderful!! Would definitely recommend! The owner actually goes fishing every morning so the seafood is super fresh! If you’re looking to eat with a view this is not the place, as it is right off the road and the view is a road/parking lot, but they have dressed it up as nice as you probably could! It is covered seating but you’re technically outside, but it is flourishing with greenery everywhere which makes it a really cool spot! Would absolutely go back! For more info visit 
beach is definitely more crowded than Eagle Beach, partly due to the fact that there is a pier jutting out from it and a boardwalk directly behind it. We only stayed long enough to eat our pitaya bowl lunch since crowds aren’t really our thing, but it was still worth going if not only for the pitaya bowl and for seeing more of Aruba. The boardwalk behind the beach is great for little bars and dives, and the town behind the boardwalk is great for shopping if you’re wanting to shop! There’s also a Starbucks in the town area if you’re one of those people who just HAVE to get a Starbucks country mug for every country you go to 🙂
vegan-ish establishment. I’m not vegan or vegetarian or anything, so I don’t know which one this place is, but it’s one of those super healthy places. I got a pitaya (dragon fruit) bowl and my husband got an acaia bowl. Pitaya bowls have been my new favorite thing since Feb. 2017. I came back to the states and found out the closest place to me that makes these asap! It’s basically a smoothie blend (mine was dragon fruit, his was acaia), topped with granola, honey, all kinds of fresh fruit, and raw coconut. SO AMAZING! And such a refreshing treat/lunch right at the beach! Fairly cheap too compared to other island food…”fully loaded” bowls (the ones with granola, honey, and coconut) were $10 each, but cheaper options are available if you’re looking for something smaller. The bowls are big enough to share though depending on how hungry you are! Do yourself a HUGE favor and check it 
you go to and from the airport, but if you can fit it in, you should absolutely make plans to walk around and visit this incredibly fun little city! With it’s Dutch architecture (maybe it’s just me, but I’m a sucker for cool and unique architecture, so this may not actually be a selling point for everyone else) and vibrant colors it’s definitely something you’re not going to want to miss! We aren’t city people by any means, but we were so glad we spent an afternoon here. It was honestly like what I would imagine visiting a little beach town in the Netherlands would be like. Not that I would know, but one day I’ll find out for sure 🙂 If you’re a shopper then this is probably your best one-stop shop, with lots of convenience stores, boutiques, touristy stores, and designer stores as well. We just took a few hours and walked around the city, eating dutch pancakes, admiring the awesome buildings and visiting the blue horses.
NOT try one, especially if it has nutella and strawberries on it! There are several well-known pancake houses that the web will point you towards, but this was just the one we happened to walk by and stumble upon first, so that’s how we chose this one. I’m sure they are all pretty much the same though! Not fluffy and thick like our pancakes in the US, but more like a cross between US pancakes and crepes, and absolutely DELICIOUS! Honestly, this was more of a dessert than a brunch, but they have so many options that can be more breakfast OR lunch based, including savory and cheesy options! We just split the one because we really just wanted a taste and didn’t want to spend money, but it was HUGE! So I’d recommend splitting one for sure. But a DEFINITE must-try! The mimosas and Arubian ice coffee sure weren’t too bad either 🙂 Read more 
swim-up bar), along with a pizza joint, 2 bars, and yard games. Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts are located in the hotel lobby, along with a small convenience store. The 2 bars have different happy hour times where you can get 2 for 1 drink specials, so definitely work around those hours if you’re on a budget! The casino itself is located in an entirely different building, so you are able to avoid that crowd and noise if that’s not what you came for. Side Note – the resort is home to a LOT of iguanas…they won’t bother you, but you can see them wandering around the pool area and the walkway to the beach often.
location, but it is only a short 2 minute walk to the beach where you get ALL the views 🙂 They also have beach chairs/umbrella huts on the beach (Eagle Beach) that you can use free of charge for the day, however they do fill up pretty fast….if you want to take advantage of that benefit, you really need to go to the beach early in the morning to claim your spot (early as in like 6am). We (“we” as in my husband) got to the beach early to lay out our towels and claim a spot for us until we were ready to actually come out and start our day. Also, the hotel does provide beach towels, which you can exchange for fresh ones as often as you’d like. Eagle Beach also has several beach bars, which again, offer happy hour specials to take advantage of 🙂
Everything was very clean, and if you’re up early enough you can see employees cleaning all over campus for several hours. The staff was super helpful and accommodating as well. Our check in time wasn’t until 4pm, but they stored our luggage for us so we could change and hit the beach right away. The concierge service was amazing and helped us often in recommending dining and calling cabs for us since we don’t have an international phone plan and couldn’t use our phones for much. Check out was at 11am…heads up, if they are able to give you a late check out it will cost an additional $70 or so, BUT there is a hospitality room that you can request to book where you can shower before a flight if you plan on spending the day and flying out later, which was SUPER helpful (and free)! The hospitality room wasn’t as nice as the room we actually stayed in, but we only used it for 30 minutes to shower and change, so who cares! They’ll even house your luggage for you after your room check out if you plan to hit the beach again.
Pilot Life for Me 