Why the Cayman Islands should be your next Caribbean escape – Miami.com

With direct nonstop flights from Miami to Grand Cayman clocking in at just over an hour, the Cayman Islands make foran effortless getaway from South Florida.

Occupying about 100-square-miles south of Cuba, the island group consists of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. While the upscale getaway is famous worldwide for itsoffshore banking industry, attracting a diverse cross section ofex-pats, the sublime western-facing Seven Mile Beach is what youre coming for.

The November 2016 opening of the Kimpton Seafire Grand Cayman marked the islands first new resort in a decade, creating the perfect excuse toexplore the Western Caribbean island group.

Create yourperfect itinerary bytacking on a couple of extra nightson Cayman Brac, the relatively undeveloped island 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman. Let the world slip away at Le Soleil dOr, a Mediterranean-inspired seaside villa set on an organic farm.

The Kimpton Seafire is so beautifully conceived that mustering the strengthto rise from your fire engine red lounge chair positioned on a strip ofastroturfbetween the Caribbean Sea andthe resorts lagoon-style swimming pool (how can you choose between the two?) will present a serious challenge.

It will also prove difficult to tear yourself away from yourcomfy roomwithits punchy palette of fuchsia, black and white with floor-to-ceiling windows leading to the oversized oceanfront balcony and a sexy bathroomwith a frosted glass rainfall shower that peeksinto the room.

So dont fight it. Settle in. Relax. This place hasgot you covered.

A hallmark of the Kimpton brand is contemporary and playful design. At the Seafire, everything fromnautical motif chairs upholstered ininternational flags toa traditional wooden Cayman catboat and prints from local pop artist Dready are found beneath the lobbys 20-foot ceiling, grounded bynatural materials, likeweathered wood and polished coral stone.

Dining is a delight here and there are plenty of restaurantsto choose frombefore you run out of options. Ave and Avecita function as a restaurant within a restaurant, the former serving coastal Mediterranean fare while the latter dishes up experimental tapas and cocktails in a chic communal setting with a chefs counter for a special tasting menu.

Between the beachfront taco shack Coccoloba and a separate poolside bar and grill, dont skip the fish tacos, lobster roll or the creamy pia colada.

Make sunset gazing on the soft white sands of Seven Mile Beach a nightly ritual.

Rates from $399 in summer low season, $499 in winter high. 888-226-4412

Grand Cayman is so built upwith stylish seaside resorts, you may forget youre not actually in Miami. On the other end of the spectrum, with its rugged coral bluffs and sparse development,Cayman Brac offers an off-the-grid counterpoint.

After a 40-minutepuddle jumper from Grand Cayman aboard a twin prop plane(or a direct flight from Miami on Saturdays), Le Soleil dOr is a 10-minute drive from the airporton the islands southern shore.

The four-room boutique hotel issetinside a Mediterranean-inspired villa with private cottages spread acrossthe 20 acre property. Situated across the street from a rocky, rugged stretch of shore,the hotel maintains an impressive blufftop organic farm, which supplies the hotels restaurant.

With so few rooms, its entirely possible to feel like youve got the entireplace to yourself. The common areas include a small swimming pool, a living room with an adjacent kitchen stocked with fresh fruit, yogurt, cookies and coffee and a beach clubdown the road accessible by shuttle.

The only thing you need to put on your itinerary is a tour of the island with local guide Keno Dailey to explore limestone caves and cliffs and witness the native brown booby in its natural habitat. Its also a prime destination for fishing and diving.

Otherwise, enjoy your own private paradise at Le Soleil dOr where the service is personalized, catering to your every whim. Meals are an enjoyable affair with an attentive staff and special three-course menus that change daily based on whats fresh and available.

Expect dishes featuring local fish and lobster, as well as steak and chicken prepared creatively with produce from the garden, includingokra, eggplant, heirloom peppers and tomatoes.

Rates from $350 in summer low season; $450 in winter high. 844-861-2443.

Pro Tip:Schedulea deep tissue massage (or any spa treatment) at BOTH resorts. Their therapists know what theyre doing with an arsenal of tension-meltingtechniques from reflexology to craniosacral. The Kimptons spa is a luxurious, Moroccan bath-inspired sanctuary, while Le Soleil dOrs is a simple beachside bungalow.

If You Go

Daily direct nonstop flights from MIA to Grand Caymans Owen Roberts International Airport (GCM) aboard Cayman Air and American Airlines, currently from about $267. 1 hour, 30 minute flight.

Direct nonstop flightson Saturdays from MIA to Cayman Brac (CYB) aboard Cayman Airways, currently from about $325. 1 hour, 30 minute flight.

Flights between the Cayman Islandsaboard Cayman Airways, currently from about $129. 40-minute flights.

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Why the Cayman Islands should be your next Caribbean escape - Miami.com