Cruise
ships anchor in Grand Cayman’s harbor and transport passengers to the island by
tender boat. You’ll step off the tender right in downtown George Town, a
historic, bustling city that is the offshore banking center of the Caribbean.
The shopping is great along Cardinal Avenue, where you can find handcrafted
jewelry, antiques and duty-free goods. Near the town is Seven Mile Beach, a long
and lovely stretch of sand positioned between the water and a lineup of
restaurants, cafes and water sports rental shops.
Several
Grand Cayman attractions are designed to let you get close to nature. At the
Cayman turtle farm, you can observe five types of endangered green sea turtles.
Or, follow the 200-year-old Mastic Trail for a two-mile trip through a
subtropical forest, complete with a mangrove swamp, towering mahogany trees and
swaying palms; watch for birds such as the Grand Cayman parrot. If you want to
spend your time in the water, there are dozens of diving sites around the
island. Rum Point is a great place to swim, snorkel, or snooze in a hammock.
Many
tours of the island make a stop in Hell, named for a forbidding field of sharp
black rocks. Step inside the red-painted gift shop and post office if you’d
like to send a postcard from Hell.
Some
cruise lines offer excursions to the other two Cayman Islands, Little Cayman
and Cayman Brac. For example, you can swim and snorkel at Point of Sand on
Little Cayman, known for its pink sand.
Cruise
ships that visit Grand Cayman often call on Jamaica and Cozumel, Mexico, as
well. To learn more about how you can visit idyllic Grand Cayman, talk with
your Cruise Holidays personal cruise expert.
