A Grand (Cayman) Adventure: Itinerary for the Perfect One Week Vacation
If you missed my post on where we stayed during our Grand Cayman vacation, then definitely go back and read that. The two gorgeous places we stayed were a big part of what made this trip so special. But of course, we spent the week getting out and exploring. As my travel style has evolved and also incorporated a tiny human, I’ve gotten to a place where I generally plan one major activity per day, allowing plenty of time to relax or have spontaneous adventures. Oh, and to take naps.
Below is our itinerary for a one week trip. It was almost perfect. Of course I’ll share what I would change, along with some additional recommendations that we simply didn’t have time for.
Day 1
The first day is (almost) always for settling in and remembering how to relax. This is why, on a trip where we split our time between two accommodations, I was glad we started at the luxury resort. We could enjoy all of the amenities, including access to the beach, and really begin our vacation in the best way possible. Of course, if you’re only splurging for a couple nights at the fancy resort and balancing that with a more budget stay (which is a great tactic), I generally recommend saving the best for last. This time, though, both places were uniquely wonderful and the Seafire was the ideal place to ease into our trip. We immediately jumped into the ocean, ate a late lunch/early dinner at Coccoloba with our toes in the sand, and swam in all the pools.
Other ideas: I also considered taking a detour to the cash only Grape Tree Cafe for some authentic Caymanian food for our first meal in the island, but relaxation won. This would have also been the perfect time to check out the gorgeous spa for a post-flight massage.
Day 2
I like to quickly add some adventure to any trip and one of the must-dos for any first time visitor to Grand Cayman is to swim with stingrays. The Stingray and Rum Point Sail with Red Sail Sports with convenient pick up at our resort was perfect. We had such a fun day and would do this again in a heartbeat, hopefully on a day with slightly calmer water.
We enjoyed Rum Point, as well, for a relaxing and delicious beach lunch. And of course we had to try the iconic mudslide, which was invented on the island.
To have the least crowds for your stingray tour, take a peek at the cruise ship schedule and try to make reservations on a day when there aren’t any cruise ships in port. After a very fun morning, we were all ready for afternoon naps before our dinner reservations at Calypso Grill. This was one of our favorite meals. If you go, definitely get the seafood rundown and the sticky toffee pudding. We ended the day with a nighttime swim where we had the pool entirely to ourselves.
Other ideas: While this was a perfect tour with a young child, for a group with only adults or older children, I would probably elect a tour that included snorkeling and make our way to Rum Point a different time, maybe for sunset.
Day 3
Happy Birthday to me! We had a slow start, enjoying a light breakfast and sparkling wine on the balcony as I woke up to the final year of my thirties.
We set out to see a bit of the west side of the island, stopping at the Cayman Turtle Centre before having lunch at Macabuca, where you can snorkel right from the restaurant while you’re waiting for your food. After lunch, we decided to forego more adventure for naps and pool time. And of course we had to make our daily trip to the splash pad.
That evening, we got all dressed up for an incredible birthday dinner at Ave. We stopped by the Kimpton happy hour and planned our strategy for getting through a multi course dinner with a 3-year-old. It ended up being one of my favorite evenings of the entire trip. By this point, Harrison had decided that he was enjoying “fancy drinks” and getting to order some form of cheese and noodles at every meal. We each brought our own dinosaur to dinner and just truly enjoyed a leisurely meal of delicious food. The staff was incredibly accommodating to our little family and went out of their way to help us celebrate. This meal will long be a treasured memory for me.
Other ideas: I know a lot of people love the Turtle Centre, but it just wasn’t for us. It felt icky and the lagoon where you can snorkel was kind of gross. This was truly the only “miss” for me of our entire trip. If I were to do it again, I’d spend time exploring other parts of West Bay such as Barkers National Park or snorkeling at Cemetery Beach. If shopping is more your thing, a birthday seems like the perfect excuse for a shopping trip to Camana Bay.
Day 4
After a few days of adventure, we were ready to really relax. Prior to our trip, I had reserved a beach cabana for a day. This came with a cooler of drinks and some yummy snacks throughout the day. One of the things I loved about Grand Cayman was how good the snorkeling was from the beach, Seven Mile Beach included. At one point, Brandon grabbed one of the available floats and borrowed some rope from the Red Sail Sports dive shop. He tied the rope to himself and the float and went snorkeling. I could fully relax on the float knowing I wouldn’t float away and he got to snorkel to his heart’s content. Harrison would periodically put on his snorkel mask and peer over the side of the float. Highly recommend. Although I love to explore when I’m on vacation, this was a much needed day of rest and spending time with my family. We ended our day with a feast of a meal at Peppers, where we enjoyed authentic Jamaican jerk cuisine.
Other ideas: Truly, no notes. This day was practically perfect in every way.
