looking for a quiet less-populated area of SMB

[BeadedGoblets]

we'll be spending a day on 7 mile beach. we've been to GC several times and love SMB but we're looking for an experience we had many years ago. at that time we were dropped by taxi at an area of the beach that was gorgeous and unpopulated. that area had no restaurant or facilities but it also didn't have other people, making it idyllic. we plopped down our towels and were perfectly contented.

 

we've been to calico jacks and seagrape and royalk palms ... all the beach-bar places with chair renatls and amenities. though fun, we are looking for a little different experience this time.

 

can anyone recomend a particularly good (less populated) area of the beach with a broad expanse of beach suitable for swimming. can you give me an approximate mile marker for the taxi to drop us? i'm wondering about in front of some condos???

 

thanks for any and all suggestions.

[blue_water]

For a quiet spot on SMB you'd have to camp in front of a condo or go to a less-desired spot. The beach was virtually nonexistent south of Royal Palms when we stayed at the Marriott last Sept but there were plans for beach reclamation. Either side of Royal there are condos and you can use the beach near the water with no problems.

 

This isn't SMB but I would head for Rum Point or Kaibo. RP is the perfect spot to enjoy a quieter beach and still have access to a beach bar and great sandwiches. A car rental is cheap, and the drive is very easy. If you have at least 8 hrs in port it's well worth the drive. You can also stop at Starfish Point on the way.

[LamenLaur]

For a quiet spot on SMB you'd have to camp in front of a condo or go to a less-desired spot. The beach was virtually nonexistent south of Royal Palms when we stayed at the Marriott last Sept but there were plans for beach reclamation. Either side of Royal there are condos and you can use the beach near the water with no problems.

 

This isn't SMB but I would head for Rum Point or Kaibo. RP is the perfect spot to enjoy a quieter beach and still have access to a beach bar and great sandwiches. A car rental is cheap, and the drive is very easy. If you have at least 8 hrs in port it's well worth the drive. You can also stop at Starfish Point on the way.

 

I second Rum Point. It was beautiful and so quiet compared to the 7 Mile Beach area.

[Capt_BJ]

I can tell ya a very quiet place with plenty of chairs and umbrellas and MAYBE a lounger or two

 

Where you'll probably nit see another cruiser ....

 

but it is not a beach spot

 

it's where I go every Grand Cayman visit since the mid 80's (on visits to Cayman Brac I go elsewhere ... got dozens of those ...)

 

oh heck - search my posts and my secret is un done!

[clackey]

There might have been 20 people at Cemetary Beach when we were there. No amenities.

 

Rum Point is nice but when the stingrey tour comes in it gets crowded fast.

[blue_water]

I can tell ya a very quiet place with plenty of chairs and umbrellas and MAYBE a lounger or two

 

Where you'll probably nit see another cruiser ....

 

but it is not a beach spot

 

it's where I go every Grand Cayman visit since the mid 80's (on visits to Cayman Brac I go elsewhere ... got dozens of those ...)

 

oh heck - search my posts and my secret is un done!

 

? :rolleyes: I'm confused!

[blue_water]

There might have been 20 people at Cemetary Beach when we were there. No amenities.

 

Rum Point is nice but when the stingrey tour comes in it gets crowded fast.

 

Actually Rum Point is still a better spot for the OP than anywhere on SMB, plenty of room to find a quiet spot. Kaibo and Starfish Point are also options.

[bookbabe]

Actually Rum Point is still a better spot for the OP than anywhere on SMB, plenty of room to find a quiet spot. Kaibo and Starfish Point are also options.

 

Crowds at Rum Point can vary dramatically. If it's a weekday during a time with only a small (or no) excursion there, it is quiet and nice, I agree. If there's a large excursion or special event present, or if it's a weekend or holiday, the opposite is true. It can be as crazy crowded as SMB...it's all a matter of timing.

 

Kaibo is usually quieter than Rum Point, but crowds there can also vary depending on excursions, time/day of week, etc. Same with Starfish Point, plus SP doesn't have any amenities.

 

There's lots of nice beaches around, and there's really no foolproof way to predict how many other people will also decide that's the best beach for them on that particular day/time.

[blue_water]

Yes, any day there can be more ppl at a particular spot and when you're on the island for only 8 - 10 hrs one doesn't have alot of time to check different spots. We have several fav beaches throughout the Carib and Mexico, and many of them can go from a quiet spot to a busy one just because taxi drivers recommended them that day or a dive/snorkel excursion stopped for lunch.

 

I just know that Rum Point would be our destination, and if it did become a little busier than I wanted I would head over to Kaibo. For what the OP is looking for I just think that is the best choice and want to get that option out to them as I think they would enjoy it there based on their request. Of course if renting a car and driving there doesn't appeal to someone then SMB or Smith's are the obvious choices.

We never found a nice, secluded spot on SMB other than just camping in front of a condo if no one was out - is there such an animal when ships are in port?

