I'm looking for anyone's general thoughts on Grand Cayman versus St.Martin. My wife and I are cashing in frequent flyer miles and taking about 6-7 days in the Carribean in February. We're most interested in good beaches and good snorkeling. For whatever reason we've focused in on these two islands. Can anyone offer some comparison or advise on which to choose and where to stay? Looking for mid-price range. Also, if you have a good unbiased resource you would recommend for research it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Grand Cayman is very safe, relatively expensive, has much better beaches and water, better food overall and a better variety and quality of condos and hotels. It is very commercialized and has little 'Caribbean flavor' IMO. It is very flat, arid and scrubby.

St. Martin is mountainous and thus prettier. It has a lot of poverty and moderate crime. Several good restaurants. It's cheaper. Beaches aren't as good overall. It has more Caribbean flavor to it. Personally the crime and poverty issues just ruin places like St. Martin for me. I won't return there. Cayman is kind of a mindless getaway. No worries, low stress, very predictable.
Just depends on what appeals to you.

I agree with rwilliams and would add that Grand Cayman has nicer beaches, particularly Seven Mile Beach, and better snorkeling. It is quite British, very conservative, stable and safe.

If nude sunbathing is your thing, then Orient Beach on St. M/M is for you.

For specific places to stay, do a serch on this forum and you'll find plenty of detailed threads. Many regular visitors to Cayman prefer condos over hotels. Personally, I think the Westin Casuarina in great, perfectly situated on Seven Mile Beach.

Enjoy!

I agree that the Caymans are better for snorkeling and beaches, but quibble with assertions that St. Martin/St. Maarten are much poorer and have inferior restaurants.
Actually, St. Maarten is one of better-off islands economically and food-wise, it's among the best in the Caribbean. I didn't think there was anything special about Cayman Islands cuisine, whereas you can get everything from Argentinian steaks to grilled lobster to Chateaubriand in St. Martin/St. Maarten.

Another vote for the Cayman Islands....much prettier and very good for snorkeling. The people on the island are very nice too.

I stayed on the french side of St. Martin and although it was nice it was not as nice as Grand Cayman. You might want to check out St. Barts too....the beaches are absolutely gorgeous.

I agree with all said @ Cayman. It is a mindless getaway----developed like South Florida, but very blue H20, good snorkeling, good food (not real Caribean food other than Conch Fritters) some shopping.

You might consider booking your flight to St. Martin and ferrying over to Anguilla----more pristine and relaxed. St Martin is very developed, but non the less good if you like more people.

A week or more may be long for G.C.

Hi Croix - not sure where you ate but there is plenty of Caribbean style food on Cayman. Curried chicken, curried goat, stew meat, stewed conch, stewed whelk to name a few.

Agree with the last poster. If you stay on SMB, you will get very little of the real Cayman. But it is definitely there to enjoy.

Hi Dee2. I did stay on SMB. Can you give me a few names of Rest's to get that kind of food? I am going back soon. Are these hole in the walls or white TCloth places?

Thanks.

Not hole in wall places but not white cloth either. I'd try Champion House on Eastern Avenue. Liberty's Restaurant in West Bay (think they have a buffet one night of Carib food). Miss Corrita's Silver Sands which is out towards West Bay - just past the 4 way. Breadfruit across from Champion House on Eastern Avenue. And I think they still serve food around noon next to the courthouse - a lady with her pots of food and a few picnic tables. It's great - many from the courthouse eat there. Those will keep you busy. We think they are great and go to most of them every trip. Service can be slow, but, no problem, you're on holiday. Enjoy.

Me again - for a white cloth place, try Cracked Conch restaurant. They do a Sunday brunch which is quite reasonable and have one side with breakfast foods which I'm sure are good (we've never tried them) and a side with local foods that we think is fabulous.

Gottta disagree, once again, about the poverty and crime on St. Martin. I've been there numerous times, and have never had a problem. Also have to say the food is far superior than the restaurants I went to on GC. For my brief synopsis....

St. Martin: prettier, less expensive, better food, better things to do (can find some nightlife, day trips to St. Barth's, Anguillla, etc.), more like an island getaway.

GC: Better snorkeling, expensive ( the exchange rate is a killer, not to mention that the prices themselves are higher), better beaches (if you like them long and expansive and populated), and much more developed. While the food was fine, it cannot even compare to the food in St. Martin.