If you are looking for a healthy retreat from the city, the Grand Cayman is a destination not to be missed. We arrived on Thursday around 1pm and had a slight unfortunate incident at the airport. We said we were traveling for business, the authorities wanted us to provide work visas, we didn’t have them… an hour later they let us go. I still have no idea why we were kept and then released but it was smooth sailing afterwards. Lesson learned, be careful when you travel for business that you have your papers.
The Marriott Grand Cayman Beach Resort recently was renovated and now looks more like a beach house than a your basic hotel. I loved the decor. It reminded me of Nantucket or Newport.
There were carefully placed themed signs that all matched and were equally adorable. Out by the pool, there was a stand for sunburn relief featuring some natural remedies.
There was also a gelato stand I would later fall in love with. Each sign was perfectly drawn by a local artist.
I especially loved the Beach Rules posted right before walking down on the soft white sands.
And the fish tacos at the Vista bar overlooking the beach were some of the best I’ve ever had. I didn’t know it but apparently the Grand Cayman is known for having excellent food. What I loved about the Marriott was that everything seemed to taste fresh and were very natural, using wholesome ingredients. That is because most of the produce items used are grown locally on the island,
Many of the fruits and veggies used in the smoothies are also grown on the island. This was a nice healthy touch for me that separated the resort from most other places I’ve visited.
In the morning in addition to fresh juice, you can also get kombucha, crepes, fresh granola and fruit, as well as fresh baked pastries that looked amazing.
For lunch we also enjoyed a variety of healthy salads, including a quinoa with grilled chicken and my favorite, the spicy green which came with avocado, mango, spicy peanuts, cherry tomatoes and shrimp. All the healthy meals could be enjoyed on the beach or at the Vista bar overlooking the beach just a few steps away.
And of course you didn’t think I was going to go to the caribbean without trying conch fritters, did you?! These were amazing. We split an order leaving us each just one to taste, which was satisfying but I definitely could have eaten them all.
We also tested our some new cocktails using just fruit puree as the sweetener instead of added sugar. This mango mojito was made with just clear rum, club soda, mint, limes and fresh pureed mango. I was obsessed.
I’m having trouble getting my photos from my phone on to my computer but at the resort, I ran on the beach, did Stand Up paddle boarding and snorkeled right off the resort beach. I also used the hotel gym for a quick 30 minute Barry’s style routine using an exercise ball that I’ll share later this week. I can’t wait to return for pure vacation with roomie or my friends.
We landed in St. Thomas last night and will be here at the Frenchman’s Reef and Morning Star Resort until Wednesday. I head home on Saturday which seems so far away! Trying to upload vlogs but so hard to do when I’m finished with work to do more work instead of enjoy the ocean or pool! Eeek. Choices. Hope weather is good back home. I miss Boston but this trip ain’t too bad.
Follow me on Instagram (and my videographer) using the hashtag #FitInParadise to see what we are up to.
