Winter at Harbour Heights?

No, this is not snow and ice - we have not been hit by a rogue storm. Our grounds continue to be lush and green.

Sheryl Lazenby, a photographer friend of ours, was visiting on holiday last year. She brought along her 720nm infrared-converted camera and lens to take photos while on the island. We did not expect to see such a departure from what we normally see when we walk the grounds - it looks like we are experiencing full-on winter here!

As she explains: infrared captures a spectrum of light we cannot see. The 720nm spectrum of light lies just beyond the “visible spectrum”. Colors, plants, people, and man-made objects reflect infrared light in very different ways - in ways that cannot be replicated in photoshop or captured by a regular camera unless using IR filters - or a camera that has been permanently converted to shoot infrared. Grass and leaves turn white and seas and skies look more dramatic.

Thank you Sheryl for sharing your photos with us.

What do you think?

HH Owners are Renovating and Investing in the FUTURE

Currently, five owners here at Harbour Heights have taken their properties down to the wire with renovations. Bare wire, cement floor, ceilings gone, start-from-scratch sort of renovations. Working with designers, architects and contractors; these “new” condos reflect the visions of their owners and their desire to make their home at Harbour Heights a place to share with guests when they visit.

Chris and Joan are in the midst of their renovation. Custom cabinetry has been installed in their new bathrooms, but decisions are still being made about wall textures and colors, tiles, and fixtures. Every day presents its own set of decisions and completions. They work very closely with the contractors to make sure communication is clear and that schedules are adhered to. Some aspects of a complete condo overhaul seem unending! And some are wonderful to see take shape. There is a lot to do and manage as their vision for their beautiful ground floor condo comes to life.

Ellen has owned her condo for 40 years and it is also undergoing a total makeover. She is working with her designer to bring an open concept kitchen with European appliances into being. Located on the ground floor, it has easy access to the beach, pool and green space for guests and their children. It may look like chaos now, but just wait until this new rental unit is unveiled.

Visiting other units under construction, the sense is to do it right the first time. It is so exciting to see the progress made on these units as they undergo this much change. We are so happy that our owners here are reinvesting in their properties. We hope to show off all five of our newly renovated properties soon - our rental pool is growing!

Why is the sand on Seven Mile Beach so white?

If you have been to other beaches you will see that our sand is very white. In Hawaii, there are black sand beaches. In Bermuda, there are pink sand beaches. Along the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the sand is tan. Why is this?

If you look closely at the edges of our surf where the waves meet the beach, you will find a vast amount of coral in various shapes and sizes and small shells as well. The motion of the water carrying the coral and shells to the beach eventually breaks them down into very small grains. Those grains get deposited onto shore and over time, become our beach!

Our Seven Mile Beach is enjoyed by everyone who visits us here in the Caymans, and is world-famous. It is interesting to note that ALL beaches on the Cayman Islands are public up to the high water mark, including beaches in front of our resorts. When driving around our island, look for “Beach Access” signs as you drive. Park the car and take a short stroll from the parking lot to the beach - don’t forget your snorkel gear!

Harbour Heights Returning Guests: Every year for over 36 years!

I was fortunate enough to meet Jean Kirkpatrick one evening as everyone gathered on Harbour Heights’ private beach to toast another gorgeous sunset. Jean is a very special Harbour Height’s visitor; she and her friends have been returning to Harbour Heights every year for over 36 years. 

I asked some of the friends that were able to make the trip this year, just what it is about Harbour Heights that has them returning and reconnecting year after year.

“For the friends and memories we’ve made for the past 45 years.”

“Fun in the sun with new friends and old friends.”

“If you enjoy scuba diving, snorkeling, and good friends - come to Harbour Heights!”

“We’ve created many happy memories and enjoyed the beautiful blue sea - it’s unlike any other place.”

“A great place to rest, relax, read, and reload.”

