west bay, grand cayman
Just north of Seven Mile Beach you’ll enter the district of West Bay. It is primarily a residential area, especially in the interior, but most things that you’ll visit will be along the road outlining the district. You’ll find it’s home to some of the island’s best restaurants, amazing sunsets and a host of adventurous activities. This district guide is based on my personal experiences and recommendations on where to stay, sightsee and eat when you are visiting West Bay.
Getting Around
If you’re staying along the Seven Mile strip you can easily access taxis from the front of your hotel or wave down a public bus as it passes by (just make sure you have cash on hand). Of course, having a rental car on hand makes it easy for you to just zip northbound whenever you want.
Accommodation
Lighthouse Point Residences and Lighthouse Point Dive Resort (Photo Credit: CIREBA)
There are a handful of seaside resorts and condos available in West Bay that you can find on AirBNB. Some condos to consider along the northern part of Seven Mile Beach, just outside of West Bay, are Christopher Columbus Condos, The Anchorage and London House. If you are considering scuba diving as part of your trip, reach out to DiveTech and stay at either their casual Lighthouse Point Dive Resort or next door at their upscaled condos at the Lighthouse Point Residences.
If you aren’t staying in West Bay then you’ll likely stay along Seven Mile Beach. Visit my Seven Mile Beach District Guide for information on my favourite hotels and condos in the area.
Activities
Barkers National Park: A quiet strip of beach along the northeastern aspect of West Bay. You can stroll along the beach or partake in some of the adventurous activities in the area if the weather is right.
ATV Cayman: Tour Barkers National Park in a new way by signing up your group of 2-8 riders with ATV Cayman. Choose between a guided tour with 4 main stops to lakes & beaches, or choose to freestyle ride on your ATV instead. Both tours are reasonably priced and last between 70-80 minutes.
Horseback Riding: Stroll along the beach or wade into the sea on horseback for a one-of-a-kind experience. Pampered Ponies and Cayman Horse Riding are two companies that offer horseback riding in the Barkers area.
Kitesurf Cayman: Since 2009 this company has provided clients with a unique experience along Barkers beach. They not only offer rentals for experienced kitesurfers, but lessons for anyone interested in giving it a try. Their location is ideal because the beach is uncrowded and the wind is just right.
Cemetery Beach: It’s a Cayman tradition for graveyards to be next to the sea, so you’ll start to notice this trend across the island. Cemetary Beach is one of the shadiest beaches along the Seven Mile strip as it’s speckled by seagrape and casuarina trees. You’ll always see cars parked along the road just in front of this graveyard and simply need to follow the ‘Public Beach Access’ sign to get to your toes in the sand.
Scuba Diving: The shore diving off of West Bay is fantastic because the water is pristine, the sea life is vibrant and the drop-off is not a far swim. Two options for shore diving include DiveTech at the Lighthouse Point Dive Resort and Sun Divers at Cracked Conch & Macabuca restaurants. You can choose to dive the mini wall (60ft) or descend the deep wall, which drops to 2000ft. If you want all-in-one pricing, reach out to DiveTech who can provide dive-and-room packages for guests at the Lighthouse Point Dive Resort or Lighthouse Point Condominiums.
