Tag Archives: Grand Cayman

Stingray Grand Cayman
Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas-New Providence, Bahamas-Out Islands, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Play, Trip Ideas, Turks & Caicos

Swim with Stingrays in the Caribbean

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Once considered a novelty, swimming with stingrays has become one of the Caribbean’s most popular aquatic animal encounters. What began more than three decades ago in the Cayman Islands has now spread to locations across the region. Some programs are little more than marine petting zoos, but the best allow humans to interact with rays in a natural setting, and get to know these surprisingly gentle sea creatures.

Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman’s world-famous Stingray City happened by accident. In the 1970s, local fishermen would stop to clean their catch over a sandbar in the sheltered waters of North Sound. This soon attracted the attention of the resident stingray population, and within a few years, dive masters were bringing tourists to the site to snorkel with the rays. Fast forward 45 years and Stingray City has become one of the Cayman’s signature experiences. Encounters begin with a half-hour boat ride across the sound, and there are actually two sites that the tour operators visit. In the first area, the water is as shallow as two feet, giving participants of all ages a chance to wade and feed the rays. Snorkelers and divers are often taken to a second nearby site, where water depths range from four to eight feet, and the rays are joined by a colorful assortment of reef fish.

Grand Cayman Stingray

Grand Cayman island is the home of the original Stingray City. At this world famous site, the stingrays come close, and may brush their wings against swimmers and snorkelers. Photo: Douglas Klug/Flickr

Antigua

Though not as famous as the Grand Cayman original, Antigua’s Stingray City has become one of the island’s most popular attractions. Encounters begin in a cove on the northeast coast, near Seaton’s Village and the Verandah Resort. Participants board small boats for a five-minute trip to a sandbank in the center of the cove, where they disembark onto a floating dock. Guides are provided to help adjust snorkel gear and provide a short briefing, then its time to enter the water by way of steps. Depths on the sandbar are three to four feet, making the adventure suitable for most children and those who aren’t strong swimmers. Those who want to try their hand at feeding the rays are given bits of squid, and shown how to safely present them to the passing animals.

Antigua Stingray

Antigua’s Stingray City is located on a sandbar within a bay located on the island’s east coast. Visitors arrive by small boat, and enter the water from a floating dock. Photo: sshawha/Flickr

Nassau, Bahamas

There are several stingray encounters available in the Bahamas. Some are staged on the private islands affiliated with various cruise ship lines; others take place on remote Out Islands reached only by small boat or charter flights. The most accessible encounters take place on the small islands surrounding Nassau. A favorite is Balmoral Island, which is reached by way of a 30-minute ferry ride from the cruise ship docks. As part of an all-day beach excursion, guests can spend time interacting with rays in a shallow area close to the beach. This is a wade-in experience suitable for ages five and up, as water depths range from ankle deep to swimming depths. After meeting the rays, participants can spend the rest of their day swimming, snorkeling, sunning and dining.

Nassau Stingrays

Visitors to Nassau can make day trips to Balmoral Island, where one of the featured activities is the chance to interact with stingrays in a sand bottom lagoon. Photo: Balmoral Island

Green Turtle Cay, Bahamas

Stingray pedicures are just one of the unique marine life encounters that are part of an out island adventure with the man known as Bahama Brendal. The owner of Brendal’s Dive Center of Green Turtle Cay offers day trips by small boat to a beach on uninhabited Manjack Cay. Along the way, there is a stop on a shallow reef to swim with green sea turtles, then shallow sandbar where stingrays are sometimes joined by nurse sharks, which are a species that pose no threat to humans. In addition to the usual stingray interactions, guests on Brendal’s trips are encouraged to place small bits of fish between their toes, and allow the rays to glide in and over bare feet.

Green Turtle Cay Abacos

Green Turtle Cay is a small island in eastern Bahamas. Here, visitors can sign up for an adventure cruise that includes a stop at a secluded beach where stingrays gather. Photo: Larry/Flickr

Gibbs Cay, Turks & Caicos

Visitors to the island of Grand Turk can meet the local stingrays when they sign up for a boat trip to the deserted island known as Gibbs Cay. Participants are provided with snorkel gear to explore the shallow reefs that begin just 50 yards from shore, and hold an assortment of colorful tropical fish. The stingrays appear at a nearby sand-bottom area where waters are knee to waist deep. Rays glide around and over bare feet and legs, making light contact. When the rays circle out into deeper water, snorkelers can follow. Back on shore, the guides demonstration the art of cleaning a conch, then transform it into a delicious ceviche.

Turks and Caicos Stingray

Just off the coast of Grand Turk, the waters of uninhabited Gibbs Cay attract gregarious stingrays, which are not shy about making contact with humans. Photo: Henry Silva/Flickr

Grand Cayman Snorkeling
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Play, Trip Ideas

Grand Cayman’s Top Snorkel Resorts

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On the island of Grand Cayman, the clear Caribbean waters that wash the shores create a siren song few can resist. The island has attracted scuba divers for decades, but there are also plenty of snorkel-worthy reefs. And some of the best sites lie just offshore of premier beach resorts. Here are three of the best.

Tortuga Club

Morritt’s Tortuga Club is about as far as you can get from the resorts of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach and the cruise ship crowds of downtown George Town. The property is located on a white sand beach on the island’s windward eastern coast, where snorkelers can enjoy calm waters, thanks to the extensive barrier reef that parallels the shore. In front of the club, sea grass beds and coral heads begin just a short way from shore, but reaching the liveliest reefs will require about a five minute swim across the lagoon to the lee side of the barrier reef. Less ambitious snorkelers need go no farther than the pier that holds the over-water bar, where colorful tropical fish gather around the pilings. In addition to snorkeling from the beach, guests can sign up for a boat tour with on-site Tortuga Divers, or head to nearby Ocean Frontiers for a snorkel safari that takes in three different sites along the island’s eastern end.

