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Cayman Islands🇰🇾 | villagesNorth SideStarfish Point, Rum Point hammocks, blue iguanas, quiet northeast coast | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in North Side
🏆 Top pickvillage ranked #1
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 20, 2026

The cushion starfish at Starfish Point sit in knee-deep water you can wade into, so you need no mask, no boat and no tour to see them. That sets the tone for North Side, a district on the northeast coast of Cayman Islands, a drive from George Town, where the best things sit at the end of a quiet road. Rum Point and Cayman Kai give you hammocks, shallow turquoise water and a beach bar. The Mastic Trail and the botanic park give you forest, orchids and blue iguanas. The downside is plain: few places to sleep, thin public transit and no nightlife to speak of. Evenings are early, breezy and quiet, and you meet other travelers over lunch at Rum Point rather than in a hostel common room. Bring snacks, since shops are few. On a first day, beat the tour groups to Starfish Point, then drift to Rum Point for a long lunch and an afternoon in a hammock.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Cayman Islands Travel Guide.


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✨ Why go?
Ranked #1 village in Cayman IslandsWhy visitors keep coming back

North Side earns a stop because it shows you the Grand Cayman that tour buses skip. The reason to linger is the water on this side. The shallows around Rum Point are calm and shaded by casuarina trees, and you can walk out across sand for a long way without getting past your waist. Add the Mastic Trail, an old footpath through dry forest and swamp, and you have a few days of low-key hiking and bird watching that most visitors never consider. Reef sits close enough to snorkel when the wind lies down. This is a place for slow travelers, couples and solo backpackers who want to read, swim and eat grilled fish without a crowd. Hikers and nature lovers get the most from it. Two nights is a comfortable stay, three if you walk the trail and visit the garden. If you want hostel parties and cheap bars, … read more 👉
North Side earns a stop because it shows you the Grand Cayman that tour buses skip. The reason to linger is the water on this side. The shallows around Rum Point are calm and shaded by casuarina trees, and you can walk out across sand for a long way without getting past your waist. Add the Mastic Trail, an old footpath through dry forest and swamp, and you have a few days of low-key hiking and bird watching that most visitors never consider. Reef sits close enough to snorkel when the wind lies down. This is a place for slow travelers, couples and solo backpackers who want to read, swim and eat grilled fish without a crowd. Hikers and nature lovers get the most from it. Two nights is a comfortable stay, three if you walk the trail and visit the garden. If you want hostel parties and cheap bars, stay on the west side and visit for a day instead. Having a car, or a friend with one, makes everything easier.

💡 HighlightsPlaces and moments you shouldn't skip

  1. Rum Point: The district’s best-known spot, with a free public beach, shade trees, hammocks and a beach bar that claims the Mudslide cocktail as its own invention. The water is shallow and calm, and kids and adults wade out together. Entry is free, and sun loungers cost roughly US$10 to 25 to rent. Go on a weekday to avoid cruise and boat crowds. Plan 2 to 4 hours, or an entire afternoon.
  2. Starfish Point: A small sandy cove where cushion starfish rest in clear water about knee deep. Look, photograph, and leave them in the water, because lifting one into the air can kill it. It costs nothing to visit. Allow 30 to 60 minutes. Visit in the morning, when the sun is still low and the cove has few people.
  3. Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park: A 65-acre garden with a woodland trail, a floral garden, a heritage
… read more 👉
  1. Rum Point: The district’s best-known spot, with a free public beach, shade trees, hammocks and a beach bar that claims the Mudslide cocktail as its own invention. The water is shallow and calm, and kids and adults wade out together. Entry is free, and sun loungers cost roughly US$10 to 25 to rent. Go on a weekday to avoid cruise and boat crowds. Plan 2 to 4 hours, or an entire afternoon.
  2. Starfish Point: A small sandy cove where cushion starfish rest in clear water about knee deep. Look, photograph, and leave them in the water, because lifting one into the air can kill it. It costs nothing to visit. Allow 30 to 60 minutes. Visit in the morning, when the sun is still low and the cove has few people.
  3. Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park: A 65-acre garden with a woodland trail, a floral garden, a heritage garden and the Blue Iguana Conservation facility, where the rare native blue iguanas live. Entry is about US$12 to 18 for adults. Count on 1.5 to 3 hours. Visit in the morning, before the heat builds, and bring water.
North Side also works as a base for day trips to the Stingray City sandbar in the North Sound, the Crystal Caves, the East End Blowholes and the Pedro St. James historic site in Bodden Town. Starfish Point and Rum Point fit neatly into one day, since the cove is quick and the beach bar is a short hop afterward for lunch and a swim.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do around North Side

