Cayman Islands / Beaches

Cayman Island beaches are made of heavenly soft powdery white sand, and Seven Mile Beach on Grand is straight out of the brochure – clean sparkling water leading into a calm bay with a sandy bottom ideal for swimming. The majority of hotels and watersports are concentrated here but it is still possible to find a quiet spot most days. Head out to the northern tip of the western arm of Grand Cayman and you are at Barkers – a headland where there is no building development and very few people using the beach – simply because there are no facilities other than what you can take with you. For a glimpse of how a Caribbean island might look without people on it you can’t do better.

Cayman Brac is less well off when it comes to classic Caribbean beaches – the rugged nature of the island means that you will find a lot of ‘ironshore’ made up of ancient coral limestone, or rocky beaches where there isn’t much in the way of areas of open sand. The Brac Reef Beach Resort has a nice section of beachfront and there is a public beach about ten minutes drive from the airport along the southern coast.

Little Cayman boasts ‘Point of Sand’ - regularly voted one of the best beaches in the Caribbean, and never busy. Meanwhile, all of the resorts stretch along the southern edge of the island are situated right on the beachfront. It’s also possible to kayak out to Owen Island just offshore from the Southern Cross Club – a tiny uninhabited island with its own sandy beaches.

Here is a selection of the best Cayman Islands beaches...

Grand Cayman

Seven Mile Beach - Watersports, diving on the wreck of the Kittiwake, para-sailing, jetskis and other pursuits are all possible from Seven Mile Beach (which is actually about five and a half miles long). Many of the large hotels and condominiums are located on this gentle arc of sand and it iss big enough not to feel completely overrun even on busy days. There are also lavatories and beach huts available at the ‘public beach’ which is in fact just the name for one area of Seven Mile Beach.

Don’t be put off by the idea that this is the busiest beach on the islands – it really is a very long stretch of perfect white sand, and most people tend to congregate around the beachfront areas of the larger hotels.

Smith’s Cove, South of George Town - This small beach a minute’s drive from Sunset House is a good snorkelling spot and has lavatories, picnic benches and showers and a small car park on the other side of the road. It’s quite a small area and may be busy at times, but later in the day it’s a lovely spot to enjoy the water in sheltered coves ideal for swimming with children. The rocky promontory is also a good spot for fish-watching.

Spotts, East of George Town - Not far from Savannah this beach is a quieter alternative to Seven Mile Beach, although it is also where cruise ships dock when it’s too windy to use George Town as their base. There are some picnic tables and although the beach is not renowned for its snorkelling there are usually some turtles to be seen – but beware of strong currents if you swim out from the beach.

Rum Point, North Side - Just under an hour’s drive from George Town, Rum Point has a nice beach shaded with Casuarina pines and is the location for the Wreck Bar and Grill  - one of the oldest beach bars in the Caribbean dating from 1960. There are showers, lounge chairs and dining tables in the shade of casuarinas trees along the shore. Right next door to the bar is Red Sail Watersports who organise diving, sailing excursions, Hobie-cat and wave-runner hire as well as a wide range of beach toys suitable for families. What about saying that this is one of the coolest places to hang out and people watch…it’s what people go for!

Coe-Wood Public Beach, Bodden Town - This small section of beach is easily accessible from the car park adjacent to the petrol station as you enter Bodden Town. There’s a small wooden beach shack/snackerie – The Grape Tree Café – on the sand, and the garage has a shop selling food and drink. The beach itself is good for shallow snorkelling, but there’s no shade.

Barkers - Head north from Seven Mile Beach and around the tip pf Boatswain’s Point and keep going until the road peters out onto sand past Conch Point. The beach at Barkers stretches all the way to North Sound. It’s wild and can be windy, making it a favourite with kite-surfers, but if you take provisions you’ll easily find a deserted spot facing a shallow lagoon.

Cayman Brac

Public Beach - Toilets are provided at the public beach a short distance along the south coast. The beach has good sand and is a lovely spot for beach-combing, with lots of driftwood and interesting shells and remnants of fossilised coral all along the shore.

Little Cayman

Point of Sand - Good shallow swimming above white sand in a sheltered bay, on a usually deserted beach. It’s perfect for a picnic – though there are no official facilities aside from a gazebo-style shelter.