Grand Cayman Morritts Room

Suites at Morritt’s Tortuga Club feature separate living areas and fully equipped kitchens. Spacious floor plans make this east end property a favorite with families and groups. Photo: Tortuga Club

The Tortuga Cub is an expansive, self-contained resort that includes more than 200 one, two and three-bedroom suites, spread across a large section of beachfront. Amenities include three pools, a fitness center, a full-service spa, supervised children’s programs, and an on-site dive shop. David’s Deep Blue restaurant serves an upscale menu, while Mimi’s Dock Bar blends casual fare and signature libations with a 360-degree water view. The Club has been named one of the Caribbean’s top family destinations, as there is a wide range of daily activities such as beach barbecues, volleyball, karaoke and game nights. Adults will enjoy the swim-up bar at the infinity-edge Grand Pool, which has spectacular ocean views. It’s a half-hour drive from the club to the Seven Mile Beach area, but between the resort’s facilities and a group of nearby shops, there’s really no reason to leave this waterfront oasis of relaxation.

Morritts Tortuga Pool Cayman

Grand Cayman’s Tortuga Club is a large resort with three swimming pools. Shown here is the family pool. The nearby Grand Pool sits directly on the beach, with views enhanced by an infinity-edge design. Photo: Tortuga Club

Sunset House

Sunset House sits within mere yards of the Caribbean Sea, but it isn’t technically a beach resort. That’s because there are no sandy beaches on the southwestern coast of Grand Cayman Island. Instead the property perches on a low limestone outcropping that drops right into the ocean. This is actually good news for snorkelers and divers, who can submerge on a series of finger-like coves by simply making a giant stride entry from shore. The waters are calm and clear, and there’s an abundance of marine life, including passing turtles and rays. While divers head out to deeper water and Grand Cayman’s famous wall, snorkelers can spend hours in the shallows exploring the nooks and crannies of the reef. Those who venture a bit farther from shore may catch a glimpse of the site’s famous bronze mermaid statue, which rests in 50 feet of water, but is often visible from the surface.

Sunset House Cayman

An aerial view of Sunset House shows the maze of coral-lined sand channels that extend outward from the shore, and the cove where novice snorkelers can practice their skills. Photo: Sunset House

Sunset House bills itself as a hotel run by divers, for divers. It is a mid-sized, mid-priced and family-owned resort with 50 rooms organized into smaller two-story blocks. A number of rooms provide direct water views, and all are furnished in a comfortable but unpretentious style. In addition to an oceanfront swimming pool and hot tub, there is a sheltered swimming lagoon carved out of the limestone. Downtown George Town is a short walk away, but most guests gravitate to the on-site Sea Harvest Restaurant and the adjacent My Bar. The outdoor terrace at this landmark watering hole is a favorite happy hour gathering spot for island dive masters and locals, and there is no better place on the island to take in a sunset.

Cayman Sunset House Room

Rooms at Grand Cayman’s Sunset House have undergone recent renovations. Some provide direct ocean views, and all include a full range of modern amenities and comforts. Photo: Sunset House

Retreat at Rum Point

Island lore attributes the name Rum Point to the casks of the namesake spirit that washed ashore when a cargo shipwrecked on Grand Cayman’s barrier reef. Today, the site is intoxicating for different reasons. The point’s white sand beach is shaded by a grove of Casuarina pines, and surrounded by the island’s finest shallow coral reef. Snorkelers can make a 30-yard swim from shore across a meadow of sea grasses to coral heads that begin in depths as shallow as five feet. The seascape includes staghorn, elkhorn and brain coral, along with a variety of colorful soft corals, sea fans and sea whips. The reefs are patrolled by schools of rainbow parrotfish, blue tang and queen triggerfish. Because this site is less than a half-mile from Grand Cayman’s famed Stingray City, snorkelers may also catch the occasional glimpse of a passing flock of rays.

At the Retreat at Rum Point, a long pier provides easy access to a shallow lagoon that is home to some of the best snorkeling reefs on the island of Grand Cayman. Photo: Retreat at Rum Point

The place to stay for easy access to the reefs is the Retreat at Rum Point. This small resort is made up of 23 condominiums with one, two and three- bedroom floor plans, each offering a full range of home-like comforts, including full kitchens. The complex includes a pool and 1,200 feet of beachfront, and provides full-time on-site management to assist with services such as dinner reservations, childcare, transportation, catering or scheduling an in-residence massage. There are several excellent restaurants nearby, and the beach scene includes volleyball courts, hammocks, a water sports center operated by Redsail Sports and the iconic Wreck Bar, which is reputed to be the establishment responsible for the island’s signature drink, the Mudslide.

Retreat at Rum Point

The beach at Rum Point is a favorite gathering point for both visitors and island locals, who come for a game of volleyball or a cool libation at the Wreck Bar. Photo: Retreat at Rum Point

Nassau Christmas
Bahamas-New Providence, Barbados, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Dominican Republic, Plan, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trip Ideas

Five Unique Caribbean Christmas Traditions

 

Like much of the world, the Caribbean celebrates the Christmas holiday season with music, lights, food and gift giving. But islanders have also created a number of their own traditions, adding even more cheer to the end of the year. Here are five celebrations that are unique to the Caribbean.

A Different White Christmas

If you wake up on Christmas morning in Grand Cayman Island and see front yards covered in a blanket of white, you aren’t imagining things. Lacking snow, islanders created the tradition of the Sand Yard. Starting in late October, buckets of white beach sand are carried to homes, and deposited in piles in the front yard. On December 24th, piles are raked into even blankets of white, and are not to be stepped on until Christmas morning. The tradition has faded in urban areas, but may still be seen in traditional neighborhoods.

