Shopping!

What are some MUST purchase items in Grand Cayman?

rum and the rum cake.

unless looking for a Rolex, Cayman is not really a place for shopping.

GC is an EXPENSIVE island...it's the BANKING capital of the Caribbean. It's not a "poor" place...so there are no "bargains".

I would say about 60% of our elected officials have their money "hidden" there....

Yes Cayman is expensive, but that doesn't mean you can't find some deals. I always purchase stone carved into animal shapes, nice shirts and t-shirts, and I love the small local paintings. We often purchase items made by local artists at Pure Art, which is on the outskirts of Georgetown, going towards Smith Cove (towards the south side of the island). My son purchased a pair of bamboo sunglasses there and I purchased a beautiful two sided ring (it has the inside of a conch shell on one side, and larimar on the other side. The have tons of items there: carvings, paintings, soap, jewelry, etc. You could easily spend an hour or more there. In town, Blue Iguana has some good prices on items.

If you want something unique, there is a stone called Caymanite and you can sometimes find pieces of jewelry made from it at the Craft Market in George Town. That is pretty unique.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caymanite

I also don't think there are any must purchases.

Many years ago I would have said China and Crystal but not anymore.

Keith

Photography equipment is a niche item that can be had at very competitive prices. I've bought cameras and lenses here that rival any price i could find on the internet.

Local craft products such as Cayman Pepper Jelly, Caymanite jewelry, or paintings from Pure Art can be a unique souvenir of your visit to Cayman.