Best Eco Stays in the Cayman Islands
Where to stay in the Cayman Islands
The 5 best places to stay in the Cayman Islands are sustainable and all run on solar power, harvest rainwater and protect the reefs and turtle nesting beaches that surround them. From George Town and Seven Mile Beach to West Bay and Little Cayman, these resorts and boutique eco hotels are top rated for low-impact eco friendly comfort that keeps guests coming back to dive, swim and lounge without leaving a mark on the islands.
How we decide the best place to stay in the Cayman Islands
Each top rated stay in the Cayman Islands is hand picked and checked for sustainability features.
We look at how the property actually sources its energy, like The Locale Hotel running almost all of its electricity from a 305 panel solar power array.
We analyse the water conservation, like The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman capturing rooftop rainwater in a 350,000 gallon cistern for irrigation and cutting water use with low flow fixtures.
We verify where the food comes from, like Vida Cayman Islands serving local farm to table cuisine through its in house Nourish kitchen.
We also look at the property’s wider impact, like Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa being the first LEED Silver certified resort in the Cayman Islands, built partly from recycled material and supporting coral restoration.
The boutique hotels, resorts and dive resort on this list of best places to stay in the Cayman Islands have proven they are making a real effort to protect the island while taking care of its guests.
If these calm, turtle loving shores have you dreaming further afield, our guide to the best sustainable hotels across the Caribbean gathers the whole region in one place, or look east to the eco stays of Jamaica, the closest of the big islands, then carry on up the chain to Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas to the north.
Top Picks, Where To Stay in the Cayman Islands
- Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa: LEED Silver, solar powered
- Little Cayman Beach Resort: Green Globe certified diving
- Vida Cayman Islands: Female owned, farm to table
The Locale Hotel is a Grand Cayman owned boutique hotel just off Seven Mile Beach in George Town, run by island based Howard Hospitality Group and built with one of the smallest footprints in the Caribbean.
A 305 panel solar array supplies almost all of its electricity, air conditioning heat is recovered to warm the hot water tanks, indigenous gardens grow without irrigation, and turtle friendly lighting protects nesting beaches, with refillable toiletries and paper straws cutting single use plastic.
Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa is the first LEED Silver certified resort in the Cayman Islands, a Dart developed property on Seven Mile Beach in Grand Cayman built partly from recycled material, including concrete from the demolished Courtyard Marriott and walking trail pavers made of locally crushed glass.
A 170 kilowatt solar array, geothermal air conditioning, LED lighting and rainwater harvesting run the resort, while the kitchen turns used cooking oil into biodiesel for island vehicles and the team supports coral restoration and a plastic free guest experience.
The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman is a Green Key certified resort on Seven Mile Beach in George Town, home to Jean Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment programme that teaches guests about renewable energy and reef ecology.
Solar thermal collectors heat the spa and Jacuzzi, a 350,000 gallon cistern captures rooftop rainwater for irrigation, low flow fixtures cut water use, kitchen oil is converted to biodiesel, and a mangrove conservation initiative runs through the Ambassadors programme and Community Footprints.
Vida Cayman Islands is a boutique eco hotel on Conch Point Road in West Bay, set on the edge of Barkers National Park and co founded by environmentalist Milly Serpell alongside architect and kiter Derek Serpell.
Its 16 individually designed apartments pair sustainable architecture with retained and replanted native vegetation, the in house Nourish kitchen serves local farm to table cuisine, and the property hires local staff and commissions Caymanian artists as part of a locally centred sustainability pledge.
Little Cayman Beach Resort is a Green Globe certified dive resort in Blossom Village on Little Cayman, sitting beside the Bloody Bay Marine Park and the reef conservation work of the Central Caribbean Marine Institute.
Its Earth and Sea Friendly programme uses Green Seal certified cleaning products and compostable corn based serviceware, runs plastics and glass recycling across the islands, and sends Reef Divers staff out as environmental ambassadors on Plastic Free Cayman beach clean ups.
More Caribbean Sustainable Stays
Book Your Next Stay Consciously
Travel is a wonderful opportunity to connect with Mother Earth.
However, it is also frequently undermined by reckless development and disrespectful tourism practices.
This directory is a curated, verified list of hotels, lodges, and resorts that honour our planet and are led by visionary stewards of the environment.
From farm-to-table culinary experiences to dedicated ocean conservation efforts, such as marine protection and coral restoration, these establishments are redefining hospitality.
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