Cayman Brac — a wonderful little island in the middle of the Caribbean

The story of a weekend trip full of good surprises.

During the Easter Break, my husband Fabio and I went for a little trip to one of the sister islands in Cayman. Maybe you don’t know that, but The Cayman Islands are plural because the territory is composed of three islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman.

We live in the larger one, Grand Cayman, and on the Easter weekend, we had the opportunity to travel for the first time to another one, Cayman Brac.

It’s a 30 minutes flight leaving Grand Cayman and landing in Cayman Brac. The little island is about 19km (12mi) long and has an average of 2km (1.2mi) width. About 2 thousand people live in Cayman Brac, and what most distinguishes Cayman Brac from its sister islands is The Bluff, a sort of cliff of limestone that rises along the length of the island, reaching 43 meters (141ft) above sea level at Brac’s eastern point.

Why did we decide to visit Cayman Brac?

Well, Fabio and I were itching ourselves with trip anxiety. You may know what it is. That desire to see something new, to spend a couple of days away from home, from regular problems and the regular life.

Our last trip was for our birthday in December, and we were really excited about entering on a plane again to land somewhere new. The only problem was that we needed to prioritize saving money for the last two months since we had some unexpected expenses.

So, after many many flight simulations, studying various options of destinations, we were about to give up and spend our Easter Break at home. Until, in the middle of March, an idea came up to my mind and I asked Fabio:

“What if we travel to Brac?”.

He replied to me with a curious look and we started to look for flight, accommodation, and car rental. In about one day we had our travel booked.

Getting to know Cayman Brac or Little Cayman never was a priority for us. We have some “must go trips” lists that include lots of places in the US, which we are prioritizing at the moment because of our geographical proximity, and also other places in the Caribbean and Latin America that we would love to know about.

However, I like always work with what I have in my hands. Can’t I afford a trip abroad? So what can I do? A staycation? Camping? A trip nearby? And so it was our decision. With low expectations, we entered our plane on Good Friday to start our adventure in Cayman Brac.

What we had encountered on a small Caribbean Island.

At first, frustration. It started with our flight being delayed from 3 pm to 6 pm. What actually happened was that our plane took off of Grand Cayman at about 7:30 pm.

I was a little pissed of, first because we were due to arrive in Brac in the afternoon, being able to explore the island a bit on our first day. And second, because I love to fly by daylight, especially around the Caribbean with such a beautiful sea below us.

But the main problem with arriving at Cayman Brac at 8 pm on a Good Friday was that all the restaurants and grocery stores were already closed.

Thank God I packed some bread and biscuits from home. Since we stayed on an Airbnb, I was ready to have a nice breakfast at home on Saturday before heading to explore the island.

My bad mood improved a lot after exploring our nice stay and spending some time listening to the ocean sound while Fabio and I were lying down on a hammock right on the beachfront.

But, my heart only felt for Cayman Brac the day after. On the Saturday morning when we woke up, had a nice breakfast, and headed outside the house to grab some bikes.

Our Airbnb was right beside the Bluff, and with the darkness of the previous night, we weren’t able to see and understand its beauty. For context, I think it’s nice to mention that Grand Cayman and Little Cayman are pretty flat islands. We don’t have any mountains or small hills in sight. So, to see the Cayman Brac’s Bluff stand 43 meters in front of us was a much-appreciated breathtaking experience.

Things to do in Cayman Brac

Let’s talk practical now? I told you all the story behind our landing in Brac, now let me tell you some nice things to do if you ever have the opportunity to travel to this small island.

Grab a bike and ride

It’s such a nice experience to ride through the island on a bike. Our Airbnb had available bikes for guests, and we are aware that other hotels also had some bikes available. However, be prepared for the heat! We recommend also using UV protection shirts.

Visit the Blowhole

We absolutely love the Blowhole. Besides the fact that it is located on a beach right below The Bluff — amazing view — the Blowhole was also a fun and refreshing experience, check it out in this video on my Instagram account. It is a big hole in the stone that goes through the shore and ends in the ocean. So when the waves hit it the water is directed through the hole, forming a water gun, a little like a geyser.

Explore the caverns

Cayman Brac has lots of caverns that you can explore. Some are bigger than others. And some are a little scarier, with the bats and bees’ presence setting fear chills all over me.

Go to the Lighthouse

The Lighthouse by itself is not impressive at all. However, it is located at the eastern point of the island, right on top of The Bluff. Around the Lighthouse there is a hiking path and some nice rocks where you can sit, on the edge of the Bluff, having just ocean’s immensity in front of you.

Walk in the Parrot Preserve

Cayman Brac has many bird species and is a famous stop for bird watchers. We walked in the Parrot Preserve, a hiking path made of wood. And even though we didn’t get the luck to see any Parrot, it was a nice walk and a nice experience.

Don’t lose the Scotts Dock

We almost lost it! And it’s kinda sad that we only discovered the place Sunday morning when we are ready to fly back home. Scotts Dock is a dock — obviously — but also a snorkeling site. And gosh, even though we are used to some crystal clear waters were in Grand Cayman, I think I never saw anything like that. We had already checked out our Airbnb and hadn’t towels to dry ourselves if we entered the water. So we needed to be content with seeing the rocks, water, and fish from the dock. And guys, we saw lots of fish, even without entering the ocean. Another nice thing about the Scotts Dock is that you can see Little Cayman from there.

Grab freshly baked bread at Pioneer Bakery

This bakery’s reviews on Google Maps said it was a must-go place in Cayman Brac. It is a tiny place, just to grab and go, but immediately after opening the car’s door to head out I knew it must be good indeed, the smell of freshly baked dough can’t lie. We had the cinnamon rolls and they were amazing.

Eat at the Star Island restaurant

A recommendation from one of our friends who already visited Brac. It is a simple and small restaurant, but the food was so good! I had fried rice and Fabio had the garlic shrimp.

Go to drinks at Cayman Brac Reef Resort

Cayman Brac Resort is close to the airport and on the opposite side of the highest point of the islands. The hotel has a nice bar beside the pool, that happens to be beachfront. So it is a must-go place for some drinks and maybe to enjoy the sunset. We had some food there too, the month special: fish with butter sauce, rice, and vegetables, that was really good as well.

Cayman Brac is also an amazing place for divers and climbers. We didn’t engage in these activities, but the place is famous for it.

In the end, our small — almost spontaneous — Easter Break trip to Cayman Brac proved to be such a nice and surprising experience! We loved to spend some time on this tiny island, getting mesmerized by nature’s beauty and strength. If you plan a trip through the Caribbean any time soon, how about including The Cayman Islands in your itinerary? Let me know your thoughts about this story in the comments :)

Helpful links:

Visit the Cayman Islands website Cayman Airways (for Little Cayman and Cayman Brac flights) Our Airbnb Car Rental