Cemetery Beach or Smiths Cove for snorkeling?

We are looking for awesome place to snorkel and relax, and have our own equipment. After reading reviews, these 2 places seem ideal. Has anyone been to both and sum things up? Possibility of doing both an afternoon? How far are they apart? THX!!

they are about 6 miles apart ... that's FAR on Cayman

you can get to Cemetery by bus .... not Smith's (unless the bus service to the south end has gotten A LOT better) ... for this reason I'd expect Smith's to be less crowded altho neither will be packed ....

Cem' is north of the tender landing, Smith's is south.

You can find both with Google Earth

they are about 6 miles apart ... that's FAR on Cayman

 

you can get to Cemetery by bus .... not Smith's (unless the bus service to the south end has gotten A LOT better) ... for this reason I'd expect Smith's to be less crowded altho neither will be packed ....

 

Cem' is north of the tender landing, Smith's is south.

 

You can find both with Google Earth

Thank you Capt BJ! Any clue which place would be better for snorkeling?

I prefer Smith's but that's due primarily to the proximity of My Bar at Sunset House

lot's of folks staying at Sunset will walk to Smith's for some sand time and snorkeling ...

I recommend taking a taxi to Smith's and enjoy the quiet and some snorkeling

then walk to Sunset House and maybe do some more snorkeling then have a libation or two at My Bar .... the walk back to town from here is about 3/4 mile or so .... there aren't sidewalks all the way, but much of the way and I've walked it MANY times, day and night with no problem. Just remember they drive on the LEFT .... or ask the barkeep to call you a taxi ... this is usually NO problem as taxi drivers often come here for their lunch anyway!

http://www.whatshot.ky/2014/09/sunset-house-my-bar-a-legendary-local-favorite/

Smith's Cove

the boat you see here is returning to Sunset House

I recommend taking a taxi to Smith's and enjoy the quiet and some snorkeling

 

then walk to Sunset House and maybe do some more snorkeling then have a libation or two at My Bar .... the walk back to town from here is about 3/4 mile or so .... there aren't sidewalks all the way, but much of the way and I've walked it MANY times, day and night with no problem. Just remember they drive on the LEFT .... or ask the barkeep to call you a taxi ... this is usually NO problem as taxi drivers often come here for their lunch anyway!

 

http://www.whatshot.ky/2014/09/sunset-house-my-bar-a-legendary-local-favorite/

 

Smith's Cove

 

 

the boat you see here is returning to Sunset House

Wow! Looks like a beautiful place. Aprox how far from Smiths to Sunset House? Can we grab lunch there as well? Are the taxis regulated?

My Bar is where local folks go for lunch .... and dinner .... and drinks

http://cdn1.buuteeq.com/upload/27773/restaurant-snack-menu-nov-10-8_.pdf

taxi are safe .. no worries .. EXPENSIVE, but safe .. everything in Cayman is expensive. Rest' prices above are in $CI ... $1CI = $1.20US so add 20% for conversion (and another 20% tip) .... your $20 US is $16 CI ... an $8CI beer is $10 (plus tip) US .... most places add tip automatically if you use a credit card.

 

My Bar is where local folks go for lunch .... and dinner .... and drinks

http://cdn1.buuteeq.com/upload/27773/restaurant-snack-menu-nov-10-8_.pdf

 

taxi are safe .. no worries .. EXPENSIVE, but safe .. everything in Cayman is expensive. Rest' prices above are in $CI ... $1CI = $1.20US so add 20% for conversion (and another 20% tip) .... your $20 US is $16 CI ... an $8CI beer is $10 (plus tip) US .... most places add tip automatically if you use a credit card.

Last question, I promise, lol.....Is Spotts beach worth the distance from port?

Looks like a great place to observe turtles.

what's your measure for 'worth'?

I ALWAYS go to Sunset House. I've stayed many times for a week of diving and when hitting Cayman on a cruise I walk to Sunset House. One big advantage IMO, it is far enuf from town that you seldom see other cruisers here .... no crowds of the same folks you are shoulder to shoulder with in the boat. Snorkeling is away from the crowd that invades Eden Rock. Smith's is farther yet so my math says .... but going back to your original question, that applies to Cemetery too ... it is far from the tenders by comparison to the rest of 7 mile

Turtles: well maybe but they are not 'common'; with hundreds of dives around the Caymans I can count the number of times I've seen a turtle on my fingers. Altho last time I did a week at Sunset there was a small turtle (a foot or so diameter) who was making regular appearances just off My Bar ...

Just thought I would add my two cents worth here since I have done both locations.

We did Cemetery Beach about 5 years ago. It was very easy to get to via the public bus. Cheap to get there as well. Hope on and tell them to stop at the Cemetery and they will. Maybe 20 minutes on the bus to get there. It was very quiet there with about 5 ships in. Most people go to the more southern parts of 7 mile beach. There were no restaurants, bars, showers, washrooms, or people selling things, like chair rentals. The sand was nice and there was lots of shade from the trees there. I heard the snorkeling was great there but did not find any great snorkeling. Maybe I did not just find the right spots. It was ok, but nothing great. I swam out a LONG way to find some coral heads and there were a fair number of boats passing between me and the shore. I saw a lot of little jellyfish in the water there but you can easily avoid them IF you watch out. Alas, my daughter got freaked out when she saw them and I had to tow her back ashore (not looking where I was going because I had my face out of the water trying to calm her down). Long story short, the 400+ jellyfish stings I counted on my legs and arms made the rest of the cruise VERY uncomfortable. Traffic getting back to Georgetown was a nightmare. Be prepared to leave an hour to get back.

I tried Smith Cove last March. Get off the tender and walk the OPPOSITE way from all the other cruise ship passengers. It took me about 20-25 minutes to walk there. I was nervous doing this because I knew there were some parts with no sidewalks and knew that the road in Grand Cayman were filled with insane amount of vehicles. I could not have been more wrong. In a 20 minute walk, maybe 5 or 6 vehicles passed me. I did not feel nervous at all on this island like exploring some other Caribbean ports. Turning right when you get off the ship takes you to a different world than the rest of Grand Cayman. I have ported in Grand Cayman maybe 20 times and this was my first time going in that direction. Only one other person was willing to walk with me because the other 20 in our group thought it may be too far or a dangerous walk - their loss.

There were 11 people on the beach when I arrived (never more than 30 all day) and there were 5 ships in port. There is a ton of trees for shade. The rock features are great to explore. The sand is beautiful and soft. Each of the three sand fingers slopes gently into the water between the rock ledges (very sharp, so be careful). I had a difficult time finding fish and coral there. I went around both to the right and left of the beach area. Just as I was going back ashore, I came across a couple of coral heads no more than 20-30 yards off shore (I swam around them on my way out). They were quite nice. Not spectacular, but nice. Lots of fish on them too. Very easy swim out for kids and it is in about 10-12 feet of water maximum. Great introduction to snorkeling for beginners.

There were washrooms and a area you could change in as well there. No food or bars, but an ice cream truck pulled up and stayed most of the day. Must be a local beach because the prices for the ice creams were only about $3. They would have been double or triple that if you went elsewhere on the island where most cruisers go.

We are going back to Cayman in March and I have one question for you. Can you guess where you will find me on Grand Cayman when I visit from my descriptions above.

I stayed in a little motel across the street from Smith Cove in the mid90s and remembered it being so quaint and beautiful, so I ventured out and walked to it in March 2015 from my cruise. Sadly that day, the water was rough & not exactly the best conditions for snorkeling. Just be prepared for that. I visited Cemetary Beach in March 2016, and it was beautiful. Snorkeling was just OK but not spectacular. It's a gamble.

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We are going back to Cayman in March and I have one question for you. Can you guess where you will find me on Grand Cayman when I visit from my descriptions above.

next time stop at Sunset House too ... good snorkeling and a GREAT bar for a cool drink and some lunch .... you walked right past

tried Smith Cove last March. Get off the tender and walk the OPPOSITE way from all the other cruise ship passengers. It took me about 20-25 minutes to walk there. I was nervous doing this because I knew there were some parts with no sidewalks and knew that the road in Grand Cayman were filled with insane amount of vehicles. I could not have been more wrong. In a 20 minute walk, maybe 5 or 6 vehicles passed me. I did not feel nervous at all on this island like exploring some other Caribbean ports. Turning right when you get off the ship takes you to a different world than the rest of Grand Cayman.

agree 110% - very little traffic down this way so walking even without sidewalks has never been an issue for us (been visiting since the early 80's and always stay at Sunset House.) When staying at Sunset House we routinely walk to town for dinner and back, after dark. Never had an issue ... most of the time a local will stop and offer us a ride, the people are that friendly! It is a different place when you get away from 7 Mile and the main shopping area (and M'ville and Hard Rock ....)

I stayed in a little motel across the street from Smith Cove in the mid90s and remembered it being so quaint and beautiful, so I ventured out and walked to it in March 2015 from my cruise. Sadly that day, the water was rough & not exactly the best conditions for snorkeling. Just be prepared for that. I visited Cemetary Beach in March 2016, and it was beautiful. Snorkeling was just OK but not spectacular. It's a gamble.

 

 

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Good point. The day we had at Smith Cove had water as flat as glass. I have seen photos of the water there being very rough. From what I read, it all depends on prevailing winds and only happens about one out of every 10 days, but still, if you hit it on that tenth day, you may be disappointed.

Is there anywhere close to smith's cove to rent fins? We're bringing our own goggles and snorkels but, due to luggage restrictions, won't be able to bring our fins...

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I don't remember seeing anything. Not sure if you can rent from one of the places close to the tender that you can take around the island

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Eden Rock has rentals and if you are walking you go right past

Sunset House also has a dive shop but last time I was there they had put in a "no off property" rule for their rentals (due to loss from non-returns). Good for snorkeling on Sunset Reef tho ....