So over New Years I did a thing, I went to Grand Cayman, got my advanced diving certification and decided to run away and never come back. That last part may not be true. 7 mile beach is my new heaven on earth, white sand leading into warm aquamarine water and island bars dotting the shoreline serving up cool refreshing beverages, including some interesting margaritas.
Let’s start slow, shall we? While there are tons of hotel options I have to say the Kimpton is a winner for several reasons.
- The food
- You can dive straight off the beach
- The smokey margarita at the coccoloba bar
- The dive boat literally picks you up at the beach
From the moment you pull up to the entrance you feel like royalty, your bags are quickly taken from your hands and are replaced with champagne. Walking through the lobby you find yourself overlooking infinity pools leading out to the ocean. For dinner on the first evening I recommend visiting Avecita. I started off with a smokey mezcal margarita while browsing the various tapas on the menu. With so many delicious dishes to order it’s hard to narrow down your options, I recommend the scallops and octopus.
The next morning I start the first of my 5 dives to get my advanced certification. I meet my dive instructor who I instantly become best friends with and set off to the first location. In keeping with tradition, I celebrate my dives with dive braids.
And this is where the whole story goes downhill because I fall in love…
with the water…
The water is a warm 80 degrees and the visibility is about 100′. The coral fingers run along the wall and are filled with tropical fish and turtles. Yep, turtles. Not the occasional turtle but the “omg there’s another turtle!!” turtle, like the one below.
salt collins 