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Seven Mile Beach

Introduction

This beautiful swath of white sand separates 5½ miles of hotels, condominiums, and restaurants from an aquamarine sea. Dotted with casuarina trees, this beach is the most popular spot on the island. Come here to watch and be watched, to enjoy an island concoction or to slather on oil and bake yourself into tropical bliss. Watersport operators line the way, offering anything from scuba trips and parasailing to windsurfing and jetskiing.

Seven Mile Beach runs south to north along Grand Cayman's western edge, stretching from George Town to a region called West Bay. Along Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman narrows to a skinny stretch about a mile wide, bordered by the beach on the west and the North Sound to the east. On its eastern boundaries, the sea makes an uneven boundary, at some points etching into the land with salt creeks and harbors. Much of these eastern reaches are covered by swampy vegetation.

The largest harbor along this stretch of the North Sound is Governors Harbour, where Governors Creek creeps into the land in a maze of natural and man-made canals. Today it's lined with luxury lots and lavish homes, as well as the Cayman Islands Yacht Club.

The beach faces West Bay and beyond it lies the Main Drop-Off, an area of the ocean that plummets to great depths. Protected marine parks run parallel to the shore, safeguarding delicate coral reefs and marine life. Measuring just 5½ miles, the name "Seven Mile Beach" may be somewhat of a misnomer. But in some ways the strip of sand seems much longer because of the numerous businesses packed along its expanse. The beach is public and you'll find beach access points scattered all along, sometimes sandwiched between condominium developments. One of the best access points is the public beach park, tucked north of the Westin Casuarina Hotel. With plenty of parking (other beach access areas offer parking on the shoulder of busy West Bay Road), this is one of the best options for enjoying Seven Mile Beach if you're not staying at one of the area properties.

The park includes shaded pavilions, restrooms with changing rooms, and a small playground for the kids. Squeaky clean and, like the rest of the island, devoid of any beach vendors, the park is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon.