Beach and turtle farm

Hi y’all,

We will be in Grand Cayman the week of Thanksgiving (me, husband, 4 year old son, mother in law, and father in law). Very excited— Cayman is one of our favorites, but I have been put in charge on planning the day’s activities by the family. Husband and FIL are doing snorkeling, so I’d like for MIL, son, and myself to go to the turtle farm and then end up at a beach somewhere. (We’ve done all the sights before, except for my son— this is his first visit.)

I have read that there are either 5 or 6 ships in port that day! :o Taking the bus is not a preferred option— please don’t recommend this, as a taxi or tour operator would be preferred for my MIL’s sake. Can y’all make me feel better about 1) the number of people being on the island, hiring a taxi, 2) maybe recommend a guide service to book in advance, and/or 3) suggest a beach other than Seven Mile Beach which is gorgeous but will probably be slammed (is Governors beach nice??? Or can we pay a day fee at a resort for example???)

Thank you! :hearteyes:

There will be lots of taxis at the port. Most are more like shared-ride vans and for common destinations like the turtle farm they may wait to be full before leaving. You could ask any of them how much for a private trip, and most also double as island guides. If all you want is turtle farm then beach, you really don’t need that, however.

Once you’re done at the turtle farm, just grab a taxi to whatever section of SMB you eventually decide on. If there isn’t one waiting, I’m sure one of the turtle farm staff out front can call you one. Everybody’s got a friend, sibling or cousin that drives a taxi. ;-)

The Public Beach/Calico Jacks section will likely be busy, but IMO it’s got the best setup for a multigenerational family with kids. Governors Beach is fine, it’s just another section of SMB, but there are no facilities at all. Royal Palms is good too, they’re the only spot with an official day fee ($2) but their adults-only pool and lack of playground or kids activities may be an issue for your group. SMB is the only real beach area between the turtle farm and the port. There’s Smith Cove relatively close to the port, but it’s in the other direction.

There aren’t any official resorts like on other island where you can pay a fee to use the hotel facilities for the day, but some hotels may, at some very slow times of the year, offer a limited number of day passes. It’s not advertised though, except with resellers like Resort for a Day and such, and I have no experience with or confidence in any of those services. YMMV.

If you weren’t set on the turtle farm, I’d suggest renting a car and heading to Rum Point. It’s a great place for a multigenerational beach day. And the snorkelers could DIY there or see if Red Sail (the provider there) was doing a trip out that worked with your times.

There will be lots of taxis at the port. Most are more like shared-ride vans and for common destinations like the turtle farm they may wait to be full before leaving. You could ask any of them how much for a private trip, and most also double as island guides. If all you want is turtle farm then beach, you really don’t need that, however.

 

Once you’re done at the turtle farm, just grab a taxi to whatever section of SMB you eventually decide on. If there isn’t one waiting, I’m sure one of the turtle farm staff out front can call you one. Everybody’s got a friend, sibling or cousin that drives a taxi. ;-)

 

The Public Beach/Calico Jacks section will likely be busy, but IMO it’s got the best setup for a multigenerational family with kids. Governors Beach is fine, it’s just another section of SMB, but there are no facilities at all. Royal Palms is good too, they’re the only spot with an official day fee ($2) but their adults-only pool and lack of playground or kids activities may be an issue for your group. SMB is the only real beach area between the turtle farm and the port. There’s Smith Cove relatively close to the port, but it’s in the other direction.

 

There aren’t any official resorts like on other island where you can pay a fee to use the hotel facilities for the day, but some hotels may, at some very slow times of the year, offer a limited number of day passes. It’s not advertised though, except with resellers like Resort for a Day and such, and I have no experience with or confidence in any of those services. YMMV.

 

If you weren’t set on the turtle farm, I’d suggest renting a car and heading to Rum Point. It’s a great place for a multigenerational beach day. And the snorkelers could DIY there or see if Red Sail (the provider there) was doing a trip out that worked with your times.

This is really great information. Thank you so much for your reply! These ideas give me a huge jumping off place to explore further. Thank you!!!