During your visit to the Cayman Islands you’ll find lots to do. This includes all the usual in-water activities as well as many activities for land lovers as well.
Snorkeling
The Cayman Islands have some of the best snorkeling in the world and much of it is just off the beach from where you will be staying. Your accommodations manager will have additional information for you and quite often they will have a few preferred snorkel trip operators with whom they have a good relationship. The most popular snorkel trips will usually have a few stops and typically includes Stingray City (Sandbar) in the North Sound. As the water there is very shallow, often not more than about 3 feet, snorkel gear is not even necessary. Other popular stop include Coral Gardens and Barrier Reef. Unless you plan to so your snorkeling from shore you won’t need to bring snorkel gear with you as most snorkel trip operators provide all necessary equipment as part of the cost of the trip.
Diving
Long before the Cayman Islands were visited by cruise ships or had fancy hotels or condos resorts, divers from all over the world visited us to enjoy some of the best diving available anywhere. Today, pristine waters and a diverse collection of marine life attract tens of thousands of divers each year. An abundance of shipwrecks, both natural and made-made, provide excellent wreck diving. The USS Kittiwake was added to the list in January of 2011 and is located at the north end of Seven Mile Beach. The Cayman Islands have a state-of-the-art hyperbaric/recompression chamber and unfortunate divers who have suffered “the bends” have been successfully treated over the years. For the beginner, complete certification courses are available locally at reasonable rates. Don’t forget to always dive with a buddy.
Swim with Dolphins
There was much controversy when the idea of a “swim with the dolphins” program was first proposed for the Cayman Islands and, you may in fact still see a few posted signs clearly expressing opposition to it. However, with no legal basis to stop them, two “swim with the dolphins” programs were eventually introduced and thousands of visitors and locals have enjoyed them. One operation houses their dolphins in a huge man-made (concrete) pool, while the other uses an enclosed area of the sea in the North Sound, right bay the shore. The Atlantic bottle-nose dolphins are well cared for and mortality has not been an issue. Various dolphin encounter programs are available and with varying prices and photo and DVD packages are available.
Other in-water/on-water activities include:
Kayaking
- Wave Runners
- Submarine Rides
- Semi-submersible Tours
- Sunset Dinner Cruises
- Wind Surfing & Kite Surfing
- Sport fishing
- Speedboat rentals
- Parasailing
Other land based activities include:
- Food Tours
- Nature Tours
- Horseback Riding
- Cycling
- Motorcycle Tours