Pre-dawn Parties

For more than 100 years, residents of St. Vincent have started celebrating the Christmas season early. Literally. Starting at around 5 am on the 16th of the month, the Nine Mornings Celebration gets underway with parades, concerts, dances and group bike rides that end in ocean swims. Festivities wrap up around 7 o’clock and everyone heads off to work, ready to repeat the fun every morning through December 24. In many areas, the final morning’s celebration culminates with a steel band “jump up” party.

Christmas With a Bang

In the Dominican Republic the Christmas season kicks off in October, launching three months of parties, special meals and traditions such as Double Sueldo—an extra month’s pay to help fund the holidays. The biggest party of the season, Noche Buena, takes place on Christmas Eve, and in the weeks leading up to this gathering of friends and family, the skies come alive in impromptu barrages of fireworks. Known as fuegos artificiales, this tradition borders on a national obsession, and everyone gets in on the noisy fun.

Next Day Giving

The December 26 observance of Boxing Day began in England when employers and masters would reward their servants and employees with a seasonal gift box. The tradition continues on Caribbean islands with strong British heritages such as Barbados, where this post-Christmas holiday provides a chance to make the neighborhood rounds and drop off gifts to friends and relatives, then enjoy a picnic or beach outing.

Taking It to the Streets

In the early hours of December 26th, thousands of elaborately costumed dancers parade on the streets of downtown Nassau. The night comes alive with the rhythms of goatskin drums, cowbells, whistles and horns. Crowds of onlookers line sidewalks and the balconies of nearby buildings. The procession culminates with a pass by the judge’s stands for a chance with cash prizes and awards. Smaller versions of Junkanoo are staged on other islands, and the entire spectacle repeats on January 1.

 

Cancun Underwater Sculpture
Bahamas, Bahamas-New Providence, Cancun, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Mexico

Four Amazing Caribbean Underwater Sculpture Parks

 

Swimsuits and snorkels are not usually considered appropriate attire for viewing works of art. But that’s exactly what you’ll need to gain a full appreciation of these sculptures, because they all lie beneath clear Caribbean waters. What started with the placement of a single iconic statue has become a trend, with four islands now offering underwater exhibitions, and more expected to follow. Here are the places where you can combine artistic appreciation with aquatic recreation.

Grand Cayman’s Bronze Gods

In the summer of 2000, a mermaid appeared on one of Grand Cayman’s most popular snorkeling and shore diving sites. Swimmers will have no trouble finding this legendary lady, because she hasn’t moved since. The 9-foot-tall, 600-pound bronze statue is a representation of Amphitrite, the legendary queen of the seas and wife of Poseidon. The work was created by Canadian artist Simon Morris, and placed just offshore of the Sunset House Resort, where it can be viewed from the surface, or enjoyed by the many divers who pose for underwater selfies.

Grand Cayman Underwater Sculpture

The bronze statue of Amphitrite sits on a shallow reef off the west coast of Grand Cayman Island. It is one of two submerged sculptures created by Canadian artist Simon Morris. Photo: Cathy Church/Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

Three years after Amphitrite arrived, a second iconic bronze figure appeared on a reef eight miles to the north. The Guardian of the Reef, also created by Morris, is a 13-foot-tall creation that is half seahorse, half mythological warrior. The work was commissioned by the owners of Divetech Resort, and placed on a popular dive site a short swim from their dive shop.

Art Goes Underwater In Grenada

Grenada’s Molinere Bay became the world’s underwater art gallery when British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor – http://www.underwatersculpture.com/ – placed a collection of contemporary sculptures among the coral heads in 2006. The exhibition was instrumental in the creation of a marine protected area along the island’s southwestern coast. Each sculpture is strategically placed to enhance the natural beauty of the surrounding reefs, and fabricated from environmentally friendly materials that encourage corals and other marine life to overgrow and transform the statues over time.

Grenada Underwater Sculpture

The Ring of Children is a signature element of Grenada’s Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park. This exhibition was created in 2006 by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor. Photo: Orlando Romain/ Grenada Tourism Authority

The original exhibition was expanded with additional works by Taylor and Grenadian sculptor Rene Froehlich, and now includes some 65 figures and still-life tableaus. The Molinere Bay Sculpture Park can be reached with a short swim from shore, or by a ten-minute boat ride from St. Georges and the resorts of Grand Anse. The works can be enjoyed from the surface, and are shallow enough to allow most swimmers to duck down for a closer look.

Mexico’s Underwater Museum

Three years after opening the world’s first underwater sculpture park in Grenada, sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor turned his talents to an even more ambitious project in the waters of Cancun, Mexico. The Museo Subacuatico de Arte is located in a national marine park just off the shores of Isla Mujeres, where it can be viewed by swimmers, divers and passengers in glass bottom boats.

Mexico Underwater Sculpture Gardener

The sculpture known as The Gardener is adorned with corals rescued after tropical storms or damage by human activity. Sculptures and photography: Jason deCaires Taylor

The exhibition is described as an interaction between art and environmental science, as the exhibits 500-plus life-size sculptures are made from specialized materials used to promote coral life. The Museum is divided into two galleries called Salon Manchones and Salon Nizuc. The first is located in 25 feet of water and suited for viewing by both divers and snorkelers, while the second gallery is positioned at a depth of just 12 feet, with sculptures rising to within six feet of the surface. It is reserved for snorkelers. Snorkelers and swimmers can reach the exhibits from shore or boat tours from Isla Mujeres or Cancun.

Bigger in the Bahamas

The world’s largest underwater sculpture comes with a message, and a mission. Ocean Atlas is a 60-ton, 18-foot-high depiction of a young Bahamian girl who appears to be holding up the ocean, much like the mythological Titan Atlas shouldered the burden of the heavens. The work is intended both as a reminder of the environmental threats oceans face, and a message of how human interactions with nature can be positive and sustainable.

