Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Beaches, Scuba
Diving & Other
Outdoor Pursuits
The unbeatable factors of almost-guaranteed sunshine,
one of the world 's most beautiful beaches, and the Caribbean 's best
scuba diving and snorkeling have permanently anchored Grand Cay-
man on the tourist map.
Grand Cayman has a number of smaller beaches, but its so-called
Seven Mile Beach
(actually 8.9km/5
1
/
2
miles) is the major attraction,
with its vast expanses of po wdery white sand. Unlike the beaches on
some islands to the south, such as Jamaica, Seven Mile Beach is litter-
free and also relatively free of peddlers hawking souvenirs.
The beach is so big that there's always plenty of room for everybody,
even in the midst of the winter tourist season and at the peak of the
cruise ship arriv als. Most of G rand Cayman's hotels, r estaurants, and
shopping centers ar e found along this much-fr equented strip of sand.
Many scuba-diving and watersports outfitters are also based here.
Along with swimmers and beach buffs, scuba div ers travel to the
Cayman I slands in dr oves fr om ar ound the world. As div er Bob
Soto—who opened the first div e shop in the Caribbean back in
1957—puts it, “If there's any spot on the planet that God created just
for divers, it is Grand Cayman.” One-third of all visitors to the Cay-
man Islands come specifically to go scuba diving or snor keling.
The Cayman I slands pr oudly boast mor e than 200 named and
explored div e sites. S ome of the most dramatic div e sites hav e not
been thoroughly explored (and unfortunately aren't on the itineraries
of most outfitters), owing to the massive coral reefs and drop-offs that
surround all thr ee Cayman I slands. Dive outfitters ar e familiar with
the best of the accessible dive sites and will guide you to what interests
you the most. The Cayman Islands have the most reliable outfitters in
the Caribbean, complementing the I slands' reputation as one of the
world's greatest scuba-diving destinations.
Even if you're not a scuba diver or snorkeler, you'll find many other
attractions on the water, including fishing, boating, and windsurfing.
If you're a landlubber, there's always golfing and horseback riding. But
most landlubbers never seem to leave Seven Mile Beach.
