It's "hard to compete" with the coral sands of Cayman's Seven Mile Beach. – PHOTO: STEPHEN CLARKE
The Cayman Islands’ Seven Mile Beach has been designated the world’s top beach vacation spot by the U.S. News & World Report.
The rankings, released by the publication’s U.S. News Travel website, are based on a review of commentary by visitors and certain expert evaluators, not the editors’ individual opinions.
The ratings consider a number of factors including ambiance, accessibility, affordability and approval among tourism experts and travelers. Based on evaluations of those areas, the world’s top 12 beaches were chosen.
“In truth, there isn’t one ideal strip of sand that would suit everyone,” the U.S. News Travel website states in its review. “Still, our ranking of the best beaches in the world showcases what makes a beach stand out.”
On why it picked the Cayman Islands as the top beach vacation destination, the website opines: “It’s hard to compete with the coral sands of Grand Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach. Brimming with luxury hotels and casual restaurants, the Cayman Islands leave travelers with little to complain about.”
The website review also puts in a plug for George Town shore dive location Eden Rock before linking to a fairly detailed Cayman Islands travel guide.
Cayman Islands Deputy Premier Moses Kirkconnell, who hadn’t seen the rankings yet when contacted on Monday, said this welcome news puts another feather in Cayman’s tourism hat.
“We compete globally on sand, sun and sea and for us to be ranked globally No. 1 is a huge tool for us to use … to attract more tourists to the island,” Mr. Kirkconnell said.
Mr. Kirkconnell was also interested to know how other Caribbean tourism destinations fared in the rankings. Three other destinations in the Caribbean Sea made the U.S. News top 12 list. Anguilla was ranked No. 5 while the Turks and Caicos Islands came in at No. 7 and Playa del Carmen, along Mexico’s Caribbean coast, was rated No. 12.
“We’re competing with these other islands,” Mr. Kirkconnell said, noting that Cayman was always keeping an eye on the competition, particularly Cuba and the Turks and Caicos in recent years.
Other destinations on the top 12 list included Kauai (No. 2), Seychelles (No. 3), and Maldives (No. 4). Rounding out the list were Bali, Sanibel Island in Florida, Corfu in Greece, Bora Bora and Fiji.