In the efforts of full disclosure, for each upcoming post about my Blog Paradise trip to the Grand Cayman (and there will be many), I’ll be reminding you that this was a trip that was hosted by Marriott Resorts. Which means that all my expenses, except where noted, were covered. However, you can still expect the same honest reviews and opinionated writing that you have come to read here. Along with some fab photos of course!
That being said, I wanted the introduction to my Caribbean trip to focus on one of the (many) reasons people choose Grand Cayman and the Marriott.
Seven Mile Beach!
Grand Cayman boasts a beautiful beach, that really is seven miles long.
Its gorgeous, tan-colored, sandy beach is located on the West side of the island. You can see turquoise water as far as the eye will take you. Being a West facing beach, you can just image how beautiful the sunsets (more pics to follow!) are every night. Simply amazing.
The beach is lined with private homes, resorts, condos and rentals and I walked a good part of it, though not the entire seven miles. In my opinion, Marriott has one of the nicest properties on the beach.
Their portion is visually appealing and loaded with plenty of both lounge chairs for reading, snoozing or just reclining, as well as low chairs for enjoying the sunset near the water’s edge while the warm surf washes over you.
Red umbrellas also dot the landscape to shade folks from the strong Caribbean sun.
I spoke with some guests who have previously stayed on other parts of the Island, and heard over and over that Seven Mile Beach is the place to stay. I was told that other areas on Grand Cayman can be rocky with no beach and no view to speak of. I can only take their word, as I didn’t explore any other properties during my stay.
Walks along the beach revealed interesting sights and a boatload of white coral that washes up on the sand.
And while the first few days the sea was calm and crystal clear, the last two brought rain, clouds, wind and lots of waves. It didn’t stop a New Yorker like me from swimming, but most everyone else was content to just lie like lounge-lizards on their chairs or walk along in the surf.
The photographer in me rather enjoyed the turbulent weather as it made for some very interesting and picturesque shots, so very different from the calm, sunny scenes of the previous days.
And though I prefer a beach that is a bit more lush and tropical, with grasses and palm trees, the Marriott has done a good job in keeping a few clusters of palms on the beach. When it was tropical shade that I craved, I set out for the resort’s courtyard and surrounding property which is lush, green and inviting.
You can see more of my pictures of Seven Mile Beach in my Flickr account as I continue to upload them over the coming days. And stay tuned for more reports on my Blog Paradise on Grand Cayman Island.
- This article was featured in the Sharing Travel Experiences travel monthly roundup.