The 10 Best Places to Visit in the Cayman Islands

Explore the Underground Pirates Caves on your own with a helmet, a head lamp, and a flashlight (provided with admission), or join a tour of Grand Cayman that includes a trip to the caves: you can explore the island independently with a pre-programmed GPS system, or join a tour in an air-conditioned sightseeing vehicle. Tours typically include trips to the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Garden, Rum Point, and George Town, the island’s capital.

Find out more about the manufacturing process of Tortuga Rum Cakes on a visit to the bakery, where you can watch bakers at work through observation windows. You can also sample different flavors of rum cake—including coconut, fruit, and chocolate. Some tours of Grand Cayman give you free time to explore the bakery and stop at key sights such as Seven Mile Beach and Hell, a group of black limestone formations.

Set in the West Bay district of Grand Cayman, the tiny town of Hell is known for its unusual field of jagged and blackened limestone formations surrounded by lush forest. A popular tourist attraction, Hell even has its own post office and several gift shops selling Hell-related souvenirs.

Seven Mile Beach, a public beach accessible to visitors near George Town, tops many lists of best beaches in the Caribbean and the world. Stroll past dozens of luxury resorts, condominiums, beach bars, and restaurants. Those who seek adventure can book a parasailing tour or rent scuba or snorkeling gear to explore Cemetery Reef. Others may prefer to find a shady spot under a palm tree and relax with an icy drink from a nearby bar.

If you’re a car enthusiast, don’t miss the chance to peruse the collection at the Cayman Motor Museum in West Bay. Built by Norwegian businessman Andreas Ugland, the museum is an incredible collection of about 80 rare and classic cars and motorcycles.

Some of the most notable vehicles on display include the Batmobile created for the 1960s TV series, and classics like the 1955 Ford Thunderbird and the 1939 Mercedes 230s, all meticulously restored. The Cayman Island are intimately tied with the United Kingdom, and so the Daimler DK400 that served as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s first limousine gets special placement in the museum, while fans of luxury cars can fawn over a dozen classic Ferraris and a Rolls Royce once owned by Elton John.

The museum also exhibits artifacts, artwork and photos that offer a look at the Cayman Islands’ cultural history.

If there were one drink associated with the Caribbean that drink would definitely be rum. Here at Cayman Spirits Co., not only is rum distilled with cane juice that’s locally grown on the island, but it’s aged in barrels that are placed 42 feet, or seven fathoms underwater. The result is their famous Seven Fathoms rum, which due to it being rocked by the waves as it slowly ages in the barrels, has become one of the most sought after spirits on any Caribbean island. While it started out in 2008 in a small, single room building, the distillery has grown from its humble beginnings to include a 5,000 square foot building that houses their tastings and tours. Learn the process behind distilling and see the massive tanks, and pour yourself samples of Seven Fathoms or their spiced and flavored rums. The company also distills vodka and moonshine, though it’s the rum that keep visitors strolling through the doors in search of not just the perfect drink—but the perfect gift to take home.

To learn about the history and culture of the Cayman Islands, make a stop at the Cayman Islands National Museum. The museum is housed in a historic building—the oldest public building in the islands—made from traditional wattle and daub architecture and that has been used as a jail, courthouse and post office over nearly 200 years.

Permanent exhibits include a natural history gallery that explains how the islands were formed along with depictions of the underwater life you can see while snorkeling or diving here. A cultural history gallery offers insight into the Cayman Islands during colonial times and the era’s main industries of turtling and fishing. A handful of changing galleries include a kid’s gallery with hand-on activities so children can learn while also having fun.