This one-stop tourist destination is a happening place. A visitor could conceivably come to Grand Cayman and never leave Seven Mile Beach. Hotels, condos, restaurants, shops and sports activities centres are concentrated in the area. Some consider the beach the best in the Caribbean. Even recent hurricanes have not diminished its beauty.

Who goes there ?
Everyone, except for maybe a hermit, heliophobic (a person afraid of the sun) or vacationers on a tight budget. Families, couples, partiers, cold weather escapees and people who want to relax after stashing their money in an ‘offshore’ Cayman Bank flock here.

Where in the world ?

The Cayman Islands are some of the most westerly islands in the Caribbean. Seven Mile Beach, on Grand Cayman, is 5-8km (3-5 miles) northwest of the airport and just north of Georgetown on West Bay.Grand Cayman’s crown jewel overlooks West Bay. Its sandy shoreline, which widens and narrows with the seasons, begins at about the Royal Palms and continues north.

Beach
On Seven Mile Beach, there is an overwhelming temptation to just relax: stretch out on a lounge chair, let the silky, white, powdery sand run through your fingers, watch the calm, crystal waters slide to the shore and feel the soft sea breezes brush your skin. Snorkelling is good at Cemetery Reef at the beach’s north end. Although the shore can get pretty crowded in some spots, the ambiance will not be disturbed by trinket and basket sellers. And forget the seven mile thing. It is really only 9km (5.5 miles) long.

Beyond the beach
Discover the East End. Visit Pedro St James Castle to see the rain, mist and smoking pots that make its multi-media, historic presentation quite unique. Stop by the old fort ruins at the isle’s first capital, Bodden Town; then continue on to the Mastic Trail for a walk in the woods. Farther up the road is one of the island’s premier photo ops, the Blow Holes. The erupting water and crashing waves against the rocks are hypnotic.

Family fun
Families will never be at a loss when it comes to activities. Older kids can hand-feed the rays at Stingray City, snorkel or maybe even dive, while the whole family can enjoy a ride in a submarine or the Jolly Roger, a 2/3 replica of Christopher Columbus’ Nina (website: http://www.jollyrogercayman.com/). Departures are from the South terminal. Go to Hell. It is little more than a patch of fenced of craggy rocks, but at its gift shop everyone can send their friends postcards from Hell. Families flock to the Cayman Island Turtle Farm (North West Point Road, West Bay) where 16,000 of the creatures swim around tubs and ‘touch tanks.’

Retail therapy
The shopping on West Bay Road is mostly concentrated between the Westin and the Marriott. Strip malls have supermarkets, booze, video rentals, activity centres and banks and are particularly convenient for those self-catering. Just to the south in Georgetown are all the watches, jewellery, cameras and other ‘duty-free’ items a shopaholic could ever imagine. Be a wise shopper, price and compare at home and at the stores.

A night on the town
The beach area swings after dark. Chug a Sting Ray Beer at the raucous Attic, the sports bar above the trendy dance club ‘O’ Bar (Queen’s Court, West Bay). Sip a glass of wine at the refined Bamboo Lounge in the Hyatt (West Bay) or a martini at Sapphire (Seven Mile Shops, Seven Mile Beach). Feel like dancing on the beach? You can groove to the tunes of local bands at the Royal Palms (West Bay Road, Georgetown).

Eating out
West Bay Road is chock full of eateries with a variety of American, ethnic and local cuisines. No need to dress up, but beachwear and tank tops are frowned upon at the better restaurants. The seafood is excellent, but don’t hesitate to sample the tasty, local fare. Though Sir Turtle (the upright, peg-legged reptile pirate with the sword and red hat) is the island’s national symbol, his relatives, usually in the form of soup or stew, are a speciality.

Getting around
Buses are colour-coordinated according to routes and run every 15 minutes around Georgetown and West Bay (West Bay Road borders Seven Mile Beach) and every 30 minutes on the North Side or the East End. Taxis can be costly. The best way to navigate the island is to rent a car.

Exploring further afield
Like Grand Cayman, its sister islands have excellent dive sites, white sand beaches, transparent waters and friendly people, but each is unique. A ‘down home’ atmosphere pervades Cayman Brac. The ‘brac,’ a limestone bluff, which reaches 42.5m (140ft) at its eastern end, bisects the island. It attracts hikers and birders in search of the elusive Cayman Brac parrot. The smallest of the islands, Little Cayman, is so peaceful that the jail was only used once (A Honduran lady found her husband with another woman and she stabbed him with a fork.) and a sign near the airport reads, ‘Iguanas have the right of way.’

Splashing out
Head over to the trendy O Bar where there are flame-throwing, juggling bartenders, tasty drinks and the DJs spin punk, modern and hard rock until the small hours.

Flying in
George Town Owen Roberts Airport, George Town (GCM)