Bahamas Nassau Atlas Coral Reef Sculpture Garden

Ocean Atlas is the world’s largest underwater sculpture, and the centerpiece of the Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden, located in the waters of New Providence Island, Bahamas. Photo: BREEF

The sculpture is made from sustainable PH-neutral materials, and surrounded by a collection of structures known as reef balls that will attract fish life and promote coral growth, eventually transforming the site into a living reef. More sculptures are planned for the site, which is shallow enough to be enjoyed by snorkelers. The Sir Nicholas Nuttall Coral Reef Sculpture Garden can be reached by a short boat ride from the south coast of New Providence Island, and has already become a favorite with cruise ship passengers and guests staying at the resorts of Nassau and Paradise Island. Check out more photos here: https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/worlds-largest-underwater-sculpture- unveiled-in-bahamas-144457/#/slideshow/144457-2/5

Bonaire Buddy Dive
Bahamas, Bahamas-Out Islands, Bonaire, Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Central America, Curacao, Honduras, Stay, Trip Ideas

Best Caribbean Resorts to Learn to Dive

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Forget your hometown pool or lake. Where better to learn to scuba dive than in a Caribbean resort where the waters are warm and clear, and colorful coral reefs are just a fin kick away. We’ve picked five top resorts that combine first class instruction and comfortable amenities with immediate access to world-class reefs.

Sunset House, Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman Island is the Caribbean’s number one dive destination, and Sunset House remains a favorite with scuba divers. Just steps from oceanfront rooms are shallow reefs where calm, warm waters are ideal for learning the basics of scuba, then venturing out to discover sights such as wrecks and the island’s iconic underwater mermaid sculpture. Rooms are reasonably priced and well equipped, and the open-air bar and sea view restaurant are a favorite with the local dive crowd.

Grand Cayman Sunset House

Grand Cayman’s Sunset House Resort is a favorite with the scuba crowd. A short swim from shore leads to a maze of coral-covered ledges and a submerged mermaid sculpture. Photo: Cathy Church/Sunset House

Buddy Dive, Bonaire

In addition to being one of Bonaire’s premier waterfront resorts, Buddy Dive is home to the only PADI 5-star Career Development Center in the southern Caribbean. The same facility that turns out dive instructors and specialists is ideal for learning the basics, which can be practiced right off the resort docks, where Bonaire’s famously colorful reefs are just yards offshore.

Buddy Dive Resort Bonaire

The waterfront scuba center at Buddy Dive resort is the starting point for boat trips to area dive sites. Divers can also enter right from the dock to discover a pristine reef just offshore. Photo: Buddy Dive

Lions Dive, Curacao

Sitting right on the edge of the National Curacao Underwater Park, the lushly landscaped Lions Dive Beach Resort houses the island’s number one dive shop and scuba training facility: Ocean Encounters. With the help of attentive instructors, newbies can master the basics in the 50-meter pool, and on shallow reefs just offshore of the Sea Aquarium Beach, and then catch the daily dive boats for visits to nearby coral gardens.

Curacao Lions Dive Beach Resort

Daily boat trips from Lions Dive Resort carry divers to sites within the Curacao Underwater Marine Park, where submerged slopes are covered in colorful growths of corals and sponges. Photo: Lions Dive Resort

Bimini Big Game Club, Bahamas

Though best known as a fishing lodge, the Big Game Club is also a great place to learn to dive, thanks to an affiliation with Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center. The calm shallows around the island are ideal for practicing basic skills, and a bonus for newly-minted “bubble blowers” is the chance to dive some of the region’s most famous underwater attractions, such as the mysterious Atlantis Road and the playful pods of dolphins that gather nearby.

Bimini Big Game Club Bahamas

The docks of the Bimini Big Game Club are just a short boat ride away from prime dive sites such as the Mysterious Bimini Road, which is said to be the remains of the lost city of Atlantis. Photo: Bimini Big Game Club

Utila Lodge, Bay Islands

The Bay Islands of Honduras are famous for their lush coral reefs and thriving fish populations. Perched in the heart of the island diving scene is Utila Bay Lodge. This charming family owned lodge offers both dorm-style lodging and private ocean view rooms, and it is also home to the Bay Islands College of Diving. Snorkeling and introductory dive sites are right off the dock, and as skills are mastered, new divers can discover Utila’s many famous underwater attractions.

Honduras Bay Islands Utila Lodge

With warm, calm waters right off the docks, and pristine coral reefs just a short swim or boat ride away, the Utila Bay Lodge is an ideal location to learn to scuba dive. Photo: Utila Bay Lodge

Grand Cayman Stingray City
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Plan, Trip Ideas

Caribbean Snapshots: Stingray City, Grand Cayman

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The Caribbean’s favorite marine life encounter doesn’t depend on captive animals, and it wasn’t even a planned attraction, it just happened.

For many years, native fishermen returning to the shelter of Grand Cayman’s North Sound would stop near a shallow sandbar inside the reef to clean their catch. The scraps tossed overboard attracted southern stingrays, which learned that a boat motor was the equivalent of a dinner bell.

Eventually, charter boat operators learned of this gathering, and by the mid 1980s were bringing divers and snorkelers to the site that had earned the name Stingray City.

Today, this mixing of humans and rays has grown to become one of the Cayman Islands’ signature attractions. A number of tour operators ferry passengers from docks along the island’s western end to the site aboard a fleet of PWCs, speedboats, sailing catamarans and glass-bottomed barges.

There are actually two adjacent sites where the rays gather. The most popular is the sandbar, where the water is waist deep. A bit to the north, scuba divers and snorkelers focus on an area with water depths of 10 to 12 feet. Once the boats arrive, the rays soon appear, ready for their daily offering of fishy bits. Participants hand feed the rays, which glide about and take the offerings with nary a nip of a finger.

