Cayman Crystal Caves — Attraction in North Side

Visited in May 2023

The Crystal Caves are a gem tucked away in the heart of Grand Cayman. This place has been causing quite a stir since it opened its doors to the public in 2016, and for good reason - it's got bling, and plenty of it. I mean, the interior decorating Mother Nature did over a couple of million years with stalactites and stalagmites is seriously next level​.

These caves are on the north side of Grand Cayman, near a place called Old Man Bay. Getting there is a cinch if you've got wheels. The public bus? Not so much. And before you ask, no, Uber or Lyft haven't made their debut in the Cayman Islands. It’s about a 15 to 50-minute drive from most places on the island, depending on where you're coming from.

Once you're there, you're in for quite a show. Three different caves showcasing their crystal structures, and a gorgeous and entrancing fresh underwater lagoon as a finale.

The caves have their own VIP (Very Important Preservation) policy. You've got to pay up $40 and take a guided tour, and it’s worth it —but our guide, who liked to call us “beautiful people” liked to veer off topic a bit too much. Bear in mind, this isn't a walk in the park. There's quite a bit of legwork involved, and it can get hotter than a jalapeno in a heatwave. So, if you're planning to bring young kids, older folks, or anyone who wilts in the heat, you might want to reconsider. Oh, and the mosquitos are no joke! So spray the (provided) bug spray on liberally.

There was a lot of small wildlife around. We saw a peacock sitting on her eggs, and bats hanging around like they own the place. You might even spot a wild blue iguana, a creature so rare it decided to only live in the...

We booked the 9 am tour for July 1 and we were told to arrive at 8:45 wearing closed toe shoes and to bring bug spray and water. We had our two children ages 8 and 10 with us. They did provide bug spray on site also but the bugs were not bad for us on this day. Entry was easy and once we arrived Archie detailed some history of the land including some of his descendants and how they fabricated building material from the islands natural resources. It was truly an interesting introduction to the caves. We took a 5 minute van ride to the Caves with our tour guide Shakira. We happened to be the only ones on the tour which was rather lovely (upon our departure there were about 15 people waiting for the next tour). Shakira shared many facts about the local plants as we walked along the trails. Then, we traversed three caves with Shakira sharing all the history and future of the caves with us. She was gracious and kind even taking family photos for us. She pointed out many interesting formations and answered all our questions. They plan to open more caves to the public as their attraction is growing which they also plan to have ATV rides and a zip line in the future. We were allowed time at the end in the gift shop and the woman running it was so very friendly and genuinely interested in our family and our travels. This was a wonderful excursion for us as we were not staying too far from the caves and their natural beauty is amazing. We were pleased to visit this site in its early years and look forward to watching it grow into an adventure destination on the island. We will visit again as it was a highlight of...

We loved our tour of the Crystal Caves. Definitely recommend checking it out! We booked it ahead of time. So it was super easy to check in. Our tour guide was Oscar. He was great! He was very informative and funny. I highly recommend bringing lots of water, spray yourself with mosquito repellent (they do provide some complimentary), wear comfortable cool clothing, and wear comfortable shoes like sneakers. I didn't think the caves would be hot but oh my goodness- they were extremely hot. Don't be turned off by that though! Any amount of sweating we did was worth it when you get to see the beautiful stalagmite and stalactite formations inside the caves! Some sparkle, some are in such cool shapes, and one of the caves has a lake inside and even cute little bats! Yes.. you read that correctly... cute little bats!!

There are 3 caves. After a brief history of the property, you are shuttled up to where the caves are located. Our guide, Oscar did give us a break in-between caves and some guests ordered food at the tree house during that break. We did not eat there but we heard many people enjoyed the food and drinks. Make sure you are able to walk a good long distance before booking this otherwise it may be challenging, especially for anyone physically impaired.

We will treasure our memories and gorgeous photos from inside the caves! Thank you for a great...