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CAMANA BAY
This is a vibrant, modern waterfront town located just off the Esterly Tibbetts Highway. It is less then 10 minutes drive from the capital of Georgetown. Camana Bay offers premium shopping, fine dining, recreational facilities, book and toy store, gym, banking, medical facility and local residences. It is a great place for kids and adults to go for fun and relaxation. There is a multiplex cinema if in the mood for a movie. Plenty of seating along the waterfront, a boardwalk along the bay and two fountains for the kids to frolic and get wet. Camana Bay is a favourite relaxation spot on weekends for families as it is a kids friendly location. The ice cream parlour Gelato & Co. is a kid’s favourite as it offers several flavours of ice cream, popsicles, sorbet, cakes and pastries.
TURTLE CENTRE
A popular tourist attraction located in the West Bay district. The turtle centre is an educational and fun tour for families. The turtle centre has the following attractions:
- The Green’s breeding pond
- Turtle touch tanks
- Smiley’s saltwater lagoon
- Turtle wading touch pool
- Education centre and hatchery
- Turtle lagoon
- Predator reef
- Caribbean free fly aviary
- Breaker’s lagoon
- Turtle twister waterslide
- Blue hole nature trail
- Cayman street
- Schooner’s bar and grill
- Splash gift shop
This tour is filled with activities. After touring, you can have lunch at the Schooner’s bar and grill on the deck overlooking the Turtle Lagoon.
There are two options for the turtle centre tour: the exploration tour or the adventure tour. The exploration tour gives access to the breeding pond, touch tanks and touch pool, Smiley’s saltwater lagoon and the education centre/hatchery only.
The adventure tour gives access to the entire park and all the above listed activities and attractions.
My boys are both under the age of 8 years, so I opted for the exploration tour. There is the option to swim with the turtles in a lagoon in the adventure tour.
The prices for the exploration tour are $18USD for adults, $9USD for children ages 5-12 and free for children 4 years and under.
The prices for the adventure tour are $45USD for adults, $25USD for children ages 5-12 and free for children 4 years and under.
I would definitely like to do the adventure tour on a future visit to the Turtle Centre, to experience snorkeling with the turtles in the lagoon.
STARFISH POINT
This well known beach in Grand Cayman is located in the north of the island. Its calm, clear and shallow water makes its ideal for kids. There are also a large number of starfish in the water which is an added attraction for kids who may have never seen this type of fish. Several boats are usually docked just off the shoreline of Starfish Point on weekends or public holidays as this a favourite spot for relaxing and a popular tourist attraction.
My boys thoroughly enjoyed themselves at Starfish Point as they frolicked in the sea for hours. Parents can relax and not have to worry about their kids experiencing any difficulty in the sea as there are no large waves. This definitely makes my list of fun places to go in Grand Cayman.
CRYSTAL CAVES
This is another popular tourist attraction located in a tropical forest at Northside, Grand Cayman. This guided walking group tour features three caves. The length of the tour is approximately 1.5 hours. Pre-booking for the tour is mandatory.
The names of the three caves are:-
- The Open ceiling cave
- The Roots cave
- The Lake cave
Our tour lasted for almost 2 hours. The guide Chester was extremely knowledgeable about the caves and the history of the surrounding area as he had grown up in this community. He shared his memories about the exploration and development of the caves. Tips for the tour are: be punctual, appropriate footwear (flip-flops are not recommended), insect repellant, light comfortable clothing. For the kids, water and snacks are recommended. My 6 year old son Zachary accompanied me on the tour and he managed the trek very well. It required a lot of walking along rocky and gentle sloping terrain. The tour was educational and provided some good physical activity. We definitely enjoyed the tour of Crystal Caves and it is highly recommended as one of the most fun places to go in Grand Cayman.
CRIGHTON’S CHRISTMAS WONDERLAND
This is a spectacular and awesome Christmas wonderland located at Shamrock Road in Grand Cayman. This is an annual tradition at the Crighton’s home to showcase Christmas lights, decorations and larger than life displays. Many people come every year to experience this surreal Christmas Wonderland on the front lawns of the Crighton’s residence. My kids were expecting to meet and greet Santa Claus that night, however unfortunately Santa was not there to their dismay.
Enjoy the photo gallery of one of the fun places to go in Grand Cayman.
In conclusion, spending Christmas in Grand Cayman for the first time was a memorable experience. I look forward to seeing and exploring more of the Cayman Islands on future trips.
Please share in the comments your Cayman travel experiences and suggestions for other places to visit.