Grand Cayman Ortanique
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Eat, Trip Ideas

Where to Eat on Grand Cayman

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From an outpost of the empire to a center for international finance, Grand Cayman Island has certainly grown up. And the worldly travelers who come to these sunny shores for both business and pleasure have a taste for upscale dining and unique flavors. They won’t be disappointed, as a new wave of celebrity chefs have joined talented locals restaurateurs to create a dining scene that is both diverse and delicious. Here are some of our favorites.

Ortanique

Think South Beach cool spiced with a healthy dose of Caribbean chic. Overlooking the marina at Camana Bay, Ortanique is the creation of South Florida culinary power duo Cindy Hutson and Delius Shirley, and a sister of Ortanique on the Mile in Coral Gables. Before she started seriously cooking, Cindy spent some time in the commercial fishing business, so she knows her fish.

Favorite Bites: There are some standards and favorites, but bet on whatever is on special. The best of what comes in on the dock that day can end up as tender spiced lobster stuffed inside of pillowy homemade ravioli or as tuna steak served with mango sauce. The restaurant throws pig roasts periodically — and the ribs are a perennial hit with diners. The Norma Salad, named for Delius’ mother, renowned Caribbean chef Norma Shirley, is a great starter or can be a meal for vegetarians. www.ortaniquerestaurants.com

Ortanique taco Grand Cayman

Mojitos and Breadfruit Fish Tacos are a favorite at Ortanique. The fresh catch of the day is dusted with coriander and cumin and served with black bean corn salsa, pico de gallo and cilantro crema. Photo: Ortanique

Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink

How’s this as a two-fer: Michael’s is right next door to Ortanique. Same great view, same great attitude, completely different food. This is the second outing by James Beard Award-winner Michael Schwartz, whose Miami restaurant is a showplace for the slow-food farm-to-table movement. Schwartz and his team have successfully transplanted the organic vibe to Cayman. Michael’s team here includes the talented young head chef, Thomas Tennant, who cooked at the original Design District location before overseeing the kitchen in Cayman. The menu is all about local, organic and sustainable, and that ethic permeates everything they do.

Favorite Bites: If it’s on the menu, try the lionfish. Tennant usually pan fries it with a light crumb coating; its firm-fleshed and fresh tasting, not unlike snapper. Michael’s divides its menu into plates that are small, medium and large. The wood-fired pizza is always wonderful or for something a bit more exotic the homemade fettuccine with poached tuna. michaelsgenuine.com/grand-cayman/

Grand Cayman Michaels Genuine Food

The menu at Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink reflects the owner’s commitment to the sustainable farm-to-table food moment, and incorporates a range of locally sourced ingredients. Photo: Rhian Campbell/Michael’s Genuine Food

Blue by Eric Ripert

It’s not immediately obvious that you’re in the Caribbean when you walk into Blue. The interior is edgy, elegant and very New York. That’s not surprising since Eric Ripert’s “other” restaurant is Le Bernardin, right around the corner from the Museum of Modern Art and widely thought to be the best in Manhattan. Successfully transplanting a restaurant, especially one as famous as Le Bernardin, is a tricky business and a lot of excellent chefs have failed. Not Ripert. Blue is a home run. You won’t see shorts and flip-flops in the dining room but you will get a wine list with more than 800 bottles. Service is slick and professional and the food fully lives up to expectations. If you’re a fan of Le Bernardin, the prices won’t be a surprise. But even if you’re used to pricey resort meals, Blue may shock the wallet a bit: figure $250-350 — per person. Having said that, Blue delivers the kind of meal you’d expect at that level.

Favorite Bites: Blue offers several prix fixe meals, a four-course tasting menu and a seven-course tasting menu plus special menus, so the chef is going to have a lot to say about what you eat. Don’t worry; whatever shows up is going to be delicious: Tuna foie gras, octopus a la plancha, yellowtail tartare with wasabi and grape vierge, chocolate tart. www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/GrandCayman/Dining/Blue- byEricRipert/Default.htm

Blue Grand Cayman Ritz

The understated elegance of the dining room at Blue is a perfect complement to the upscale menu, which is the product of award- winning chef Eric Ripert, the man behind New York’s famous Le Bernardin. Photo: Ritz-Carlton

Lone Star Bar & Grill

You will not confuse the Lone Star with any of the haute culinary palaces on the island. The place isn’t just a restaurant, it’s an institution. Generations of dive masters have plumbed the reef wall all day, and then brought their guests here to pound back beers all night — only to get up early and do it all over again. But there is food to accompany the alcohol, with reasonably priced burgers and real barbecue to go along with buckets of Coors longnecks and the rock’n’roll blasting from the stage. There are theme nights — trivia on Tuesdays, rock ’n’ roll bingo on Thursdays, jam session Wednesdays and the occasional Coyote Ugly dance contest — to liven up the proceedings. Don’t come here expecting a nice quiet dinner, but if you want a break from delicately flavored organic kale, have a thirst for a bucket of beer or just feel like partying, the Lone Star is the place.

Favorite Bites: Save the steak for one of the chichi places; the pulled barbecue pork platter is a winner for most folks or try the fajitas. lonestarcayman.com

Lone Star Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman’s Lone Star Bar & Grill is a little slice of Texas roadhouse in the Caribbean. A long-time favorite with the scuba diving crowd, it’s the place to go for burgers, BBQ and cold beer. Photo: Lone Star

Mizu

As chic as the Lone Star is kitschy, Mizu has a modern pan-Asian vibe. Entering the sleek, dimly lit dining room, the walls are accented with angled wooden slats while the sushi bar lights up the back of the room with a come-hither glow. This is an unhurried cocktails to finish kind of place, with a gentle hubbub rising as the tables fill. The menu is varied and you can go dim sum to get a taste of it all, order sushi, sashimi or rolls, or go with appetizers and mains.

