Trip Planning Advice - Harbour Heights, Cayman Islands

Are you planning your first trip to visit us here at Harbour Heights? Here are some things to keep in mind before you arrive.

Directions. Familiarize yourself with the directions on how to get to Harbour Heights from the airport. Many visitors keep their phones in airplane mode to avoid any overseas charges on accessing data. If that is the case, you will be unable to use the GPS function of your smartphone.

Rental Cars. We are a British Territory, and as such, we drive on the left side of the street. Cayman Island rental agencies offer cars that are set up with the driver side on the right. You can ask for a driver side left. To obtain a driver’s license here in the Cayman Islands, you will pay a small fee at the rental agency for a temporary license. Please check with your personal car insurance to understand if you are covered while driving here. If not, our rental agencies can offer insurance to cover you.

Driving. If you are unsure of which side of the road to drive on - watch for traffic to go by first, then follow the cars in the direction you are going. We have many roundabouts here in Grand Cayman instead of traffic lights, you will go clockwise in these roundabouts. Most entrance and exit access into parking lots are also reversed. It is helpful to have your passengers help watch for driving cues as well.

Currency. Most businesses here accept US dollars. When dining, most receipts show the cost of your purchase in both US dollars and Cayman Islands dollars. If you pay a bill with US money, you will receive your change in Cayman Islands currency.

Groceries. Grocery shopping on Grand Cayman Island is just like shopping anywhere else - except our grocery stores are not open on Sundays. Here you will find Foster’s Food Fair IGA, Kirks, and Hurley’s in Grand Harbor. If you are flying in on Saturday, you may want to make sure to visit one of these supermarkets and stock up for the weekend or the week. Beer and wine are not sold in our grocery stores.

Liquor. We are uniquely set up here at Harbour Heights to be able to sell liquor to our guests from our property office. You may buy liquor during our business hours only.

Dining Out. We have a wonderful range of restaurants here on Grand Cayman Island. Take a look online at the restaurants we have. You may want to make dinner reservations ahead of time, especially if you are visiting during our high season. One thing to make sure to notice - is the gratuity already included in your bill? Take a look at the bottom of the check before you finalize any payments. Again, you can pay with Cayman Islands currency or in US dollars.

Beach Access. The beaches around the entire island are public. Private beaches start at the high water line. Look for “Beach Access” signs along the road - park your car and follow the footpaths to our beautiful beaches. Along Seven Mile beach you will find Governor’s Beach, Public Beach, Cemetery Beach and West Bay Public Beach.

Snorkeling. Even if you do not consider yourself a diver, you may want to invest in a snorkel, mask, and fins. The Cayman Islands are surrounded by the crystal clear Caribbean Sea and is a premiere diving destination. We have wonderful marine life off our private beach and all around the island to enjoy. The dive shops here can help you with gear if you are not able to bring these things with you. You can also find fish identification guides to help figure out what you have seen while diving!

When Coral Spawns - an amazing night dive opportunity!

We have many coral reefs here in the Cayman Islands. They are a large part of the aquatic life here in our sea - providing protection and food for sea creatures, and beauty in just being themselves.

Once a year in the month of September, the corals here in Cayman spawn. The timing of this spawn is cued by the phase of the moon and it always happens at night. The window of the spawn is only 20 to 30 minutes long. During that time, the corals here release large numbers eggs and sperm into the the water simultaneously. This blizzard release increases the chances of fertilization. Once the coral egg and sperm unite, they create an embryo which will float in the sea for days or weeks before dropping to the sea floor. If the conditions are correct, the coral will start to grow - about 4 inches a year.

Is this something you would like to see? Think about planning your next dive vacation here in Cayman. (We would love to have you stay here at Harbour Heights!) There are dive shops/boats on the island that organize trips for divers interested in seeing this spectacular event.

Check out the video below by Ocean Frontiers Dive Shop - you get an idea of how amazing this time of year is for our coral!

Harbour Heights from ABOVE!!!

Recently, we worked with Perry Levy of Aerial Innovations to get some amazing photographs of our property from ABOVE via a camera-equipped drone.

The equipment Perry brought out to Harbour Heights is very sophisticated. One drone and two remote control units hooked up to two Apple iPads operated the drone and were used as monitors. This allowed Perry and and the shoot supervisor to see exactly what the drone sees when it is in the air. The best heights and angles for each photograph were determined before each photo was taken.

We had Perry out to the property twice. Once early in the morning and again in the afternoon. The lighting changes so much during the day. We wanted to make sure we captured that beautiful blue sea we have in the morning hours - and we wanted to capture our property without shadows in the afternoon.

It was a very windy day. Perry brought several batteries as they were drained quickly as the drone tried to stay steady in such a strong wind. But the view from above was SPECTACULAR. Don’t you agree??

Thank you Perry for all the fine work you did for us!!!

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!