“...the most important thing is our HH "family". Owners and renters return for many years and through many generations, and seeing all the friends we have made in our 36 years of vacationing here is what makes our time here so special. It truly seems like another family, and we are always so happy to see each other and to welcome newcomers. We are so fortunate that we found out about HH so many years ago, and have been able to return "home" so many times."

I would see Jean and her friends off and on during the day - enjoying coffee on a balcony or by the pool, having a cocktail on the beach watching the sunset, or all dressed up heading out for dinner. Their groups were always smiling, laughing and inviting; always looking out for their next adventure while on the island.

See you next year, friends!

Harbour Heights Best Sunsets Photography Contest!

We are holding a Best Sunsets photography contest! The contest runs from February 15, 2016 to April 1, 2016.

Sunset images should be taken from the Harbour Height property to be eligible. Do you have some beautiful photos from a visit with us that you would like to share?

To have your photograph considered for the contest, please "LIKE" our "Harbour Heights Cayman Island Condo Rental" facebook page and post your photograph there. Add the hashtag "#HarbourHeightsSunset" to your post so that we can find it.

We are awarding Tortuga Rum Cakes to our winners - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! We will ship these to our winners after the end of our contest.

The formal rules for the contest can be seen here: www.harbourheightscayman.com/content/documents/sunsetRules.pdf

Christel Ibsen: Harbour Heights’ Very Own International Artist

“My paintings evolve from working in the creative fields of photography and filmmaking, both of which serve as important tools for my canvasses.

As a photographer, my camera allows me to freeze time itself.  Framing my subject, I wait for the split second image that I seek to catch.

When painting, my time is transformed into an endless space of color and hues, and it seems as if I enfold a part of nature into myself.

Filmmaking involves the magic of the moving image where sound and shape are interrelated. It is a complicated interplay of creative inputs.

Painting is solitary. It deepens my sight and allows me to expand a motif into my own vision.

I still marvel at how I first started to paint and how there are always silver linings in the clouds that sometimes seem to obstruct my path.

Twenty years ago, I suddenly began to lose my hearing. From leading a productive, exciting but frazzled life .... shuttling between Paris, New York and London .... within a few years I had become so deaf that I could barely communicate with my loved ones.

And that is when I started to paint....

With the silence of deafness came peace and the blissful ability to concentrate on the senses still left.

Since then, because of bilateral cochlear implants I have miraculously been given back the ability to hear and again to communicate through sound.

But painting remains my release, my pleasure …. a vocation that found me.”

Christel Ibsen, Denmark-born artist and part-time resident at Harbour Heights is best known for her realist-style portraits of children and almost abstract seascapes. Her work is represented and sold in 11 countries around the world, including here in the Cayman Islands. She is one of the ongoing featured artists at the Grand Cayman Ritz Carlton, where her works are currently hanging. Her paintings will also be in a new exhibition at the Ritz beginning mid-November, 2015.

Visit Christel online here: http://www.christelibsen.com/ and find her on facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/christel.ibsen

Join us for the 2016 Cayman Cookout!

World-renowned chef Eric Ripert invites you to join him and other world famous chefs for the 2016 Cayman Cookout being held at the Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman resort January 14-17, 2016. Enjoy fine dining at its finest, on the beach! Wine experts and spirit blenders offer tastings and demonstrations. Tours and dinners showcase the food and beauty of Cayman Island -- no shoes required. Its the hottest ticket on the culinary festival circuit!

Chefs to headline the 2016 Cayman Cookout event are:
Eric Ripert
Jose Andres
Anthony Bourdain
Florian Bellanger
Tom Colicchio
Dean Fearing
Hubert Keller
Cindy Hutson
Ludo Lefebvre
Dean Max
Michael Mina

This event is within WALKING DISTANCE of Harbour Heights. If you love food and love the beauty of the Cayman Islands, consider visiting us in January. Take advantage of participating in this GREAT food celebration -- book a Harbour Heights condo and enjoy the fun, and bring your friends!

See photos from last year’s 2015 Cayman Cookout here: https://www.caymanislands.ky/eventsoffers/caymancookout/gallery.aspx