Favorite Bites: First, try the cucumber lime sake mojito. Sounds like a culturally confused bartender gone bad, but it’s very, very good. The sushi is fresh, flavorful and well prepared, so if that’s your thing, do it. Okinawan style pork belly is both trendy and tasty. mizucayman.com

Mizu Grand Cayman

The savory Mongolian beef at Mizu combines braised beef with broccoli, scallion, red pepper and sesame seeds. The kitchen turns out an eclectic and innovative menu that follows a pan-Asian theme. Photo: Mizu

Guy Harvey’s Island Grill

Sure Guy Harvey can paint, but can he run a restaurant? Marine artist/biologist Guy Harvey has his fingers in a lot of pies — art, retail, clothing, even hotels and travel — but the pies here are the literal kind. The restaurant is right around the corner from Harvey’s gallery/studio where, day in and day out, you’ll find him on the second floor, painting while shoppers peruse his original canvasses. Maybe it’s that proximity that keeps the restaurant crew on their toes; whatever the reason, the Island Grill consistently turns out excellent island-style fare. The upstairs dining room is lined with Harvey’s originals — you can just dash in for a coffee and a canvas to go if you’re coming off a cruise ship — and there’s a porch with a view over Hog Sty Bay. This is well- prepared Caribbean cuisine: healthy portions of ultra-fresh fish done on the grill or delivered in a curry or bouillabaisse. There are well-priced dinner specials every night and the Grill serves lunch and breakfast as well.

Favorite Bites: It’s hard to go wrong with smoked wahoo pate and Harvey’s Surf & Turf — beef tenderloin steak, lobster and tiger shrimp. www.guyharveysgrill.com

Grand Cayman Guy Harvey

Harbor views and original marine artworks set the tone at Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, where the menu focuses on fresh seafood dishes, and the restaurant’s namesake artists is often in attendance. Photo: Guy Harvey’s Island Grill

Kaibo

Getting here is the hard part; Kaibo is on Rum Point which means either a long drive or a short hop by water taxi. There are two sides to Kaibo: a bar-and-grill on the beach with wood-fired pizza oven and an elegant gourmet restaurant upstairs. Unless you’re specifically looking for beachfront pizza by tiki torch, walk right past the ground level facilities and head for the “real” Kaibo above. The dining room is iconic West Indian: wood floors, high ceilings, gleaming white trim, white-skirted chairs, French doors that open onto a balcony overlooking the marina. Take a table outside if the weather’s right. Better yet, book a Luna Del Mar evening, the once-a-month fete held beachside under the full moon. After dinner a visit to the Rare Rum Bar is mandatory. Even if you don’t like rum.

Favorite Bites: The beer battered mahi comes with a side of green pea mint risotto and applewood bacon vinaigrette or, if you’re all fished out, get the hand rolled ricotta gnocchi with adobo chicken. www.kaibo.ky

Kaibo Grand Cayman

Kaibo’s upstairs melds continental fare with Caribbean flair, and includes locally sourced seafood entries. The setting is West Indian elegant, and the beverage list includes a selection of rare rums. Photo: Kaibo

The Waterfront Urban Diner

If you’re from Jersey and are addicted to diner food. you can get a pretty good fix at Waterfront Urban Diner. It’s on the crescent at Camana Bay and it has everything you’re craving after a week of eating fresh seafood: Italian subs, bacon, eggs over easy, schnitzel, even a “Mac attack” burger. The vibe is somewhere between a real diner and a lower Manhattan bistro, with brick walls painted white, industrial accents and that cozy clanking and murmuring. It also has large windows overlooking the marina which flood the interior with light — so it’s a diner where you can actually see your food. There’s just a touch of kitsch, like the syrup pitchers (ceramic Yorkies). The diner is a breakfast and lunch staple for the hedge fund guys who work in the office buildings on the Camana Bay property, so it’s pretty lively during the day.

Favorite Bites: The standards — pancakes, waffles, and wraps — are good, but give the Huevos Benedicto (poached eggs, refried beans and avocado on crisp tortillas) a try. waterfrontcayman.com

Grand Cayman Waterfront Dining

Comfort foods are the focus at the Waterfront Urban Diner. From breakfast to burgers, the vibe blends Jersey roadside diner fare with Manhattan Bistro style, and tosses in a hint of the tropics. Photo: Waterfront Urban Diner

 

Grand Cayman Queen Elizabeth Botanical Park
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Play, Trip Ideas

Grand Cayman’s Eco Adventures

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Vacationers flock to the beaches of Grand Cayman for sun and sand. Move inland a bit, however, and you’ll discover a quieter, greener side of this island. Here are a few ideas to get you headed back to nature.

Exhibit One

You don’t have to go trekking to catch a glimpse of Grand Cayman’s wilder side. Overlooking Georgetown Harbor, the island’s oldest public building now houses the Cayman Island’s National Museum. Along with cultural exhibits, there’s a gallery devoted to the island’s flora and fauna. If this exhibit whets your appetite for green spaces, take a short drive to the coastal village of Bodden Town and the historic Mission House. After touring the home, spend some time wandering the wooded grounds and adjacent wetlands, which are a protected wildlife habitat.

Grand Cayman Bodden Town Pedro St James House, eco adventures

The great house at the historic seven-acre Pedro St. James estate has been meticulously restored and furnished with period antiques to provide a glimpse of island life in the 18th Century. Photo: iStock

Smell the Flowers

For a civilized yet authentic take on Grand Cayman’s biodiversity, plan an outing to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanical Park. A 40-minute drive from Georgetown, it’s located in the island’s greener North Side District, and on the site of a natural wetland. Meticulously tended floral gardens and orchid displays will delight the botanically inclined, but the real treat for naturalists is the Woodland Trail, which winds through the 40-acre grounds, giving access to a small lake that is a haven for waterfowl. More than half of Cayman’s native fauna can be found along this walk, and the park is also a haven for the indigenous blue iguana, which has rebounded from the brink of extinction.

