Skip to content

Five Fun Things for Kids to Do in Grand Cayman

March 31, 2018
8 min read
boat grand cayman
Five Fun Things for Kids to Do in Grand Cayman
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.

We went to Grand Cayman not looking for a relaxing adults-only getaway (we did that in St. Kitts), but to go all-in on a spring break filled with family fun in the perfect setting. Beach vacations truly are the easiest type of family vacation to plan and enjoy because you have all you really need for entertainment right outside your door. Sand, water, and sun make for memorable family days of laughs and smiles. However, even at a perfect beach, you are best served finding a few different activities to add to the agenda of splashing and sandcastle making, so here are five things to do with kids on Grand Cayman, as well as a video with an overview of how we spent our time on my new favorite Caribbean Island.

Before we get into specific kid-friendly activities in Grand Cayman, I can't stress enough how important it is to check the cruise ship schedule when deciding which activities to do on which dates. On some days, there are up to four very large cruise ships in port, while other days don't have any ships. I would try and align more popular activities such as the stingrays on a day with fewer cruise ships, if possible.

Play on Seven Mile Beach

Let's start with the most important kid-friendly activity on Grand Cayman, which has to be swimming and relaxing on Seven Mile Beach. This stretch of beach is on the western side of the island and plays host to resorts such as the Ritz Carlton, Marriott, and where we stayed at the Westin Seven Mile Beach. It is not surprising that these resorts claimed Seven Mile Beach as their home because it is the most perfect stretch of beach for families that I have ever experienced.

Photo by Rebecca of Flytograhper

The water is crystal clear, blue, and calm. Not only is the water perfect for kids, but the sand is soft and relatively cool. You will even find some trees between rows of resort-owned chairs with umbrellas. If sitting on the shore or wading into the water isn't thrilling enough for you, there are jet skis, paddle boards, and more readily available for rent up and down the beach.

Photo by Rebecca of Flytograhper

While you should venture at least a little to some other Grand Cayman activities while on the island, I'd argue that the beach should be the starring attraction of your trip because it is just that good. When making your agenda, leave some big, empty spots of time to just splash around and enjoy.

Photo by Rebecca of Flytograhper

Kiss a Stingray at Stingray City

Perhaps the most unique attraction on Grand Cayman for both kids and adults can be found in the middle of the North Sound where the stingrays gather on a sandbar for squid dinners and kisses from tourists. The story goes that the stingrays started gathering there once upon a time when fisherman would anchor on the sandbar to clean their fish instead of heading to store where mosquitos were more of a problem.

Now tourists flock by boat to see, and even kiss, these majestic sea creatures. There are a seemingly infinite number of companies ready to take you out by boat to see the stingrays, so you will have your pick of tour lengths, times, and price points. We ultimately chartered a boat to see both the stingrays and starfish - you can read all about our charter experience and some other tour options to visit the stingrays here.

However you decide to get your family out to Stingray City, I would put it very high on your list of things to do with kids in Grand Cayman.

Search for Starfish at Starfish Point

Starfish Point is a beach that overlooks the North Sound and is where you will often find a large number of wild starfish. You can technically drive to Starfish Point, sometimes known as Starfish Beach, but it is a little over an hour by car from Seven Mile Beach, and may not be worth the drive unless you are making a day out of being in that area of the island. However, it is a stop included on many of the boat tours to see the stingrays, and it was a fun place to spend half an hour watching the girls hunt for starfish in the calm, shallow water.

Daily Newsletter
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts

We were told to be sure and not take the starfish out of the water, but I've now learned that some say you shouldn't touch the starfish at all. Either way, the water is clear so you can easily spot the starfish whether you decide to touch them or not. My girls truly had a blast finding starfish in the wild for the very first time!

Ride a Swimming Horse

When we went all-in on chartering a boat for a few hours, our budget to ride swimming horses dried up, but I 100% want to do this with my oldest daughter on our next visit to Grand Cayman. Roughly a ten-minute drive from Westin Grand Cayman on Seven Mile Beach is Pampered Ponies where you can take a horseback ride that not only goes to the beach, but then actually goes into the water!

This horseback ride goes along the uninhabited stretch of beach along Grand Cayman's northernmost shoreline in Barker's National Park and then you get to take off the saddles and hold on as the horses swim into the clear, blue water to cool off. This is not just the horses wading into the water, but actually swimming! If you prefer your horse to stay on solid ground, they do also offer a non-swimming ride, but what is the fun in that?!

Visit Massive Sea Turtles at the Cayman Turtle Centre

The largest land-based attraction on Grand Cayman is the Cayman Turtle Centre that is located about a 15-minute ride from the Westin on Seven Mile Beach. This center not only has impressive green sea turtles that weigh up to 500 pounds, but they plan an active roll in being a steward of the species by releasing more than 30,000 sea turtles into the wild.

The Turtle Centre is divided into two sections with two different price points. The less expensive ticket that we purchased gets you access to the big pond with the massive turtles, the turtle touch tanks, and the hatchery. This can easily keep you and your kids entertained for 60 - 90 minutes - just be sure and bring sunscreen.

If you are looking to make a longer day of it, you can spend more to get full access to the property which would also include the butterfly garden, aviary, the predator tank, and the largest swimming pool on the island, Breaker's Lagoon with two waterfalls and an underwater viewing panel into the predator tank. This full access ticket to the turtle center also offers the opportunity to jump in and snorkel with yearling sea turtles and other marine life in the coral lined Turtle Lagoon!

While there may be discounts available, to give you a rough idea of pricing, their website lists the shorter experience at $18 and full access for $45. We paid less than that for our shorter experience via the cab driver going in and negotiating some sort of deal. On our visit, we took a cab to the center and they had a free Turtle Center bus available for returns to the resorts on Seven Mile Beach.

More activities for kids in Grand Cayman

These five activities are very high on my list of things to do with kids in Grand Cayman, there are many other great spots and activities on this family-friendly island. Some other family-friendly spots and attractions on Grand Cayman include: Camana Bay with its shops, restaurants, and an outdoor play fountain; the Cayman Crystal Caves, which is on my list for exploring next time; an underwater ride on the Atlantis Submarine; and lunch at Kaibo, which is not worth a trip by itself, but a good place for a snack while in the area at Starfish Point or on a boat tour.

Fountains at Camana Bay
Snacks at Kaibo
Fun at Kaibo while mom and dad enjoy ceviche

To learn more about putting together an unforgettable and affordable family vacation to Grand Cayman, check out the other articles in this series.

Where to Use Hotel Points on Grand Cayman

Review of the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach

Chartering a Boat on Grand Cayman to Visit Stingray City

If you have been to Grand Cayman, what were some of your kids' favorite Cayman activities?

Photo by Rebecca of Flytograhper

TPG featured card

Rewards rate
3XEarn 3X Miles on Delta purchases.
1XEarn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
Intro offer
Open Intro bonus
Earn up to 125,000 Bonus Miles
Annual fee
$650
Regular APR
19.49%-28.49% Variable
Recommended credit
Open Credit score description
Excellent to Good

Pros

  • Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
  • Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
  • Ability to earn MQDs through spending
  • Various statement credits for eligible purchases

Cons

  • Steep annual fee of $650
  • Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
  • Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
  • Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
  • Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
  • Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
  • $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
  • Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
  • With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
  • Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
  • $650 Annual Fee.
  • Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
  • Terms Apply.
  • See Rates & Fees