Private, luxury, custom charters to Stingray City, Snorkeling & More

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Grand Cayman Private Charter Stingray City, Snorkeling & Starfish

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Grand Cayman Kitesurf Gear Rental

Grand Cayman Kitesurf Gear Rental

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Private Half-Day Charter to Stingray City, Starfish Point and Snorkeling Tour

Private Half-Day Charter to Stingray City, Starfish Point and Snorkeling Tour

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Boat Tours to Stingray City North Sound and Grand Cayman

Boat Tours to Stingray City North Sound and Grand Cayman

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Private 3-hour Stingray City Charter - Grand Cayman - BTC

Private 3-hour Stingray City Charter - Grand Cayman - BTC

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Bling and Beverages Cayman Jewelry Shopping Experience

Bling and Beverages Cayman Jewelry Shopping Experience

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From €19.96
per personViator
Ocean Blue Charters Private Boat Charters in the Cayman Islands

Ocean Blue Charters Private Boat Charters in the Cayman Islands

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Aquaholic Charters Private, Luxury, local Adventures Grand Cayman

Aquaholic Charters Private, Luxury, local Adventures Grand Cayman

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Diamonds and Cocktails a Shopping Experience in Grand Cayman

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Ratings based on Tripadvisor reviews. When you book through this link, you support our work at no extra cost to you.

🌤️ When to go?Seasonal considerations and timing

  • Dry Season (December to April): North Side is at its most comfortable, with highs of 27 to 29°C (81 to 84°F), lows of 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F), low humidity and steady trade winds. Days run about 11 to 12 hours. Prices for rentals and flights peak, especially from mid-December to Easter.
  • Hot Wet Season (May to October): Expect 30 to 32°C (86 to 90°F) with heavy humidity and short, loud afternoon downpours. Daylight stretches to about 13 hours. Rates drop noticeably and Rum Point has more room on weekdays. Sea temperatures are bathwater-warm for snorkeling.
  • Hurricane Peak (August to October): Storms are most likely now, and some small businesses close for a few weeks. Bargains are real, but book refundable stays.
  • Shoulder Months (May and November): Crowds are thin, seas are usually calm, and prices
… read more 👉
  • Dry Season (December to April): North Side is at its most comfortable, with highs of 27 to 29°C (81 to 84°F), lows of 21 to 23°C (70 to 73°F), low humidity and steady trade winds. Days run about 11 to 12 hours. Prices for rentals and flights peak, especially from mid-December to Easter.
  • Hot Wet Season (May to October): Expect 30 to 32°C (86 to 90°F) with heavy humidity and short, loud afternoon downpours. Daylight stretches to about 13 hours. Rates drop noticeably and Rum Point has more room on weekdays. Sea temperatures are bathwater-warm for snorkeling.
  • Hurricane Peak (August to October): Storms are most likely now, and some small businesses close for a few weeks. Bargains are real, but book refundable stays.
  • Shoulder Months (May and November): Crowds are thin, seas are usually calm, and prices sit between the two extremes.
Aim for late April or early November for fair weather without peak rates, and avoid Sundays at Rum Point when locals fill the beach.


source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: excellent for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: excellent for travelingAPRApril: excellent for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: fair for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: good for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where staying makes the most sense

North Side has no hostels, so the best budget move is a self-catering condo or villa split between travelers, with rates of roughly US$110 to 220 a night off-season.
Cayman Kai and Rum Point hold most of the beds. Low-rise condos and canal-side villas sit steps from calm, shallow water, and most have kitchens, which matters because restaurants here are few and pricey. Groceries at the small shops along Old Man Bay run higher than in George Town, so stock up before you arrive. Two or three people sharing a two-bedroom unit usually land near US$55 to 90 each per night.
Quieter stays are found around … read more 👉
North Side has no hostels, so the best budget move is a self-catering condo or villa split between travelers, with rates of roughly US$110 to 220 a night off-season.
Cayman Kai and Rum Point hold most of the beds. Low-rise condos and canal-side villas sit steps from calm, shallow water, and most have kitchens, which matters because restaurants here are few and pricey. Groceries at the small shops along Old Man Bay run higher than in George Town, so stock up before you arrive. Two or three people sharing a two-bedroom unit usually land near US$55 to 90 each per night.
Quieter stays are found around Old Man Bay and Hutland, where private rooms and small apartments appear on rental platforms from about US$90 to 140. You will want a car or good bike legs, since the district is spread along a single coast road.
Divers can look east to Gun Bay, where Compass Point Dive Resort offers simple rooms near the East End reefs. For the cheapest beds on the island, hostel-style and guesthouse options sit near George Town and Seven Mile Beach, about 45 to 60 minutes away by road.
Book early for December through April, and ask hosts about minimum stays, which can run three to five nights.
Best hostels in Cayman Islands


