Plantana is unique - private, quiet, only 49 units, friendly Caymanian staff, polite residents and guests. The rooms are individually decorated by each owner and well maintained. Most units have 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with open floorplans - (not the often seen "boxcar" layout) The bedrooms are spacious and the units are well-built and quiet, and the rates quite competitive (particularly for the garden units which have a partial or no ocean view) My favorite feature of the units are the large screened-in porches in each unit -- delightful to enjoy breakfast with the azure sea as your backdrop, or heavenly to watch the sunset and moonrise over the gentle sea on a warm balmy evening.

The beautiful park-like grounds with mature plantings and colorful blooms - even resident iguanas - are unmatched at other Seven Mile Beach properties. The surf along the broad clean beach is very gentle - great for children -and no rock outcroppings to trip over entering the water. The water is crystal clear, and just beyond where you can touch the sandy bottom, and a short swim away, a snorkler will find success and delight around the rocky areas. For the ocean-timid ,Plantana's crystal clean beach-side pool is a pleasant alternative and great for little mermaids and men.

Plantana is situated about the middle of the seven mile beach and a morning walk either north or south is delightful. However mid-day will find extremely busy (and noisy)beaches to the north around the Marriott, or to the south around the Westin or the Ritz Carlton where often there are so many people and beachchairs, I'm not sure the occupants in the rear can even see the water. The hotel resort properties are busy, noisy, jam-packed and fun for those seeking a more lively atmosphere.
The fun for me was to enjoy the peace and pleasure of Plantana during the day and in the evening dress up and take in an excellent dinner, salsa band, or piano bar just a short walk down the beach to the hotel restaurants or at Luca in one of the nearby restaurants. What a treat to then walk along the moonlit beach back to Plantana for a quiet night's sleep.

Plantana is also very close to city-side services -- restaurants, golf course, grocery store, shopping center and even Georgetown for the more serious walkers. An interesting walk for a change from the beach, is to walk east along the golf course for less than 2 miles to the other side of the island and a very different coastline. There is a resort property there where I had breakfast before my return. You will, I think ,appreciate your return to the Seven Mile Beach side of the Island.

Other favorite spots for me were Stingray City where you not only get to swim with and feed the Singrays, but are treated to a truly vibrant snorkle spot where the sea is alive with color and character; Ristorante Pappagallo a short drive to the northeast from Plantana where you can enjoy preening parrots a magical lagoon setting and an excellent menu; The Lighthouse Restaurant is my favorite for a first trip - a step back in island history, with a splendid sophisticated menu - a must see situate on the rocky coastline! For lunch a fun stop is the Calypso Grill with its expressive color scheme- sit dockside and let your inner Carribbean come to life - enjoy exotic island drinks and why not go island with Marinated Conch and the Chef's Sticky Toffee Pudding? -- oh, yah, Mon!

Next trip I hope to take my grandchildren and visit the Turtle Farm, the Atlantis Submarine and possibly venture off island to Little Cayman.

It makes sense to me to choose Plantana, and I will again. Plantana-- where you can hear the gentle surf and the sweet songbirds..............
You can feel the gentle breeze and the warmth of the Carribbean sun on your skin..................
You can read quietly then scan the multiple blue hues from the water's edge to the horizon............
You can taste the salty sea air on your lips and smell the sea and the rich musky scent of the palms, pines, and St. Augustine grass..................
You can touch and wiggle your toes through the white, warm, sand.

At Plantana you will experience the island lifestyle and touch your senses and your soul.

We stayed at Plantana from June 23-29th 2007.

The property was in very nice condition, we stayed in unit #7. I highly recommend this unit as it was very well appointed, the kitchen had everything you could ever need to cook small or large meals. The unit is a beach front, ground floor unit which was super convenient for running back and forth between the beach and the condo. Even though the unit was very close to the pool we didn't find noise to be any problem at all.

The stretch of beach in front of Plantana was just perfect. It was clean and the white sand is soft and powdery. There are a couple of reefs not too far out where you can find tons of beautiful fish. If you go down the beach a little farther (toward the governors house) there is a HUGE reef but make sure you have your fins on as you will need them. I found having beautiful snorkeling right off your own beach to be a huge bonus.

The staff was friendly and helpful. One day the cable box didn't respond and I went to the office. The maintenance person was there immediately to help.

We traveled with family and they were in units #8 and #10 which were also quite beautiful. We had 3 kids under the age of 9 in our group and they all had the time of their lives.

I would highly recommend Plantana as its conveniently located just a short drive from the grocery store and its walking distance to Legends and Eats Cafe.

Enjoy, its paradise. We were planning our summer 2008 trip back before we even left!

We have vacationed at Plantana for the past 6 years, preceeded by 10 years at the old Caribbean Club.
The Pros: The units are well maintained and nicely furnished, each has a washer and dryer in the unit.Each unit has a screened, although not private, patio or balcony The beach is wide and beautiful with a soft sandy entrance into the water. The ground floor units offer the easiest access to the beach.You rarely see cruise passengers in this area. It is a short drive to stores and restaurants and you can walk to the Westin or Ritz Carlton if you wish and to the great snorkeling at the Governor's Reef.
The Cons: Management is aloof and not particularly helpful. On 4 of our 6 arrivals we were told that the unit we requested was unavailable and we were assigned to less desirable units. Note that all oceanfront units are not in the same proximity to the beach nor do they have the same oceanview. In years past the rate was lower for the buildings near the office or the parking lot, but no longer. It is a large complex and can be very crowded during high season. The pool area is small. Most of the units overlook the pool so noise can be a problem.
We finally realized that there are many other complexes with the Pros and not the Cons, so we have switched to a smaller and friendlier complex a bit North of Plantana.

Plantana is still the best place on Seven Mile Beach if you are looking for a unit that is nicely furnished, well-maintained, and on the absolute best part of Seven Mile Beach.
We returned for our 4th trip to GrandCayman, our 3rd to visit Plantana, from July 19-25, 2006, to find that Plantana, post-Ivan, is in better condition than ever after remodeling and redecorating after the storm. It has the prettiest landscaping of any property along the beach, and even though its buildings are an older, bungalow style and may not look as flashy as its newer counterparts along the beach, they are in immaculate condition and very nice and modern inside. We personally appreciate the "vintage" look that blends so nicely with the beautiful surroundings of the beach, and adore staying in a ground floor, ocean view unit where we are literally 20 steps from the beautiful sand of Seven Mile Beach.
The beach at Plantana is clean, wide, and has crystal clear water with great snorkeling nearby--within walking distance. If you desire more action, it is a five minute walk in either direction to the Westin or Courtyard Marriott where you can eat or drink at the beach bars/restaurants or rent water sport equipment. You are a short drive away from either the numerous, good restaurants along Seven Mile Beach and Georgetown or the restaurants on the west end of the island.
Plantana is beautiful, peaceful, and a little slice of heaven if you like a vacation to be restful and peaceful. We will definitely return again--hopefully soon!