It’s becoming a January tradition for me to take a trip to the Cayman Islands. Last year, I visited for a long weekend with a friend and stayed at the Westin Grand Cayman Seven Mile Beach Resort & Spa. I returned again last month to visit the property once again and check out recent resort renovations.

On both visits, I ventured to one of the islands’ most popular attractions, Stingray Sandbar. Red Sail Sports operates directly from the Westin and runs catamaran tours to the sandbar. We anchored in the spot, along with a handful of other boats, and swam with the friendly and large stingrays in the warm blue waters. It’s a bit weird at first to swim with the animals, often considered scary, but in this instance, quite docile. It’s definitely a unique option for visitors to the island, and not something available elsewhere in the Caribbean. 

Following my swim with the stingrays, our catamaran docked at Rum Point, where I enjoyed the sun, lunch and a rigorous ride on a water tricycle. Fighting against a strong current, I endured quite the leg workout as my fellow rider and I biked the ocean waters.

The next day, the water sports continued. I hadn’t been on a Jet Ski since spring break in Cabo my senior year in college. Starting slowly at first, I took some nudging to zip through the water on the Jet Skis. We rode to two different reefs for some prime snorkeling. My first time snorkeling was in the Caymans during a cruise stop in high school, and the fish were just as beautiful and colorful as I remembered. I even swam with a barracuda in Cheeseburger Reef.

On my last day in Grand Cayman, I participated in a brand-new activity available at the Westin — stand-up paddle-board yoga. I tried stand-up paddle boarding in Acapulco and was unable to muster the strength to stand up on the board. This time, however, I was able to stand right up and paddled successfully to the yoga spot. I’ve done yoga on land; I never imagined I’d be doing it on a paddle board in the water, but it was easier than I anticipated. I only fell in once as we attempted sun salutations, hip stretches and balance moves. I have to be honest — my favorite part was the required rest at the end. Laying flat on the board, rocking gently with my arms in the warm water: That was true relaxation. 

— Kim Krol, managing editor