Best quality hotels in Cayman Islands

🚌 Day tripsBest day trips from North Side

North Side works well as a base if you have wheels, since the district sits roughly 45 minutes from George Town and the island’s east end is a short drive in the other direction.
Starfish Point and Rum Point: Both are inside the district, so this is the easy half day. Starfish Point has knee-deep water where cushion sea stars sit on the sand, and Rum Point has hammocks, a beach bar and shallow swimming. Budget US$0 to 20 for food and drinks. First-timers pick up the starfish for photos, which harms them, so look and don’t touch. Calm mornings in the dry season are best.
👉 Explore Starfish Point
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park: Ten minutes from the coast road, this park holds a lakeside woodland trail, a floral garden, and the endangered blue iguana habitat. Allow two to three hours. Admission … read more 👉
North Side works well as a base if you have wheels, since the district sits roughly 45 minutes from George Town and the island’s east end is a short drive in the other direction.
Starfish Point and Rum Point: Both are inside the district, so this is the easy half day. Starfish Point has knee-deep water where cushion sea stars sit on the sand, and Rum Point has hammocks, a beach bar and shallow swimming. Budget US$0 to 20 for food and drinks. First-timers pick up the starfish for photos, which harms them, so look and don’t touch. Calm mornings in the dry season are best.
👉 Explore Starfish Point
Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park: Ten minutes from the coast road, this park holds a lakeside woodland trail, a floral garden, and the endangered blue iguana habitat. Allow two to three hours. Admission is about US$15 to 20. People often arrive at midday and wilt in the heat, so go when it opens, ideally from December to April.

Crystal Caves: A guided walk through limestone caverns at Old Man Bay, with stalactites and roosting bats. The tour takes about 45 minutes and costs roughly US$25 to 35. It works in any weather, which makes it a smart wet-season backup. Wear closed shoes because the floors are damp.

East End Blowholes and Bodden Town: Drive about 30 minutes east to see seawater burst through coastal rock at the blowholes, then continue to Bodden Town for old settlement sites and pirate lore. Fuel and snacks come to about US$15 to 25 if you share a rental. Waves are biggest on windy winter days.
👉 Explore Bodden Town

FAQTraveler FAQ

Fly into Owen Roberts International Airport in George Town, then drive about 45 to 60 minutes east to North Side, depending on traffic. A rental car runs roughly US$45 to 75 a day, while a taxi to Rum Point costs around US$75 to 100. Public buses toward East End pass through the district for about US$4 to 5, but they are infrequent and stop early in the evening.
North Side is worth it if you want calm shallow water, empty beaches and a break from the Seven Mile Beach crowds. Starfish Point, Rum Point and the Crystal Caves fill a full day or two, and the botanic park adds a few more hours. Anyone chasing nightlife or hostels will find it too quiet and spread out.
Yes, North Side is an easy day trip from George Town or Seven Mile Beach, taking about 45 to 60 minutes each way by car. Most people spend four to six hours at Rum Point and Starfish Point, adding the caves or botanic park for US$15 to 35 each. Without a car you rely on taxis or a bus that runs infrequently, so rent a car or share a ride.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Ideas for continuing your journey

North Side isn’t the only highlight in Cayman Islands. Explore all what Cayman Islands has to offer.
Explore Cayman Islands
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We 💚 feedbackParting advice and final tips

Many travelers treat North Side as a three-hour lunch stop and head back to Seven Mile Beach before the best light. Stay a night if you can. Rum Point empties out once the day boats leave, and the water goes calm and golden. Pack groceries and cash, because shops are scarce and the beach bar fills fast. Plan the Mastic Trail early, before the heat arrives.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on in-depth research, insights shared by experienced travelers, and feedback from the local travel community in Cayman Islands. While every effort is made to keep the information accurate and current, conditions can change — so if you spot anything incorrect or outdated, please get in touch.



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Johan, backpacker and founder of TakeYourBackpackHi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.

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