Grand Cayman Blue Iguana

Once plentiful in the Caribbean, the blue iguana is now an endangered species. This one has found refuge on the grounds of Grand Cayman’s Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park. Photo: Colin D. Young/iStock

Take a Hike

Named for the namesake trees that shade portions of the route, the two-mile Mastic Trail carries hikers through old growth forest, and ecosystems ranging from mangrove wetlands to palm groves, banana orchards, dry woodlands and former agricultural lands. Wooden walks span marshy areas, and the only climbing involved will be the imperceptible ascent to Grand Cayman’s highest point—which towers all of 60 feet above sea level. The walk will be rich in the scents of wild jasmine and the sounds of birds. The trail is open to all, and guided tours are offered through the National Trust for the Cayman Islands.

Grand Cayman Mastic Trail

Grand Cayman’s Mastic Trail enters a nature preserve containing the island’s largest contiguous area of old growth dry forest. The 2.3-mile route is open to the public. Photo: Burrard Lucas/iStock

For the Birds

Avid bird watchers have identified more than 240 feathered species that either call Grand Cayman home, or make a stopover during annual migrations. You don’t have to be a die-hard ornithologist to appreciate the sea birds that swoop and dive along the harbor waterfront and patrol the beaches, but a trip to wetlands such as Collier’s Pond or Barkers National Park will reveal a whole different population of waders and fliers. An easy side trip from Seven Mile Beach is the Governor Gore Bird Sanctuary in the town of Savannah, where a boardwalk leads to a small pond that’s home to egrets and herons, while the surrounding woodlands shelter a variety of warblers, kingfishers, thrushes and more.

Grand Cayman Scarlet Ibis

A scarlet ibis searches for snacks in the wetlands of Grand Cayman’s Barkers National Park. More than 240 species of land and sea birds can be found on the island. Photo: Scott Griessel/iStock

Cruise, Paddle or Splash

Grand Cayman’s North Sound is an expansive area of mangroves and sea grass flats that provides a fertile nursery for marine life. You can discover this natural corner of the island aboard a stable pontoon boat, or get a closer look by joining a paddling tour. Kayak trips follow calm-water channels, and are suitable for the moderately active. For a total immersion into the shallows, several tour companies also offer guided snorkel adventures. In addition to finding fish lurking in the shadowy mangrove roots, there’s a chance of discovering seahorses camouflaged in colorful sponges and octopus hiding in the grasses. Tours depart from marinas in the Seven Mile Beach area.

Grand Cayman Kayaking

The mangrove-shrouded shoreline of Grand Cayman’s North Sound is butted by miles of shaded channels for kayakers to explore, and provides a protected nursery for many species of fish. Photo: iStock

Night Lights

Grand Cayman’s North Sound is one of only a handful of places in the world where water conditions nurture concentrations of tiny single-cell organisms known as dinoflagellates. At night, these diminutive creatures glow like underwater fireflies when disturbed by the flick of a fish’s tail or the stroke of a paddle. On evenings when there is little or no moonlight, guides lead boat and kayak tours into this phosphorescent soup. The more adventurous can even immerse themselves for a night snorkel adventure; creating glowing eddies with every fin stroke.

Grand Cayman Bioluminescence Kayak Tour

At night, the waters of Grand Cayman’s North Sound come alive with bioluminescent organisms. Paddle strokes excite tiny glowing animals, creating eerie glowing trails in the water. Photo: iStock

 

 

Grand Cayman Papagallo
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Eat, Martinique, Plan, St. Martin/St. Maarten, Trip Ideas

Best Caribbean Islands for Fine Dining

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There was a time when a Caribbean restaurant that provided matching forks was considered to be putting on airs. No more. Today, dozens of celebrated dining rooms across the region plate superb offerings that fully justify upscale cutlery and fine china. Celebrity chefs have opened signature eateries gone island style, and a new wave of homegrown talent adds local flair to established traditions. One can find a respectable range of fine dining options on nearly every island, but some stand above the rest in terms of the plentitude of choices and the overall experience.

Grand Cayman

Don’t let the fast food franchises that have popped up along West Bay Road fool you. An island that was once a wasteland for fine dining enthusiasts has emphatically upped its game and become a food-first destination. There are culinary all-stars. Eric Ripert’s Blue at the Ritz-Carlton showcases locally caught seafood, complemented by an 800-label wine list. Michael Schwartz’s Genuine Food & Drink offers a casually elegant indoor/outdoor setting where the emphasis is on the chef’s signature New American cuisine. And the list of chefs and supporting casts keeps getting stronger. The lineup at the Camana Bay complex alone is enough to justify the airfare: Cindy Hutson’s Ortanique serves up highly personal recipes in a South Beach setting, and Mizu is a tour of the greatest hits of Asian cuisine. Across the island Kaibo at Rum Point has high-end cuisine and a world-class rum bar. And these venues just scratch the surface of the island’s vibrant restaurant scene.