[TurtleTagger]

Love Rum Point, but I would not recommend someone with only a few short hours on island head there for a secluded beach spot. As Bookbabe stated, the beach can get rather crowded when the excursions drop their charges off. If it is crowded once you get there, there are few other nearby options on where to avoid crowds with a nice beach. Love Kaibo as well, but it is truly not a beach destination, rather a bar on a man-made beach. Cayman Kai Public Beach, just before Rum Point is usually empty, but the water entry there is not great (rocky).

 

If it were me, I'd head to Cemetery Beach on the norther end of 7MB. Beautiful beach, almost never over-run. If there are 15-20 others there it is "crowded", plus you can always move up/down the beach always if you need complete isolation.

[blue_water]

Understood, and we are not experts on GCM by any means. Just that our preference would be to head for RP. SMB is beautiful but just too developed for us, great for the folks who like that and live there of course. If there was a quiet spot on SMB I wouldn't recommend driving to Rum Point on a short 8 - 10 hr day in port. But I would let them know there are other options and RP is often a great place to lime. Nothing is ever a sure thing of course.

 

Many cruisers have "discovered" RP on their excursions and now rent a car and head directly there without thinking twice. As you said the other spots mentioned do not compare to Rum Point or to SMB, but some folks like to hit SP to see the starfish and Kaibo for a drink.

 

It sounds like they are planning on a day on SMB so Cemetery or Smith's will probably be their best bet.

[JJJSM]

we went to governor's beach (which is part of seven mile beach)... no restroom facilites... we were the only ones there except one other lady laying on beach & a few that would walk by.. it was nice!

[trixie54]

Do any of these other beaches have off-shore snorkeling opportunities? (as RP has)

[TurtleTagger]

Do any of these other beaches have off-shore snorkeling opportunities? (as RP has)

 

The Governor's Beach section of 7 Mile beach has a small patch reef that is inhabited by a fair amount of fish feed-trained to perform for snorkelers. The Cemetery Beach section has a bigger reef area and similarly trained fish. Not much live coral in either area, but there are small/tiny pockets here and there. Larger marine life (turtles, rays, etc...) can more regularly be seen at Cemetery Beach. The off-shore reef and boulder coral sections of Rum point are far better.

[trixie54]

Thanks TT! I know you can take tours to rays & RP, or rent a car, but can one rent a jet ski & ride from Georgetown to RP on one's own?

[bookbabe]

Thanks TT! I know you can take tours to rays & RP, or rent a car, but can one rent a jet ski & ride from Georgetown to RP on one's own?

 

Not really. Most of the jet ski rentals are on Seven Mile Beach, which is the far side of George Town from Rum Point.

[trixie54]

Thanks BB! It looks like renting a car is the best option, but is it worth it if we're in port 10am-6pm? How much time would that really give us at Rum Point?

[bookbabe]

Rum Point is about a 45 minute drive from George Town, plus tendering time, plus time to get to/from the car rental place. I'm guessing you'd have three hours or so at Rum Point, maybe a bit more?

 

To help with your decision, here's my oft-posted comparison of Rum Point and Seven Mile Beach.

 

:)

 

Seven Mile Beach vs. Rum Point

Whether you will enjoy Seven Mile Beach more or less than Rum Point depends on what you are looking for in a beach experience.

SMB:

- very long stretch of perfectly flat white sand and gorgeous blue water

- very little natural shade, lots of sun

- very close to the port area, so cheap and easy to get to/from (taxi or public bus)

- close to attractions like the Turtle Farm, Hell, dolphin experiences, rum cake factory

- more developed (major tourist area)

- includes a number of named sections with varying levels of facilities (sections with good free or cheap facilities are Royal Palms, Sea Grape and Tiki Beach)

- multiple choices for restaurants and shopping nearby

- access to watersports via multiple operators at the different sections

- couple of sections with okay snorkelling, but most of the beach has no real snorkelling to speak of

- can be crowded in the sections with the better facilities due to proximity to port area

Rum Point:

- smaller beach, more "secluded tropical island" in feeling

- lots of natural shade, less sun

- 45 minute drive from port area, can only be reached via excursion or rental car

- not a major tourist area; surrounded by large vacation homes

- attractions more-or-less on the way there include Pedro St. James castle, botanical gardens, blowholes, cheesy pirate caves

- single company runs the beach and provides excellent free facilities such restrooms, showers, chairs, hammocks, etc.

- only one restaurant (beach bar) and one small gift shop

- one watersports operator (Red Sail)

- easy access to okay (and slightly better than okay) snorkelling

- crowd levels vary dramatically depending on day and number of excursions present, but usually less crowded than SMB (except on weekends/holidays)

[trixie54]

I think we'll go for it! Sounds like 3 hrs. at RP would be worth it. I really appreciate your info.

[bookbabe]

I think we'll go for it! Sounds like 3 hrs. at RP would be worth it. I really appreciate your info.

 

IMO, the trick is to get off the ship as early as you can to maximize your time, and then keep track of how long it took from stepping off the tender to arriving at RP. Allow at least that much time, plus a buffer in case of emergencies, for your return trip, planning to arrive back well in advance of the last tender (they'll tell you on the ship when that is). It's better to have an extra half hour to browse the shops near the port, than to have to make a mad dash to catch the last tender... :D