Happy Thanksgiving from Silver Sands!

Here at Silver Sands we are thankful for 3 things this year:

1. We are thankful for the beautiful Cayman Islands and all it has to offer. Nowhere can beat the blue waters and the laid back island life.

2. We are thankful for Silver Sands and the lush gorgeous grounds, large spacious pool, and our quiet and stunning stretch of white sand beach.

3. We are thankful for all the people that make Silver Sands what it is. The guests, the staff and the owners all make Silver Sands one world class get away, hideaway and way of life.

photography by Heather Holt Photography

Green Iguanas: Cayman's Invasive Iguanas

The most common iguana you will stay during your vacation at Silver Sands is the Green Iguana. You will see these guys everywhere from the beach, to the canals, the golf course, up a tree, on the Silver Sands buildings and even flattened on the road.

Not only are these guys great swimmers, they are also very curious and can come up to your window and peer in. They are harmless to humans so enjoy the up close and personal wildlife viewing! 

The top photo is an adult male seen by its huge circular plate on the side of it's face. The below photo is a baby. The green iguanas are born bright vibrant green and turn a orangish greyish as they become adults. All of the Green Iguanas have the distinctive black rings around their tails.

The Green Iguanas might be harmless to people, however as invasive species the the Cayman Islands, they threaten the native flora and fauna. As we have posted previously, the Blue Iguanas are the indigenous iguana species from Grand Cayman and should not be confused by their exotic cousins. If you would like to see the differences in these spikey creatures please refer to the Blue Iguana Recovery Program's chart. Also most of the Blues live out on the East End of the island and can be mostly spotted at the Botanical Park.

Photos by Heather Holt Photography

Pirates in the Caribbean, Cayman Style

Its this time of year again... Pirates Week 2014! The Cayman Islands celebrates the piratey heritage with street parties, fireworks and the landing of the pirates. 

It is an excellent time to visit the island as it marks the end of the hurricane season, and it is a great time to mix with locals and enjoy the island life. Silver Sands offers low season rates during this time of year so please contact us for accommodation during this time.

The tradition is for the pirates to land in Hog Sty Bay in downtown Georgetown and kidnap the governor, followed by a parade and street party.

It is also a great photo op! Barb Photography was kind enough to let us use some of her photos from last weekend's parade and festivities.

There is fun for adults and children alike with participants dressing up in the lastest pirate fashion. 

The party in Georgetown begins and ends with a street party and a fantastic display of fireworks!

There are Heritage Day celebrations through out the week celebrating each districts culture and traditions. These events include dancing, cat boat races and an assortment of local dishes for sale.

Heather Holt Photography also contributed to the images from pirates week's past.

Silver Sands the Way the Birds See Us!

What a beautiful perspective of our lovely beach. We used the drone from AirVu to get these birds-eye beautiful shots. The Silver Sands beach is really and truly one of the best beaches on the whole of 7-Mile. It is quiet up this way, we don't get too much cruise ship traffic, plus it is also one of the widest stretches of beach giving everyone the space they need to enjoy that clear turquoise water.

The grounds of Silver Sands are also a perk, they are lush and green, the pool is large with a shallow end for kids to enjoy and the gazebo as a common area for people to have a shady spot to have lunch while enjoying the view. There is a communal BBQ, and it is a perfect place to congregate for sunset.

As you can see the beach area also has cabanas, palm trees and lots of lounge chairs so everyone can find a place to get a tan, or enjoy the shade and read a book.

Photos by Heather Holt Photography. 

Chilling Rum Point Style!

If you are feeling like a change of scenery from the Silver Sands Beach (gasp!) and are ready for an adventure around the island, head to the Northside and plunk yourself down under a casurina tree at Rum Point. 

Once you arrive at this chilled out haven you can choose from a number of relaxing island activities, or just enjoy the view!

You can snorkel under the famous dock, fly a kite when the wind is right, rent a jet ski or kayak, and even have a meal and a mudslide at the Wreck Beach Bar.

Red Sail Sports has an office there so you can rent any gear you might need. 

Sensing a trend here? The more you chill out here the better!

Grand Cayman's Snorkelling Secrets

Surrounded by the clear waters of the Caribbean there are so many options to choose from to find adventure filled snorkelling in the Cayman Islands. By boat or by shore there are world class reefs to explore Here are the inside tips to get the best out of snorkelling Grand Cayman.

North Sound
This area of the island is home to many great sites and a must see, however it is only accessible by boat so choosing your tour operator can be a bit tricky. Here are the ones Silver Sands recommend:

Six Senses: 938-3303 This company does an out of this world Eco Tour that takes you on a tour to all that north sound has to offer. They take a ride through the mangroves, stop at starfish point, stingray city, the barrier reef and more. The boat is comfortable with bathrooms and coolers on board, kid friendly and the staff is great! Definitely the first choice to explore this stunning part of Cayman.

DNS Diving: 916-2490 As mentioned in the post "Top 3 Ways to Dive Grand Cayman" these guys sure know what they are doing. You can pare a dive on the North Wall with a stop at stingray city and either go to the deep stingray site to dive it. If you have a big group you can always charter their big comfortable boat and do a private snorkel trip to the barrier reef, starfish point and stingray city.

Captain Marvin's: 945-7306 If you are looking for a quick, easy and inexpensive way to see the stingrays this company does group trips all day long. They do 2 and 3 stop snorkel trips to stingray city, the barrier reef and coral gardens. Keep in mind however that they cater to cruise ships so going on a day where no ships are in port, or on a Sunday is the best option. 


Stingray City

At first these gentle giants may seem like food crazed Steve Erwin killers, but once you warm up to them they are like big giant puppies that want treats and a pat on the nose. Stingray massages and kisses are free with all tour operators.

Starfish Point

This picturesque sand spit is home to the red cushion stars that slowly graze the sand flats and patiently allow tourists to gently touch them. As long as they stay under the water they are happy and can be found in this area year around.

Barrier Reef & Coral Gardens

The barrier reef is the border of the North Sound and the reefs leading to the North Wall. The coral here serves as a sort of nursery to the young reef fish and home to resident green moray eels.

Coral Gardens are a series of coral heads in the middle of the sound that are home to lots and lots of fish.

7-Mile Beach
Although along most of 7-Mile you can grab a mask and snorkel and hop in the water and see reef, fish and even turtles, there are a few public areas that have access to the best reefs. All you need is a car and your snorkel gear!

Cemetery Beach: To get here from Silver Sands you can basically walk down the beach, head out to the water and take a right and walk to the public beach area, about 6 minutes down the beach, and swim straight out! There you will find scattered coral heads and lots of overly friendly Sargeant Major fish to greet you.

Eden Rock: Heading south this dive/snorkel shop has a great entry point with a ladder. Just a short swim out you will find shallow reefs great for exploring.

Smiths Barcadere: About a mile south of Georgetown is a lovely little cove with twin beaches. You can lounge on the beach, explore the rocky ironshore, sit in the shade of the sea grape trees and best of all hop in the water to explore this southerly facing snorkel site. There is so much to see just along the rocky shore and out in the sandy flats keep your eyes open for big rainbow parrot fish grazing on the algae.

A few friendly tips: 

1. Wear reef friendly sunscreen! You can still get burned while snorkelling! 
2. If you feel tired head back to shore. No use in pushing yourself and risking danger, you are on vacation, take it easy!
3. If you are in a public area and head into the water, just be aware of your belongings and lock valuables in the car. Although Cayman is a generally safe place its always best to prevent things from going missing in the first place.
4. HAVE FUN!

Heather Holt Photography