Cayman Islands Food, Cayman Cookout Day, Best Caribbean Islands for Fine Dining

A tempting morsel plated during the annual Cayman Cookout. Hosted each January at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman, this event celebrates the island’s culinary talents. Photo: David Wolfe/Cayman Islands Department of Tourism

St. Martin

It’s French and it attracts a lot of people with money—enough said? Well, not quite enough. St. Martin has earned a reputation as the fine dining capital of the Caribbean, and the caliber of culinary achievement displayed along Grand Case beach is both varied and stellar. L’Effet Mer weighs in with its trilogy of crab (crab tartar, crab cake and crab roll), sweet pepper gazpacho and duck liver; Le Pressoir impresses with frog legs Provençale, crispy snails and a tasting plate of four variations of foie gras; Mario’s Bistro is an institution, famous for its jumbo scallops with crab mashed potatoes and shrimp penne flambéed with bourbon. At L’Estaminet, Chef Ina Urfalino puts a personal twist on French culinary traditions with dishes such as duck breast au cacao, and mahimahi marinated in Guyanese masala. While the majority of cuisines favor French and French fusion, there are also flavors of Asia, Italy and the Caribbean that can be savored at more than 400 restaurants across the island.

Martinique

While St. Martin is thoroughly French, Martinique—also an overseas department of the Republic—mixes it up. Even in its colonial days, Martinique was the more exotic creole sister of the Windwards, the African identity of its population complemented but never subverted by European customs. So while there’s plenty of excellent French cuisine to be had at traditional favorites such as Fort-de-France’s La Cave a Vins, there’s also a healthy serving of creole to go with it. Delices Caraibes serves up shrimp in coconut milk; Metis takes what the sea offers and gives it a twist with dishes such as snapper with basil or shrimp flambéed with rum. On the windward side, La Domaine Saint Aubin is a French- style “hotel du charme,” a 19th-century manor house with an enthusiastic and accomplished chef who takes full advantage of local ingredients, which are transformed into memorably orchestrated prix fixe dinners.

Grand Cayman North Sound
Caribbean, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Play, Trip Ideas

Best Caribbean Islands for Water Sports

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Which destinations have the best water sports will likely remain a subject of endless debate among aficionados of diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kiteboarding and fishing. Every island has something to offer. Some provide the best conditions for one sport, but may not be well suited to another. And then there are the islands that deliver a bit of everything, from wind and waves to calm, clear shores, along with the necessary infrastructure to support these aquatic pursuits. If you are looking to sample a broad range of on- the-water adventures, here are the islands that deliver on multiple fronts.

Grand Cayman

It’s hard for one island to please everyone looking to get wet and have fun. Divers want clear water and calm seas. Sailors want wind; big game fishermen need access to deep water. If there is one island in the Caribbean that can please the widest variety of water-sports enthusiasts, it is Grand Cayman. World famous for its precipitous underwater walls, it remains one of the prime diving destinations in the Caribbean. But that’s just the beginning. The expansive bay known as North Sound is an aquatic playground. Kayakers cruise the mangrove-fringed corners, while fly fishermen tempt tarpon and bonefish on nearby flats. Day sailors zip across the breezy yet protected waters of the sound, while closer to the wave-washed northern edge, windsurfers and kiteboarders carve and hop in the chop. From marinas daily fishing expeditions depart into the blue waters beyond, while the Seven Mile Beach, on the island’s western leeward shore, is perfect for flat water pursuits such as stand-up paddleboarding, glass-bottom boat tours and waterski runs.

Cayman Windsurfing, Best Caribbean Islands for Water Sports

A windsurfer skims across clear waters along the north coast of Grand Cayman Island. An offshore reef beyond the sandy shallows provides a buffer from large offshore swells. Photo: Cayman Windsurfing

Cozumel

It was Jacques Cousteau who kicked off the Caribbean diving craze with his 1961 declaration that Cozumel was one of the best diving destinations on Earth. And he was right. The island, which sits at the northern end of the massive Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, is blessed with a magical combination of clear water, spectacular reefs and abundant marine life. Along the island’s sheltered western shore, a sloping bottom leads to enormous reefs towering up off the sand. The structures are washed by a steady north-flowing current that delivers a stream of nutrients that leave the filter-feeding creatures of the reef—corals, sponges, and gorgonians—very, very happy. It also keeps the ocean clear, and this was the place where divers first spoke of “gin clear” water. It’s so clear that light that usually fades to dusky blue at 60 feet is still clear and bright at 100 feet or more. In the deep blue waters beyond, there’s also excellent fishing, and each spring sees an international cast of anglers arrive to do battle with plentiful populations of high-flying sailfish. Angling action also extends to the reef and into the mangroves where feisty bonefish play hide and seek with your fly all day long. When conditions are right, explorers can hop a speedboat for a run to the island’s wild east side, or remain on the sheltered west and discover the shoreline in a kayak, or launch a catamaran into the mellow breezes that grace western beaches.

Cozumel Underwater

A school of yellow grunts congregate over a shallow reef off the island of Cozumel. Steady currents wash sites such as this, nurturing coral and sponge growth. Photo: Brian Lasenby/Shutterstock

Dominican Republic

Good diving and snorkeling can be found in the Dominican Republic, especially in the south around Catalina Island, but the real water-sports action is on the north coast at Cabarete. This is a world mecca for windsurfing and kiteboarding. Strong and consistent winds blow into the bay, while an offshore barrier reef breaks up the prevailing swells and creates surfable and jumpable breakers for the more advanced, as well as sheltered nearshore areas for beginners. Kiting is best just northwest of Cabarete, and scores of operators are eager to hook you up with gear, lessons, advice, whatever you need. There are dive sites nearby, including some awesome pinnacles, but the wind, waves and runoff limit the appeal. Around the corner and down the coast to the south at Punta Cana you’ll find superb deep-sea fishing. The area faces right into the Mona Passage between Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, with deep water not far offshore. Blue marlin run year round, peaking in the summer months, and you can chase white marlin, mahimahi, tuna and sailfish too.

Dominican Republic Kiteboarding

Steady easterly trade winds power a fleet of kiteboarders at popular Cabarete Beach. Located on the north coast of the Dominican Republic, this site has become a mecca for the sport. Photo: iStock