Grand Cayman Getaway

Miles of beach, endless sunshine, plush hotels, natural beauty and some of the world’s best diving and coral reefs—Grand Cayman has it all. A 1.5-hour flight from Miami, Grand Cayman is the largest of the three islands that comprise the Cayman Islands (Little Cayman and Cayman Brac complete the trinity). Incredibly clean, safe and populated by some of the friendliest people on the planet, Grand Cayman is certainly one of the most beautiful and memorable islands in the Caribbean. Though the list of things to do in Grand Cayman is long, there are some musts—here are four island essentials.

1. Put on the Ritz
If you’re going to honeymoon in Grand Cayman, do it in high style by staying at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman (ritzcarlton.com). Situated on Seven Mile Beach, the best on the island, The Ritz is everything you want your honeymoon hotel to be—luxurious, romantic and brimming with gorgeous little extras that only a property of this stature can deliver. Most rooms boast an ocean-front view, but to seriously splash out book The Ritz-Carlton Suite and request personal butler service!

2. Get Back to Nature
Stingrays, sea turtles, schools of tropical fish and rare blue iguanas are just a few of the wildlife wonders in Grand Cayman. The island is known as the birthplace of recreational diving in the Caribbean. Today there are more than 40 dive operators and 200 dive sites. Warm, calm waters and great visibility make this one of the best places to dive. Snorkelling also offers a spectacular snapshot of marine life. The best place to explore is Stingray City, where you can touch and feed stingrays—there are as many as two dozen human-friendly ones here.

3. Pamper yourself
How does every girl love to indulge herself? Shop and spa, of course! The absolute best thing about shopping in Grand Cayman? It’s loaded with bling (hello Harry Winston, Cartier and Tiffany) and all shopping here is tax-free. Shop it up, then keep up the “me” day by taking it back to The Ritz and floating into the heavenly Silver Rain La Prairie Spa. Modern and sensual, Silver Rain features all-white and silver decor complete with lush chenille shag carpets, the plush Silver Haven lounge, and 17 treatment rooms, all of which are calm, serene and sensual.

4. Island-hop
From Grand Cayman, sister islands Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are just a short plane (or boat) ride away. Little Cayman is the most romantic and charming of the two. The entire island is 16 kilometres long by 1.6 kilometres wide, with a population of 170. If you want to seriously chill out and unplug, this is the place to be. The diving here is legendary—Bloody Bay has consistently been ranked one of the world’s top wall dives. The pace on Little Cayman definitely runs according to “island time”, and whiling away the hours on a beach hammock is one of the best ways to pass the day. There are a couple of charming resorts here—Little Cayman Beach Resort, Southern Cross Club and Pirates Point Resort being three of the most popular, with the latter also being an amazing place to dine.