Top 10 Secrets You Need to Know Before Visiting Cayman Islands (2023)

Round-A-Bouts

Not only does Cayman have roads with multiple lanes to be aware of, but you’ll frequently have to drive through large, multi-lane round-a-bouts instead of traditional four-signal streetlights.

These round-a-bouts can be dangerous, even when you’re cautious. After 5 days of driving in Cayman, my partner was behind the wheel when a local Cayman Islands driver slammed into us, trying to make an illegal right-hand turn from the wrong lane in a round-a-bout.

Luckily, we walked away with no injuries and our car with no damages, but we were the victims of a hit-and-run and had to file a police report. Everything turned out fine in the end, but I could’ve avoided so much anxiety by purchasing rental car insurance ahead of time.

Cayman Islands strictly reserves Sunday as the Sabbath, a day of religious observance and abstinence from work. Many businesses, including grocery stores, some restaurants and even gas stations are closed on Sundays in adherence to this religious custom. You’ll find that only hotels and a small handful of these restaurants and gas stations are open.

The best way to get through a Sunday is to prepare on Saturday morning. Make sure your car has gas and that you’re stocked up on groceries. Then, plan to spend Sunday with a low-key trip to one of the island’s gorgeous beaches.

If you’re on a budget, Cayman Islands can be a challenging destination to visit.

Currently, the Cayman Islands Dollar (KYD) is valued higher than both the US Dollar and the Euro:

• 1 KYD = 1.20 USD
• 1 KYD = 1.11 EUR

Additionally island prices tend to be higher than average:

• A nice dinner for two in George Town runs around 200 KYD*
• One night at a 4-star hotel typically costs 300-$400 KYD*.

Of course, with any destination there are budget-friendly hacks and ways to explore, but Cayman is still a place you’ll want to spend more time saving for before visiting!

*At time of writing (January 2023).

If you’re heading on any tours and need cash for tips, make sure you’re tipping in Cayman Islands Dollars. Don’t bring US Dollars or another currency in cash expecting it to be easy to make change in small amounts. This is generally true in any country you might travel, but especially in Cayman.

Not only would you have to bring more bills if dealing with a foreign currency due to the Islands exchange rate, but I didn’t see many places available, even at the airport, for currency exchange.

Instead, your best bet is to exchange your tip money before leaving for Cayman Islands.

Since we’re already on the subject of costs, one of my positive takeaways from Cayman is that tips are usually already included in the bill.

Most restaurants and bars will add on a 15% Service Charge so you won’t have to sit there, trying to calculate how much to leave behind for your server or bartender. If you don’t see this already on your bill though, make sure to double check with a worker.

I’m not sure about you, but that’s one of the last things I want to figure out – in addition to currency conversion – after being out under the warm Caribbean sun all day!

Another positive takeaway from Cayman Islands is that people are extremely friendly! Almost everyone we encountered took time to say hello before passing by. And so we did as well. Often, this led to brief conversations with locals, at restaurants, beaches, stores.

I know this may sound like a nightmare if you’re an introvert like me, but I promise that it wasn’t bad. If anything, it was the opposite: small bursts of magical travel moments filled with helpful recommendations and interesting local stories.

If you’re visiting Cayman, the best advice I can give you is be open to those you’ll meet and, as cheesy as this sounds, remember to smile.

The country’s main island, Grand Cayman, is fairly developed. There’s lots of restaurants, hotels and shops, but there’s also lots of bugs. You’re in the tropical Caribbean after all!

While you might not need bug spray while laying out near the beach, you will certainly need it during two specific times:

While exploring inland. No matter the time of day, you’ll need bug spray while visiting spots like Queen Elizabeth II Royal Botanic Park and Cayman Crystal Caves.

At Night. After dusk is when mosquitoes are most active. Protect yourself by wearing bug spray if you’re planning to go out and about.

One of the most surprising secrets to visiting Cayman Islands is that the best beaches aren’t necessarily the ones you see most often on postcards. Don’t get me wrong: Grand Cayman’s famous Seven Mile Beach is gorgeous, but because it’s right in the heart of the country’s tourism center, it gets crowded, especially on cruise ship days.

Instead, driving out of George Town can deliver you some epic alternatives. Hoping to swim with wild turtles? Spotts Beach is the place. Looking for a fantasy-like oasis? Explore Barefoot Beach. And what about a photogenic paradise? Visit Smith Barcadere.

Some of Cayman’s most beautiful beaches are located outside of George Town, so even though it’s an island, don’t forget to go exploring!

Finally, I recommend planning tours, making restaurant reservations and generally planning your days, but remember to keep said plans flexible.

Changing tropical storms can certainly cause delays and closures for certain island activities, but they also affect cruise ship schedules. And on days where a cruise ship comes to port, you might want to get out of George Town and explore the other parts of Cayman Islands, away from the crowds.

Finally, you’ll want to make room for a bit of magic. Remember those friendly Cayman conversations I mentioned earlier? Avoid keeping your schedule so jam-packed that you have no time to accommodate these. Leave in some padding to stop and smell the roses, to be present and to have fun! Trips aren’t meant to be a rush from place-to-place. Slow down and enjoy the island life.