Cayman Islands / Bars/Nightlife

Grand Cayman has everything from music on the beach, local bands, nightclubs and generic American franchise bars. It’s fair to say however, that nightlife is not a dominant feature of life in Cayman, perhaps because the majority of tourists tend to be slightly more mature, and the relatively high cost of living keeps the notorious ‘Spring Breakers’ at bay. A strong Christian ethos in the islands means that Sunday is still regarded as a day when things go very quiet, and bars close at midnight on Saturday as a result.

The Sister Islands are much, much quieter and depend for their reputation on not offering too much nightlife other than in the resort bars. Having said that, the karaoke evenings at the Little Cayman Beach Resort do get lively, and no-one seems to mind embarrassing themselves with a rendition of something quite unsuited to their own vocal talents.

Here is a selection of recommended bars on the Cayman Islands:

Grand Cayman

Coconut Joe’s, Seven Mile Beach - Popular with a young crowd this is beer and burger territory served up while sports is piped onto the big screen TVs. Coconut Joe’s is not however, on the beach.

The Silver Palm Lounge, Ritz-Carlton, Seven Mile Beach - The sophisticated club-room atmosphere attracts the well-heeled martini crowd, and there’s live music on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Tiki Beach, Seven Mile Beach - Open-sided pavilions cooled by the sea breeze stand on the deck area around the large cocktail bar. The bar is a good place to watch the sunset. Bali meets Blue Marlin.

Nectar Lounge, Seven Mile shops, West Bay Road - Nectar prides itself on its selection of martinis, and you can also get sushi and tapas. Mellow, intimate atmosphere.

The OBAR, 2^nd floor, Queen’s Court Plaza, West Bay Road - is a nightclub with resident DJs cranking out a mixture of House, Rock and Hip Hop. OBAR is open from ten p.m. until the early hours from Monday-Friday and until midnight on Saturdays.

JET nightclub, West Bay Road, Seven Mile Beach - rings the changes with a different style of music every night of the week. Wednesdays usually feature more Caribbean style music, but the DJs mix up the offerings to keep it fresh.

Cayman Brac

La Esperanza is a truly local bar overlooking the sea on the quiet northern coastline of the Brac. Don’t expect anything plush, but if you’re adventurous and enjoy seeing the islanders at play then this place has a distinctive atmosphere.

Little Cayman

This island is not know for nightlife, and the atmosphere very much depends on who’s out on the town on any particular evening.

Beach Nuts Bar, Little Cayman Beach Resort - The weekly karaoke night can get raucous, and it’s where the off-duty dive staff from the other hotels congregate on a Saturday night. Beach Nuts is something of a social hub for Little Cayman.

Blue Lagoon Bar, Blue Lagoon Resort - This simple bar isn’t well known to tourists, but it’s equipped with a juke-box and they don’t mind if you get up onto the bar and dance.