Day 5
It was sadly time to checkout of the Seafire and move on to the next location. Because we had an early reservation at Crystal Caves, which was on the other side of the island, we checked out before drinking coffee. This situation needed to be remedied, so we stopped at Cafe del Sol for a delicious breakfast and coffee on the way. The early morning cave tour was ideal because it got HOT. We were all surprised that the caves were really no cooler than being outside, so don’t go into it expecting any relief from the heat. We all enjoyed this, though, and I think it’s definitely worth a stop.
While we were on the eastern part of the island, we enjoyed a delightful lunch at Tukka East. Harrison especially enjoyed the binoculars for viewing the distant shipwrecks, once he woke up, that is. We ended our adventures with a tour of Pedro St. James. I loved learning a little history and we all enjoyed the beautiful location.
After an eventful day, we were all ready to check in to Botanica. We settled into our cottage, went for a swim, and then picked up Seven Mile Burger for dinner. This was the perfect meal to enjoy in our cottage garden - the truffle fries are a must.
Other ideas: Across from Tukka East is the Cayman Parrot Sanctuary, which would have been an easy stop to add if we were not traveling with someone who needed a car nap to continue exploring. One of my few regrets from this trip was not getting to eat at Thatch & Barrel, the cliffside restaurant at Pedro St. James. If we ever return, this is at the top of my must dine list.
Day 6
Although snorkeling in the lagoon at the Turtle Centre was not for us, snorkeling with turtles in the wild at Spotts Beach was magic. This was one of my favorite memories from this trip. A word of caution, though - it is important to be aware of conditions here. There can be a strong riptide that has resulted in fatalities, so definitely consider your own swimming abilities and seek out information on the current conditions before you go. We did not let Harrison get in the water here other than dipping his toes in the ocean. Instead he contentedly played in the sand while we took turns snorkeling. At one point I was gently floating above a turtle who was slowly eating grass. It was a moment that somehow managed to be both peaceful and exhilarating.
We didn’t really have a plan for a next stop, but made our way to Smiths Bacadere, another highly rated beach. We ended up loving this so much, that we came back the next day. It had everything - lots of gorgeous sand, plenty of shade, just the right amount of waves, and excellent snorkeling. Don’t miss this beach!
That evening we had an early dinner at Morgan’s Seafood Restaurant because we had exciting evening plans. For us, this meal was good, but probably not a spot we would return to on another trip.
But the rest of our evening? It was utter bliss. We booked a Sunset and Bioluminescence Tour with The Sweet Spot. We started with a sunset boat ride to Starfish Point, where we got to hold starfish (gently and under the water). Our next stop was to learn about moon jellyfish, which are in the water of the Bio Bay. The real highlight was getting to swim in the bioluminescent water. If you read about our Puerto Rico trip, you know I will be chasing the high of that night for the rest of my life. Although this bio bay was not quite that amazing, there is something surreal about swimming in glittering water. I will do that every chance I get.
Other ideas: I had considered a stop for lunch at Rankin’s Jerk Centre, but the timing didn’t work out.
Day 7
I had intentionally left our final day open. We decided that we wanted to make the trip to the Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park. This was the sleeper hit of our trip. We all had an unexpectedly wonderful time learning about the flora, fauna, and even history of the island. The park itself was stunning and we got to see the elusive blue iguanas. As a bonus, there was a very fun playground, the promise of which kept a certain someone motivated to explore the rest of the gardens.
We stopped for lunch at the Czech Inn Grill, where Harrison somehow sweet talked the waitress into buying him a strawberry milkshake. It really was the sweetest thing. But also, he’s spoiled.
We returned to Smiths for more snorkeling and one last dip in the ocean before getting all dressed up for a final dinner at Ristorante Pappagallo. A sunset meal in a gorgeous location eased the sting of having to fly home the following day just a little bit. The Italian food was delicious, although Brandon’s risotto making skills are as yet unmatched.
Other ideas: I had also considered hiking a portion of Mastic Trail, but the threat of mosquitos convinced me otherwise.
Day 7
Our flight home (well, not home, but back to Dallas - that’s a story for another time) wasn’t until the afternoon, so we had time for one last swim in the pool before checking out of Botanica. Lunch at the darling Ms. Piper’s Kitchen was a perfect final meal on the island. We ate a delicious meal while listening to live music drifting in from the garden. Although none of us were quite ready to leave, we had an amazing week in Grand Cayman.
Other ideas: There is always more to see and do than can ever fit in a single week, although I daresay this is an almost perfect itinerary for a first time trip to Grand Cayman with a young child. The biggest thing I would add to either a longer trip or a return trip is hopping over to one of the other islands for a couple or few days. Also, Grand Cayman is the gourmet capital of the Caribbean, so of course we just scratched the surface of all of the amazing places to eat. Some of the restaurants on my “next time” list are Tillie’s, Blue, Casa 43, Aqua, Raggazi, Lobster Pot (the lobster burger, which is a Friday special, looks amazing!), Heritage Kitchen, Caboose, and Thatch and Barrel. Clearly, we could easily stay another week and not go hungry.
Up next, I’ll wrap things up with a budget post and some tips for traveling to Grand Cayman Island.