Looking for advice - 7MB or East Side?
 

My husband, our two teenagers and i are planning to visit GCM in April. It will be our first vacation in the carribean and we are SO excited. The condos on the East side seem to be priced more reasonably but we've read that it can be quite breezy, making snorkeling more difficult. Some friends said we'd be dissapointed if we didn't stay on 7MB. Can anyone comment on the pros or cons or either?

Weather is generally a little breezier on the North and East coasts of Cayman, particularly in the winter months (sometimes the wind "chill" dips to the 70s :))... but by April the weather is starting to get more "summery" (ie hotter), and the breeze dips to a more predictable and gentle level (about 5 knots)

In the summer months the Caribbean is h..o..t.. so the sea breeze is most welcome.

As you are travelling with teenagers, a relevant question is also what they will want to do on vacation, it is certainly quiet in the East End... "pure beach relaxation" is what we offer, but it all depends if that is what your teenagers are looking for.

I agree with Tom, find out what your teenagers are expecting from their vacation. To be honest I think they would have more to do on 7-mile beach. Try tooking at www.caymanvillas.com and search towards west bay. If you stay in bodden town or east end, you will need to rent a car and there really isnt much to do. Depending on the ages of your children, if you stay on 7MB, they can venture out on there own and have a blast.

Deciding between the East end & 7MB is simply a matter of opinion & personal taste. The most important factor is determining what (you) want out of your vacation.

The East end is known for a very quiet laid back atmosphere. The restaurant choices are much more limited, and the beaches although tranquil, don't seem to compare to the beautiful 7MB. Remember, there's a good reason the the majority of resorts are found on 7MB.

Now 7MB can get very conjested in the southern & middle sections, but there are no high-rises, and for the most part, plenty of beach for everyone. The restaurant & activity choices are seemingly endless in this area, and you'll have no problem finding things to do. Also, the further north you go on 7MB, the more remote it becomes. This allows people to have the best of both worlds with plenty of uncrowded resorts that are minutes from all the action in the mid to southern sections.

If your family is the type to just hang on the beach and do nothing, then the East end may be the right choice. But if you all enjoy plenty of activity, and want to be a a much longer stretch of beach, then 7MB is the place.

Neither choice is wrong, just different in what they offer. No matter what you decide on, renting a car is a must in my opinion, so you can see the whole island which is so easy to get around. We are big on snorkeling, and a car is the best way to explore the many sites on GC.

Hope this helps....

Thanks for all the great advice. We are coming to the island to snorkel and enjoy the beach and the pool. Not planning to be any shopping but may go out for dinner a night or two. Plan on renting a car and driving around. Any particular great spots for snorkeling or picnicing? By the way, my son asked if there are any sharks to worry about? Anyone ever get attacked there?

Hi Lyn, tell your son not to worry about sharks. We live in NJ near the shore and I trust the Cayman ocean for my kids much more than the ocean here where I grew up, your son will love the water there. We just returned from our first vacation in GC and we stayed at Plantana on seven mile beach. I just loved everyhting about it, especially the location. If staying on SMB, stay somewhere between the Hyatt and Christopher Columbus condo's for the best beachfront SMB has to offer, at least in December 2003. IMHO, rent a condo instead of staying at a hotel. My condo picks: The best condo's with the best beachfront locations on SMB are Avalon, Coralstone Club (rent through Four Seasons unless you know an owner, they are expensive but very nice), Plantana, Casa Caribe, and Villas of the Galleon. Also the Beachcomber is in a great location next to Coralstone Club and worth looking into: www.beachcomber1.com/ If a pool is important, make sure the condo's you are looking into has one as some don't. We wanted a pool but we never used it at Plantana. I recommend staying oceanfront or as close as possible to oceanfront on SMB as West Bay Road is VERY close to the back of all the condo's on SMB. Noise may be an issue in the rear apartments. Just remember a bad storm can quickly change the beachfront on any of the islands, especially during hurricane season. The Marriott on SMB has almost no beachfront at all but they are planning to fix that end of SMB soon.

I would definitely go with Robin's advice. We are staying at the Villas of Galleon, which is right next to the Weston Hotel. At www.caymanvacations.com you can go to the map section after you click on a property, and see exactly where the property is located.

We opted to book thru www.caymancondoservice.com and was very pleased. They have a toll free number and the peopple are very helpful. We booked thru Carla, but also spoke with Bill the owner.