Cayman Islands With Kids
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We visited the Cayman Islands when Milana was 1. Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to the Cayman Islands from the LA area so we flew from LAX to MIA to GCM, using American Airlines. Still even with the short layover, the travel time wasn’t so bad.
We stayed at the Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort, which is great for kids. We rented a car for our entire stay, so that we weren’t stuck to the hotel and can explore some other areas of the island. I highly recommend renting a car and exploring the island, especially Starfish point which had starfish on the beach.
Our hotel was phenomenal. The pool and beach were very kid friendly, and lots of families from all over the world were staying here. Milana was 22 months old at the time of our trip. There were floating rings/decks in the water where you can relax or use as a makeshift pool for your kids.
Another plus for our hotel was the child friendliness of the entire place. There was some kind of child friendly activity by the beach area every day. They did crafts, bubbles and handed out popsicles every day of our stay to all the kids. And the beach bar was a hit with Milana too, who discovered her love of (virgin) pina coladas!
Perhaps the most awesome thing about the crystal clear water was the thousands of fish that were just a few feet from shore. It was so awesome to see so many fish right next to you. You can tell they’re used to being near people, since they don’t swim away when you are walking/splashing in the water. They are huge and right by the shore!
Probably the most popular tourist attraction in the Cayman Islands is the trip to Stingray City. We took a short boat ride to a very shallow area in the middle of the ocean, where hundreds of sting rays were swimming right next to all the people. Milana really loved this part of the trip and even kissed one of the stingrays, for 7 years of good luck.
About an hour from the hotel is a beach called Rum Point, also very popular. We decided to drive here and explore but wouldn’t go back. The beach in front of our hotel was much better than this and didn’t require the long drive. However, just before you reach Rum Point there is Starfish Point, a very secluded beach with starfish in shallow, clear water. This was definitely a huge highlight of the trip and made the drive worthwhile.
If you drive around the island, you will see a ton of huge iguanas!
The most disappointing thing about the Cayman Islands was the lack of good food. Unlike Turks & Caicos, which had phenomenal restaurants, Grand Cayman lacked in that department. We did find one amazing restaurant on the island, a bit away from the tourist area, in the West Bay. Tim Buc Tuu was an amazing, local find and we went back multiple times because everything was so good! Their style of cooking is Tazine, which originated in Morocco. Their lobster curry was amazing! The three cheese gnocchi was really good to, with an island twist to it. I’m sad to say, this restaurant has since closed.
We ended our trip with an anniversary dinner on the beach (celebrating 5 years of marriage!). The service, food and of course atmosphere was phenomenal. Milana sat through the 2+ hour dinner happily trying everything that was brought out. Her favorite was the garlic mussles, which to this day is one of her favorite foods!
If you are looking for a vacation destination that’s excellent for families with young kids, and has a nice combination of relaxing and adventurous activities, then the Cayman Islands are perfect for you!


11 Comments
Travelwiththegreens
Wow. This looks amazing
The Kemps (@un_kemped)
What an experience! Stingrays – definitely on my list of things to see up close. Looks wonderful.
TravelingMel
wow – That water is gorgeous! What a lovely trip.
wanderingwagarschristina
I have always wanted to go to Grand Cayman for it’s beautiful waters! You got an amazing deal. I will definitely have to watch priceline more often. My kids would love starfish point the most.
Joe
Lovely place to spend your anniversary 🙂 The marine life is truly beautiful – touching the stingrays sounds fantastic – and it’s cool that there are iguanas everywhere as well. You’ll have to return again when the little one is a bit older so that she can get stuck in to a ‘full’ pina colada next time 😉
Romy
That water!! So stunning. I never knew there was a place where you could get so close to stingrays. That looks like a must do. I wonder if there are budget options for visiting the island.
Toronto Seoulcialite
Looks like you’ve got a foodie on your hands to have a child be that patient! I was obsessed with pina coladas as a kid too. In Greece, I ordered one while out with my parents and the thing was half-full of booze – I was 14 years old! Looks like you had a great time. Sorry to hear about Rum Point, but glad you discovered some gems along the way.
kidsandcompass
What a beautiful place. Looks like there was plenty to entertain little ones and keep parents happy! I hadn’t thought about Grand Cayman for a Caribbean destination but will put it on my list 🙂
eostories
Looks like an incredible place! The water is so transparent and the fact that there are fishes and starfish is amazing! Beautiful photos of the beaches especially the one with the floating rings!
journalofnomads
Congratulations with your anniversary!! What a stunning place to celebrate it!! It looks very exotic and I guess that you’ll have another seven great years ahead of you after your daughter (such a beautiful girl!!) kissed those stingrays. Very brave of her!!
Leyla
Aww great experience! What a clear sea???+a lot of fantastic tropical fish??