Cayman condos
 

I'm planning a trip in early 2004. I am trying to decide between Tamarind Bay, Beachcomber, and Coralstone club (it is agonizing). I have seen several posts on the Beachcomber and the Coralstone but nothing on the Tamarind Bay. Any opinions (even just on location) would be helpful as I am swaying towards this. We are traveling with two adults and three kids.

We are looking for convenience and a nice beach.

Thanks Much

Please be a little more specific on what you are looking for in a vacation.

In general, I would love to see a list of five key things people are looking for in a vacation in order of priority, as well as any "must haves" and "definitely don't wants"

A few thoughts though :
- Look at CaymanVacations.com for a map of 7MB and you will see that Coralstone, while being one of the newer and high quality condo complexes, is right next door to the Ritz Carlton constuction (Villas of the Galleon is on the other side)
- Beachcomber does get good reviews but it is again close to a construction site, this time the Meridian on what used to be the old PanCayman house. Just something to bear in mind.
- Tamarind Bay is nice enough too, but there ain't much beach left at the Southern end of 7MB due to beach erosion, and although the government here (and hopefully the winter weather) will work to replace the sand, right now it is not ideal for a beach vacation at that end of the beach.

Oh, and watch out for the distinction between "Oceanview" and "Oceanfront" on unit descriptions...Oceanview units can be fine, but can also be way back off the beach with only a partial view of the ocean when you crane your neck off the balcony...make sure you know what you are getting....Oceanfront of course should mean you are square on the ocean, but sometimes Oceanfront units are also angled slightly, and that may impact how and when the sun shines on your condo

Since my original post I have learned about the beach erosion problem and will therefore likely rule out the Tamarind Bay due to this. The Beachcomber is full and have ruled out the Coralstone due to the construction in the area.

The beach and convenience to a grocery store and restaurants are probably the most important to us especially with kids. We are seeking a Beachfront 2 bedroom. We will go snorkeling (it would be a crime not to) but this is not our top priority. We simply want to simply escape the harsh winter of the Northeast. Someone at the Department of Tourism recommended Lacovia which ironically was one of the condos recommended by a friend.

We are also fitness oriented and run 5-10 miles per day so I would prefer not having to dodge too many cars driving on the left driven by people who normally drive on the right.

We are going the end of November and we rented a 2 bedroom oceanfront condo at Plantana (rented a car). If you want to be on SMB and near the stores/restaurants then the south end is best. From my months of research, I have come to learn from others and people who live on GC that the best beach areas on SMB are located from the Hyatt down. Keep in mind that one bad storm over GC could change this. Have you looked into Pointsettia or The Cayman Reef? www.caymanvillas.com/html/7mile_home.htm (or try this web site it has a great map)
www.villawebsite.com/v7/map.html
Colonial Club or Casa Caribe may be a consideration if you haven't looked at them yet but not sure if their beachfront is what your looking for. Cayman Vacations has lots of picture of these two locations. Good Luck!

I meant to say the Hyatt up, the North end!

Have you looked into Casa Caribe? It is between the Hyatt and the Westin and is very similar to Coralstone but away from the construction. I know a lot of their units are three bedroom, but have a two bedroom reserved for Christmas. We went through Ian at Cayman Vacations. Email me if you have further questions.

Thanks everyone for the advice. With all the postings I have seen on this website it appears that there are many terrific places to stay. We have ultimately decided to stay at Lacovia as it came as a recommendation from both a friend and someone from the Department of Tourism (there were others they recommended as well). After careful consideration I think it will be a good choice for our family.

I am planning a trip to Grand Cayman island in March, can any one give me info on PlantationVillage Beach Resort, I am very leery about other reports I am reading about other resorts. Thank you bobbur

We stayed at Discovery Point and liked it very much. It's at the north end of the beach-- the quiet part. Good snorkeling at Cemetery Reef. Ask for Jackie when you call for reservations.

Have you considered the East End? We just got back from a week at Morrit's Tortuga and thought it was really nice. After driving down to 7 mile beach and Georgetown we were especially glad to be staying there.

It is away from all the action and shopping, but there is a lot of nice beach, 3 pools, and even when the resort is full, it doesn't seem crowded. There wasn't a lot to pick from regarding dining, but Portofinos, Over the Edge and the Lighthouse aren't that far away. Following someone's advice on this forum, we brought our own food for breakfast and lunch.

The kids there seemed to be having a great time.