Known for its coral reefs, white sand beaches, and opportunities to swim with stingrays,
Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands, which is a self-governing British
Overseas Territory located in the Western Caribbean.
In this video, we’ll provide an overview of our August 2022 visit to Grand Cayman,
when our ship – the Carnival Glory – anchored off the coast of the capital city of George
Town and we spent a couple of hours leisurely exploring the downtown area using a walking
tour we created.
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Our day in port started with a ride on one of the double-decker water shuttles that transported
passengers from our ship to the port and back.
During our cruise, the ride to the island took about 10 to 15 minutes and our ship’s
water shuttles docked at the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal.
When we arrived at the terminal, we were greeted by a “Welcome to Grand Cayman” sign, which
many people used for a quick photo op.
If the line for taking a photo is long when you arrive, check the line for a similar sign
located just around the corner.
A sign posted at the gates to the cruise terminal area gave the time for the last water shuttle
for guests and crew.
The sign also recommended passengers always carry their Sail & Sign Card, government-issued
photo ID, and COVID vaccination card.
After we passed through the gates into the cruise terminal area, we found restrooms,
a meeting area for ship sponsored excursions,
directional signage pointing the way to ground transportation,
several souvenir shops,
locals selling independent shore excursions,
a map of the downtown area,
a map of major attraction locations,
and a few shaded benches for taking a quick break.
As we faced the city with the water at our back, there were exits on both the left and
right sides of the terminal area.
We exited to the right, close to a memorial for Caymaynians lost at sea.
The memorial’s light beacon was once used for ship navigation.
After a brief stop at the memorial, we continued north to the nearby ruins of Fort George.
The fort was a colonial era fortification originally built to combat invaders.
Three murals at the fort depicted historical events as they might have been seen
from the site.
The murals portrayed an attack by the Spanish, a German submarine attack on a merchant ship
during World War II, and an Easter regatta.
In addition to all of the information about the fort, a replica of the lookout towers
that were constructed around the island during World War II to watch for German submarines
was also on display.
Just north of the Fort George ruins, a large mural made for a great photo op.
The mural featured several Cayman symbols, including a blue iguana, a green sea turtle,
a Cayman parrot, and a wild banana orchid, which is the Cayman national flower.
We continued our walking tour north along North Church Street and quickly arrived at
Balboa Beach.
The small beach, which is named for a nearby shipwreck, included a frame that we used for
a family photo with our cruise ship in the background.
A local fish market was located near the beach, but the fishermen were not yet selling their
catch when we visited around 8 in the morning.
However, local merchants were selling goods at a local craft market located on the opposite
side of the street.
After a quick stop at the craft market, we headed south – back toward the Fort George
ruins – and took a left at Fort Street.
Along the way – and much to the delight of our Jelly Bean – we saw the first of
several feral chickens we spotted during our morning walk.
We continued walking about a block along Fort Street until we arrived at a cluster of points
of interest worth noting.
The first point of interest was the Legislative Assembly building, which houses the Parliament
of the Cayman Islands.
The next point of interest was Constitution Hall, which was previously called Town Hall
and was constructed in 1926 as a memorial to those who died in World War I.
The third point of interest was a clock tower located in front of Constitution Hall.
The clock tower was built in 1937 in memory of Queen Elizabeth II’s grandfather, King
George V.
The next point of interest was the first neem tree planted in the Cayman Islands.
The tree is native to South Asia and was first introduced in the Cayman Islands in the 1970s.
It can now be found throughout the island and can be used to help repel mosquitos.
The fifth point of interest was the George Town Public Library, which was built in 1939.
The library was not yet open for the day during our visit, but we hope to visit again to see
the beautiful ceiling that’s modeled after an inverted ship’s hull.
The next point of interest was the public transit bus depot, which is the start and
end for all public bus routes on the island.
Signage showed the current rates for a variety of destinations.
A map of the routes is available on the Cayman Island Public Transport Unit website, which
we’ve linked in the description below.
During our visit a Starbucks was located nearby.
The seventh point of interest was Heroes Square, which was located across the street from the library.
The square had a fountain,
monuments honoring various Caymaynians,
a wall listing milestones in the history of the Cayman Islands,
and a courthouse.
The final point of interest in the area was a long mural located alongside the courthouse.
The mural contained 500 tiles for the country’s 500th anniversary in 2003.
The first tile was dated 1503 for the year Christopher Columbus sighted the islands and
named them “Las Tortugas” due to the many sea turtles located in the surrounding waters.
A tile dated 1937 celebrated the Atlantis becoming the first cruise ship to visit the
Cayman islands.
After spending some time exploring the mural, we traveled one block east to the intersection
of Edward Street and Main Street to take our photo with Blu.
The 8-foot-long blue iguana was part of a 2005 outdoor art exhibit.
Across the street from Blu – at the same intersection – we visited the Central Post Office.
The inside of the building also featured a ceiling modeled after a ship’s hull.
From the post office, we walked west along Shedden Road, back toward the waterfront.
After reaching the road that follows the coastline – named Seafarers Way in this area – we
turned left and found the Cayman Islands National Museum, which is housed in the Old Courts Building.
We continued walking southwest along Seafarers Way to Bayshore Mall, which had a stingray
fountain that was a great photo op.
Near the fountain, we saw several crew members using the mall’s free WiFi.
We spoke with them for a while and they confirmed the connection was strong enough for them
to make video calls back home.
The Bayshore Mall contains one of the oldest structures in the Cayman Islands: a step well
from the 1700s that was discovered on the property in 2003.
To find the well, we walked past the first building and turned left down a corridor,
following the signs for the nearby restrooms.
During our visit, the store that houses the step well was closed, but we could catch a
glimpse of it through the window.
There was also a display located outside of the store.
After leaving the mall, we crossed Seafarers Way and walked a bit further southwest along
the water to a marker for the island’s Maritime Heritage Trail.
Nearby, we saw a slipway carved into the shore where a family-run shipyard once existed.
Turning back and heading toward the Royal Watler Cruise Terminal, we walked past the
two other water shuttle terminals that could be used by cruise ships: the South Terminal
and the North Terminal.
There weren’t many amenities at the two terminals, but they did have restrooms and
signage for photo ops.
Hog Sty Bay is located between the two terminals and was named after the nickname the town
received when its turtle population diminished and residents began selling hogs for meat.
During our visit, we saw some large fish swimming in the water there.
The final stop for our walking tour was Elmslie Memorial United Church, which was located
within view of our cruise terminal.
The church is another building known for having a ceiling modeled after a ship’s hull and
the Celtic cross in front of the church was constructed as a memorial to those who fought
in the two World Wars.
Now, a few quick tips for your visit to Grand Cayman.
Our first tip is a reminder that the Cayman Islands are a British Isles Territory, which
means vehicles drive on the left side of the road.
Oncoming traffic will be on your right as you cross most streets, but we recommend looking
both ways for safety.
Our next tip is to research which terminal your ship will be using before you get to
the island.
The Cayman Port website’s cruise calendar lists the ships scheduled to be in port and
clicking the name of your ship will display the scheduled terminal.
We’ve linked to the website in the description below.
Our third tip is to check the shopping guides handed out on your ship for coupons to redeem
at the various shops located around downtown that offer free jewelry charms and raffles.
And our last tip is to check our walking tour linked in the description below, if you’re
interested in walking the same route we did.