Just two hours and 800 miles from Panama City Beach lie the Cayman Islands, a British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean. Three tiny islands measuring about 100 square miles total offer spectacular diving, snorkeling, and fishing opportunities. The largest, Grand Cayman, is the island we chose for our late summer adventure.

We stayed at the Ritz-Carlton hotel located along the resort-laden Seven Mile Beach. With two pools, ocean-side beach, impeccable poolside service, and five outstanding restaurants, including The Blue, the only 5-Diamond restaurant in the Caribbean, it was truly a first-class facility! After several relaxing days poolside, we sought out a unique adventure – a visit to Stingray City. 

Chartering a crewed 27-foot Boston Whaler, we left the resort’s small marina for the 25-minute ride across the North Sound to our target destination. As we dropped anchor in three feet of water, we spotted dozens of large stingray swimming around us, looking for human interaction. Entering the water, the animals swam around us, and our guide selected a large one for us to hold. With skin described as similar to “a wet mushroom” and with the wings flapping, we took turns holding the stingray and kissing it on the nose, claimed to bring seven years of good luck!

We continued around the Sound, exploring the area and viewing waterside homes, with stops along the barrier reef for snorkeling and at Starfish Point. The fish on the reef were plentiful and colorful as you’d expect in the Caribbean. The starfish were bright red and would cling to your hand even if turned upside down!   

The following day we chartered a 27-foot Pursuit for some deep-sea fishing. We trolled the entire length of Seven Mile Beach, barely one mile offshore, along the drop-off to more than 400’ of water. The captain and mate did a great job of selecting the appropriate lures and baits in search of large mahi or tuna, but we only boated a single 3’ barracuda. A lot of fun, but we had hoped to catch much more. Called “fishing” and not “catching”!

We ventured outside the resort for dining on several nights. In the capital, Georgetown, we ate at the Grand Old House restaurant, located on the water in a fine old home. Food was great. We also took a cab to the northernmost part of the island to dine at the Ristorante Pappagallo in the West Bay community, overlooking a bird sanctuary and private lagoon. Another great food experience, Italian seafood with a Caribbean twist.

Like many other Caribbean islands, Grand Cayman is an interesting and exciting place to visit. It offers a variety of activities if you chose, or allows you to kick back and enjoy the water and sun!