Elite Traveler Winter 2021

139 etr li at ve eler WINTER 2021/22

Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman

THE ISLANDS

Grand Cayman The most oft-visited island of the archipelago, Grand Cayman, is its largest. The west side holds the award-winning Seven Mile Beach, where most of the buzzy hotels and condominium complexes lie. On the North Shore, quieter beaches beckon, though visitors throng to the area’s shallow waters off the North Sound to cavort with friendly stingrays in their watery wilderness home. Even less visited, the East End features mom- and-pop eateries, stellar snorkeling, dive sites and blowholes. The island’s only real town, George Town, sports an urbane blend of old and new architecture, encompassing a range that includes stately banks and artisanal shops. With parks and amusements, Grand Cayman will please families, as well as honeymooners and outdoor enthusiasts, with its variety of moods. Cayman Brac, draws avid divers for its astonishing reef and more than 50 dive sites — particularly Wilderness Wall and Peter’s Cave, plus a number of shipwrecks. Reachable via a short flight on Cayman Airways, it also boasts herons, wild green parrots (at National Cayman Brac The territory’s less traveled island,

Little Cayman Booby

Trust Parrot Reserve) and fruit bats among a stunning 170 caves. Explore this 12-mile-long island, accentuated by its bluff, a meandering limestone cliff that’s beloved by hikers. Little Cayman Perhaps the dreamiest island of the bunch, Little Cayman personifies postcard perfection. Its sugary sand and uncrowded beaches beg for romantic picnics. Birdwatch at Booby Pond Nature Reserve, dive at Randy’s Gazebo (a sponge haven), swim naked at pink-sand-profuse Point of Sand (because you likely can get away with it), and fish from a pier at Tarpon Lake. Dive deep at Bloody Bay Marine Park, which offers a wealth of massive underwater walls covered in coral. Owen Island We said three islands comprise The Cayman Islands but, in truth, one more diminutive islet deserves mention. This tiny spot, just a few paddles away from Little Cayman, will deeply connect you to nature. Grab a kayak or sailboat and traverse the crystalline sea to arrive for a day of digital detox and all-body bliss.

CARIBBEAN CUISINE

Cayman cuisine has its own Caribbean flair, accented by the contributions of its worldwide denizens. Sip a famous Mudslide cocktail, invented on Grand Cayman in the 1980s; slurp chewy conch stew; and nibble some coconut shrimp to get in the Caymankind mood. Connected to the islands’ best local growers, The Brasserie (brasseriecayman.com) is a gastronomic icon in George Town that has served up farm-to-plate meals for more than a decade. Savor just-caught seafood, grilled over hardwood coals for a smoky edge, and swoon over indulgent Caribbean lobster, a local favorite. Employing its very own fisherman, Morgans’ Seafood Restaurant (morganscayman.com) is a stylish waterfront eatery that sits in the newly redeveloped Cayman Islands Yacht Club. It features sweeping views of Governor’s Creek. Expect fresh-caught specialties, including Tuna Sashimi and Wahoo Ceviche. Italy meets Peru in the Cayman Islands at Aqua Restaurant (agua.ky) . This innovative fusion restaurant on Camana Bay in George Town serves Cayman-style ceviche made with tropical plantains. Italian-inspired Sicilian Mahi steals the show.