Bus to Mastic Trail?

[anonmom]

We are going to be in George Town, Grand Cayman in December. Is there a bus that goes to the Mastic Trail?

 

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[drew sailbum]

The routes to North Side, including the North Side/East End combined routes, go nearest the Mastic Trail. However the bus does not service the trail head on either end of the trail. It would be about a mile walk to the bus route from either end of the trail.

 

The Mastic Trail is a woodland trail that crosses parts of old growth forest. It harkens back to when such trails were the primary means of traveling between districts if there was a need to travel by land. In the rainy months the trail can be a bit swampy, particularly toward the southern end of the trail.

[anonmom]

Thanks for the info! Would taking a taxi from the port to the trail head be better? How much would that cost?

 

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[bookbabe]

Thanks for the info! Would taking a taxi from the port to the trail head be better? How much would that cost?

 

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My guess would be about $50 US each way? The trail is a bit over halfway to Rum Point, so it's not close to the port. Your better bet would be a rental car.

[anonmom]

My guess would be about $50 US each way? The trail is a bit over halfway to Rum Point, so it's not close to the port. Your better bet would be a rental car.

Oh, that's disappointing. Do a lot of people rent cars for the day in Grand Cayman? It seems a little complicated. How much does a car rental cost?

 

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[bookbabe]

Oh, that's disappointing. Do a lot of people rent cars for the day in Grand Cayman? It seems a little complicated. How much does a car rental cost?

 

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Lots of people rent cars there. It's no tougher than renting a car in the States, and it'll be way cheaper than a taxi for exploring outside of town. Driving takes a bit of attention first, to make sure you stay on the correct side of the road, but you get used to it quickly. There's one rental company downtown near-ish to the port (Cayman Auto Rentals) but pretty much all of the usual US chains are available at the airport, and most will come pick you up at the port.

[drew sailbum]

The Mastic Trail is not a typical destination for cruise ship visitors. For most cruise ship guests there really is not sufficient time for a round trip hike the length of the trail so that creates the problem of how to arrange transportation to pick you up on the other end of the trail. And I cannot emphasize enough that the southern end of the trail ends up very swampy and muddy in rainy times of the year (like now!!!). A group could split with some hiking and others going to Rum Point for a short visit before going to pick up the hikers at the other end of the trail, but overall it is complicated.

 

For a similar walk-in-the-woods experience nearby I would recommend the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park. It has a well maintained walking trail that covers about a mile on a circular path so you end up back at parking. There is also a beautiful floral garden. And the Botanic Park has our endangered blue iguanas! Renting a car is still the way to get there.

[anonmom]

Lots of people rent cars there. It's no tougher than renting a car in the States, and it'll be way cheaper than a taxi for exploring outside of town. Driving takes a bit of attention first, to make sure you stay on the correct side of the road, but you get used to it quickly. There's one rental company downtown near-ish to the port (Cayman Auto Rentals) but pretty much all of the usual US chains are available at the airport, and most will come pick you up at the port.

I am a bit nervous about the opposite-side driving, but also just the idea of renting a car and returning it the same day, while having to be back to the ship by 3:30 pm.

 

Are there any interesting, non-touristy things to do that are on the bus line? Not very interested in another beach day, unless there is somewhere that has great snorkeling available right by the shore.

 

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[anonmom]

The Mastic Trail is not a typical destination for cruise ship visitors. For most cruise ship guests there really is not sufficient time for a round trip hike the length of the trail so that creates the problem of how to arrange transportation to pick you up on the other end of the trail. And I cannot emphasize enough that the southern end of the trail ends up very swampy and muddy in rainy times of the year (like now!!!). A group could split with some hiking and others going to Rum Point for a short visit before going to pick up the hikers at the other end of the trail, but overall it is complicated.

 

For a similar walk-in-the-woods experience nearby I would recommend the Queen Elizabeth Botanic Park. It has a well maintained walking trail that covers about a mile on a circular path so you end up back at parking. There is also a beautiful floral garden. And the Botanic Park has our endangered blue iguanas! Renting a car is still the way to get there.

I see a lot of info online that says this is a 3-4 hour hike. Is that just one way?

 

How far from the port is the botanic park? There is no bus that goes there either?

 

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[bookbabe]

I am a bit nervous about the opposite-side driving, but also just the idea of renting a car and returning it the same day, while having to be back to the ship by 3:30 pm.

 

Are there any interesting, non-touristy things to do that are on the bus line? Not very interested in another beach day, unless there is somewhere that has great snorkeling available right by the shore.

 

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There's a museum, an escape room and shopping within walking distance, and the turtle farm and Hell can be reached by bus. There's also good snorkeling very close to the port at Eden Rock. Most other stuff will require a taxi or rental car.

[bookbabe]

I see a lot of info online that says this is a 3-4 hour hike. Is that just one way?

 

How far from the port is the botanic park? There is no bus that goes there either?

 

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That's the one-way trail hike time, I believe.

 

Botanic Park is about a half hour drive from port, very close to the Mastic Trail entrance. Technically you can get there by bus, but I'd never recommend public buses as a means of transport outside of George Town for a cruise passenger. The routes and schedules are more of a guideline rather than a rule, and you wouldn't want to risk missing the ship at the end of your day.

[drew sailbum]

Yes, 3-4 hours is a one-way hike time for the Mastic Trail. That is a bit tough to fit in to a cruise visit since you would need nearly 90 minutes for the round trip to drive there and back to the ship. Add a few minutes if you are renting a car to get you there.

 

Humbly, I only recommend the Mastic Trail for experienced hikers who take a GPS and a cell phone with adequate battery power to call 911. People have on rare occasions found themselves lost if they wander off the trail a bit.

 

The Botanic Park is a much safer easier option. Like the Mastic Trail it is accessed off a side road off Frank Sound Rd. Frank Sound Road is the major north-sound road that cuts across the island in the eastern half of the island. No prizes for guessing where the side roads Mastic Road or Botanic Road take you.

 

Buses do serve Frank Sound Rd, and you could pay a small extra charge, usually $1 exra per person, for the bus to divert down a side road like to the Botanic Park. So perhaps CI$5 (US$6.25) per person in total would get you to the gates of the Botanic Park.

 

The problem is the return, as you would need to walk back out to Frank Sound Rd (a mile or so) and then wait for a bus. Buses do not operate on a schedule so your could be waiting quite a while. Renting a car is thus preferred.