Cayman Islands Travel Guide: Where We Stayed, What We Did + What I Wore

We just got back from a trip to the Cayman Islands, and it was truly one of our favorite vacations we’ve taken as a family. We went in March, and the weather was absolutely amazing – warm, sunny, and perfect for spending all day at the beach. It stayed in the high 70s to low 80s the entire time, with blue skies almost every day. I think we had one quick afternoon rainstorm, but that was it!

The water in the Cayman Islands is just as beautiful as you’d imagine – crystal clear and the most stunning shade of turquoise (you can even see it from the airplane!). We spent most of our time at Cemetery Beach near our cottage, and the ocean there was so calm with barely any waves, which was perfect for our girls. Even just standing in the water, we could see little fish swimming around, and a lot of people nearby were snorkeling. The sand was incredibly soft and almost looked like finely crushed seashells.

March is considered peak season in Grand Cayman, so there were definitely a lot of people on the island, but it never felt overly crowded. The beaches still felt relaxed, and we always had plenty of space. The only thing I would recommend is making dinner and lunch reservations ahead of time – most restaurants fill up quickly this time of year, and it would be tough to walk in without a reservation.

I wanted to put together a full Grand Cayman travel guide sharing where we stayed, our itinerary, and everything we did while we were there, along with all of the outfits I wore throughout the trip. We stayed at Botanica Beach Cottage, which ended up being such a special place, and I’ll share more details on that below. I also included a comparison to Harbour Island since that’s typically our go-to spring break destination!

If you’re planning a trip to the Cayman Islands and looking for ideas on where to stay, what to do, and what to wear, I’m hoping this post is helpful!

What I Wore

Monday swimwear blue floral bikini top and matching bottoms // Monday swimwear blue floral sarong // Monday Swimwear hat // Amazon shell necklace // SAME little girls one-piece // ZARA blue crossbody

Outfit on the left: H&M eyelet button up top // H&M eyelet shorts // Lack of Color raffia bucket hat // Zara crochet tote bag // Outfit on the right: Zara striped dress // Nordstrom woven mary janes // Tortoise shell necklace // Amazon straw clutch // Zara little girls crochet dresses

Amazon mini dress // Amazon shell necklace // Target bow sandals // Miu Miu sunglasses // similar bag

Outfit on the left: Zara white mini dress // Zara sandals // Shell necklace // Amazon pink woven bag // Zara crochet dresses // Target toddler sandals // Outfit on the right: Lack of Color raffia bucket hat // H&M bikini top and matching bottoms // Zara ruffled midi skirt // Amazon shell necklace

SAME pink and white stripe bandeau top and matching bottoms // Monday Swimwear sarong // Beaded necklace // Lack of Color raffia bucket hat // SAME little girls pink and white swimsuit top and bottoms

Outfit on the left: Abercrombie maxi dress // Zara sandals // Shell necklace // Miu Miu sunglasses // Amazon pink woven bag // Accessories from left to right: Amazon straw clutch // Amazon pink woven bag // Tortoise shell necklace // Amazon shell necklace // Amazon heart necklace // Brown beaded necklace // Shell necklace

Nordstrom lace midi dress // Nordstrom woven mary janes // Shell necklace // Amazon pink woven bag // Zara little girls crochet top and matching pants // Target toddler sandals

Outfit on the left: SAME brown and white polka dot bikini top and matching bottoms // Lack of Color raffia bucket hat // H&M eyelet shorts // Miu Miu sunglasses // Outfit on the right: H&M one-shoulder bikini top and matching bottoms // Monday Swimwear hat // Monday Swimwear sarong // Target bow sandals

Nordstrom green and white maxi dress // Dolce Vita sandals // Shell earrings // Miu Miu sunglasses

How the Cayman Islands Compares to Harbour Island

We normally travel to Harbour Island in the Bahamas for Spring Break, so this year we wanted to pivot and try somewhere new; enter: the Cayman Islands! The Cayman Islands is much easier to get to, just one easy two-hour flight from Charlotte and – voila – you’re there! (To get to Harbour Island, we had to board two planes AND take a boat – which makes traveling with kids much more difficult!) Once your on Grand Cayman, everything is easily accessible by car, which we did have to rent. Since they are a British territory, everyone drives on the left side of the road there. This did take us a minute to get used to, but thankfully, it was very easy to navigate around town and the roads are nice and wide. This was very different from Harbour Island, where there are no cars on the island and everyone gets around by golf cart instead. The islands are both similar in natural beauty with crystal clear, turquoise water, soft sand and palm trees everywhere! Grand Cayman was definitely more industrialized. One difference that we noted was the accessibility of groceries – Grand Cayman has several large grocery stores with all the fresh produce and packaged foods we could ever want, while Harbour Island has only a small grocery store with very limited food supplies. However, I will say that we did like the restaurants in Harbour Island better, and zipping around from place to place on our golf cart! 

Where We Stayed

Our favorite part of our stay was the Beach Cottage we rented from Botanica. It’s one of the most beautifully-decorated places I’ve ever stayed in! With seashell-lined mirrors, handmade tiles, soft colors and high-ceilings, it’s perfect blend of casual luxury and island charm. With three bedrooms and two bathrooms, it was the perfect size for a party of four adults and two children. Aside from how beautifully it’s decorated, it is also STEPS away from the beach, with its own private beach access just feet away from the back terrace. I can’t even put into words how nice it was to be this close to the beach – it made beach days so much easier with kids. We could pop in for lunch to make a sandwich, then pop back to the beach in less than five minutes. We also got to enjoy several sunsets on the beach, which ended up being some of my favorite memories from the trip! 

Our Itinerary

Day 1

Arrive

2:00 pm – Grab lunch 

2:30 pm – Pick up groceries from Foster’s Republix

3:00 pm – Check into Botanica Beach Cottage 

5:00 pm – Unpack and enjoy frozen pizzas at the house 

Day 2

8:00 am – Breakfast at the house 

9:00 am – Morning at Cemetery Beach

12 pm – Lunch at the house (sandwiches/chips) 

5:00 pm – Dinner Reservation at Tillie’s

Day 3

8:00 am – Breakfast at the house 

10:00 am – Cayman Turtle Centre wildlife encounter for the family

12:00 pm – Lunch at Schooner’s Bar and Grill 

3:00 pm – Prenatal Massage at The Spa at Kimpton Seafire

5:15 pm – Dinner Reservation at Ms. Piper’s Kitchen and Garden

Day 4

9:00 am – Breakfast (smoothie bowls) delivered from Island Naturals

11:30 am – Lunch Reservation at Bonnymoon Beach Club

Beach time 

1:00 – 3:00 – Afternoon shopping at Camana Bay

5:00 pm – Dinner at the house (nachos!)

6:00 pm – Sunset photos on the beach

Day 5

7:00 am – Grab breakfast (smoothie bowls) from Island Naturals

8:15 am – Depart West Bay for the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park tour

11:30 am – Lunch at Kiabo

5:00 pm – Casual dinner at Macabuca Tiki Bar

Day 6

Depart to go home!

Overall, we really enjoyed the Cayman Islands. It felt like an easy trip (even with two toddlers!), everywhere we went was super kid-friendly, and you can either book your itinerary with excursions and activities, or just simply enjoy the beach every day. We LOVED the natural beauty of the island, the crystal-clear water and soft sand, and will most definitely be planning a return trip back to the island next year!