by Matt McDaniel Published in Owners Perspective

As our flight from Miami reaches Grand Cayman for our first-ever visit, we slowly circle around the island to make the appropriately angled approach to Owen Roberts International Airport. Coming in low like a seabird, we fly over the cruise port in the capital city of George Town and see almost a half-dozen cruise ships of well-known as well as smaller lines. I think about other stops I’ve made at Caribbean cruise ports and am glad to be flying in instead. Little do I know that I’ll soon learn that Cayman is different from any other Caribbean destination.

The airport is small but efficient for its size. A steel-drum band plays cheery music as we cross the tarmac and head into the terminal, and I make eye contact with one of the musicians. He smiles at me and conveys that he loves what he’s doing and is happy to be here a sentiment that will be echoed many times over the next few days.

It’s not long before we’re in the car and heading to The Reef, a resort located about 45 minutes away on the other side of the island. Our driver, Jake, is a British ex-pat. Almost half of the islanders are foreigners with work visas. Jake tells us about the life on the island. He says there is little crime because the island is so well run and unemployment is so low. In fact, Caymanian law says that nationals have first dibs on employment ― but obviously there is plenty to go around.

The ‘Island Side’

We arrive at The Reef on the eastern end of Grand Cayman, which is located what locals call “the island side.” The name comes from the fact that while there are resorts and restaurants, the island side is less touristy, less crowded and more laid back. Cruise ships arrive in George Town every day but Sunday, and thousands of passengers fill up the port-area streets and shops, but rarely head this far out. The famed Seven Mile Beach is just up the road to the North, and many fly-in visitors head there for the active night life, bars and boutique shops.

But we’re here for another reason: To get away from it all. My wife Laurie and I live in Florida and have spent enough days and nights in the glitz of Miami’s South Beach and the tourist trappings of Central Florida. This trip, we’re looking for quiet, uncrowded beaches and drinks under uncluttered starry skies. Sure, we’ll spend some time at Seven Mile Beach and the world-famous Stingray City, but our focus is definitely on centering ourselves, relaxing, and finding a bit of romance along the way.

We pull into The Reef and are promptly greeted by the front desk staff. Turns out everyone at The Reef is friendly and engaging, greeting us as a friend the second time they see us and asking what our plans are. Check-in went smoothly and we quickly found ourselves in our first-floor one-bedroom condo unit. Both our living room and bedroom have unobstructed views of the ocean.

Although the resort is nearly at capacity, we feel like we are all alone as look out of our sliders at swaying palm trees, white sand and blue waters. We are getting exactly what we wanted. [member]

We have the deluxe all-inclusive option, which gives us unlimited drinks and dining – even snacks – for the entire length of our stay. While we plan to enjoy the main dining room often, it’s nice to know we can grab a quick meal at the resort’s own Subway franchise if we want.

Exploring the Island

After a day or so of simply decompressing and lazing on beach chairs, we’re ready to explore a bit. Because we want to relax and have the time to do so, we decide to focus each day on just one or two activities. We could do much more, but we’re liking it this way.

Laurie and I take the resort’s complementary bikes out for a spin one day, and go sea kayaking another. On another day we embark on a mini sailing adventure with White Sand Water Sports (whitesandwatersports.com), which is the exclusive water sport provider for The Reef which means we walk out of our condo onto the beach and we’re at their operation. Proprietors Dave and Alan are two Canadian guys who devote themselves to water sports and guests’ enjoyment of them. As we sail out on a Hobie Getaway catamaran to a secluded snorkeling spot, chatting with the gregarious Dave and Alan is half the fun. On our way back to the resort, we catch a tailwind and zip along the surface of the water, only to be passed by a semi-pro kiteboarder who’s going even faster.

Of course, we make the obligatory trip to Stingray City. There are just about as many tour operators heading out to the spot where these beautiful-yet-gentle sea creatures congregate to be hand fed by tourists as there are stingrays, and that means there are quite a lot. Thankfully, the folks at The Reef hook us up with Red Sail Sports (+1 345 949 8745; www.redsailcayman.com) and we go out on a gorgeous 65-foot catamaran on which we lay back and soak up the sun and sounds of the surf as we sail out. Our first stop is a shallow reef area full of life, and I spot a snakelike moray eel hiding in a crevice as I free dive about eight feet down. Luckily, he’s more afraid of me than I am of him. About 45 minutes later, we jump into the waters of Stingray City and come face to face with stingrays in the wild. I run my fingers along their silky-smooth skin as they swim by, seemingly flying in an aquatic sky, and I marvel at the diversity of God’s creation.

Dining Adventures

Our evenings are full of excitement as well, but more along the culinary lines. Twice a week in the resort’s main dining room, local legend Barefoot Man kind of a mix between Jimmy Buffet and David Letterman provides live music and entertainment for diners, dryly mixing his view of island life with classic and original songs. Listening to Barefoot Man makes it easy to linger over the meal Caymanian surf and turf (medallions of beef tenderloin, mahi and shrimp) for me and scallops and shrimp with mango salsa for Laurie

The next night we join some new friends for dinner at Tukka (+1 345 947 2700; www.tukka.ky), which bills itself as an “Australian & Caribbean Native Fusion Restaurant & Bar.” Now I never would have imagined I’d be eating kangaroo, let alone in an upscale beachfront restaurant in Grand Cayman. Nevertheless, the exquisitely prepared dishes also were visually stunning, as Aussie owner/chef Ron Hargrave takes plating as seriously as preparation.

We do make our way to Seven Mile Beach, where the namesake shoreline winds alongside upmarket oceanfront hotels, guest houses, restaurants and the governor’s mansion. Many of the hotels have beachside bars, and we take our drinks to the water’s edge to enjoy the sunset. As I stand hand in hand with my bride of 22 years, we spy on a wedding party posing for portraits just a few steps away, and we see a couple clearly enjoying the magical romance that Cayman provides.

As it turns out, rather than dozing poolside with a blanket of sunscreen, we’re enjoying a lot more activities than we had planned. And yet somehow, we still are getting all the rest, relaxation and romance we want.

CAYMAN INFO AND TIPS

The Cayman Islands (and if you want to be in the know, just say Cayman) is a British Overseas Territory in the northwestern corner of the Caribbean Sea, situated almost equidistant from Jamaica, Cuba, the Yucatan Peninsula and the Central American coast.

Cayman actually comprises three islands: Grand Cayman (home to the capital city of George Town, Owen Roberts International Airport, Seven-Mile Beach and The Reef Resort) and two smaller islands, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, which are five mile apart from each other but just about 100 miles northeast of Grand Cayman.

These two small-yet-beautiful islands have a resident population of about 2,000 and are accessible only by boat or plane.

GETTING THERE & AROUND

Flights are plentiful the U.S., connecting through Miami, Tampa and other cities. If you choose to rent a car, driving on the left side takes some getting used to and requires more concentration for many people. Safety and security are vastly superior to most other Caribbean destinations because of a robust economy, political stability and a trustworthy police force. English is spoken everywhere; although a few of the locals have a thick Caymanian accent that you may find a bit challenging.

To learn more about Cayman, visit caymanpal.com

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