What a beautiful and peaceful place to unwind and just relax. We stayed in a groud floor beachfront condo with 3 bedrooms. When you walked in the front door (we stayed in # 7) there was the ocean right out the sliding door of the sittingroom. We stayed a week and never had a complaint. The management and employees were fantastic and would do anything to make our stay the best. They were still doing landscaping work after the hurrican hit them the year before but the grounds were very colorful. Sand was stillevident where there should have been grass but the way they were working I cannot wait to see it when we go back. We snorkled off the beach and, with the help of a raft, went out at least 150 yards to where the water was very deep. We saw Rays, Barricudas and schools of fish almost immediately upon entering the water. We even swam with a Sea Turtle and saw the tracks of one early one morning as people from the Government were busy covering up the tracks. We were told it was to protect the nest and the eggs. We enjoyed their tennis courts and the pool was very nice for a fresh water dip. Our condo was very well furnished and quite comfortable. Maid service was every day and we cooked most of our evening meals since dinners out are rather expensive. We were far enough away from the cruise ship crowd that we were almost alone on the beach! The place is not large for the size of their beach so I guess that has something to do with it. We made sure to have our favorite beverage on the beach every evening for the sunsets. DON"T miss the sunsets!! They have laundry facilities on site and supply you with beach towels whenever you need them. We parasailed and they picked us up at our beach. We only went into Georgetown to shop when the cruise ships were NOT in port. They have wireless internet for their guests which is nice to check email, etc. A grocery store is just up the street about a mile or so. Our unit had some DVD movies and music CD's for us to listen to inside which was nice (some of the music was not to our liking but we brought our own too). There was even a stack of books I was told were supplied by the owners but then changed out by the guests as they came and went. The kitchen had everything we could ask for and I was able to still keep tabs at night on my favorite shows on cable--when I was too tired after a hard day in the sun to go out. Our children are grown but if we had young ones I would probably go for a beachfront unit. They can head straight out to the pool, beach and ocean without lugging everything up and down stairs. Our group had 4 adults and we had plenty of room. We even had a bedroom we didn't use.

We will be back to the Christopher Columbus and hopefully be able to stay in an oceanfront ground floor unit again.

We have just returned from a stay at the Christopher Columbus. It is a very nice condo complex. We chose a 2bdrm/2bath gardenview on the ground level. We truly had a garden right outside our patio. The condo was very well maintained. Housekeeping was in everyday. The pool was great and not crowded. Lots of chairs. Lots of shade as well. Great Beach. The ocean was beautiful. Beach entry was Ok. There were points where you could enter that was sandy, but it got deep quickly so not great for young kids. Snorkelling off shore was ok, we preferred Cemetery Beach nearby. My kids loved playing with the hermit crabs on the rocks to the right of the resort. They actually prefer the pool and rock playing to the beach. This is a great place to go.

The website really does not do this place justice. My husband, 4-year old daughter, and I stayed in an oceanview 2BR with Den unit , and it was wonderful. So much so that I hesitate to advertise this gem, but the place deserves public praise. The condo is located on a quiet but beautiful part of Seven Mile Beach. You can see the ocean upon going through the front door! I snorkeled right off the beach in front of the condo and saw quite a few fish in shallow water (I could always stand up). Our unit was very tastefully decorated and had comfortable beds. (They are all decorated differently, however.) The kitchen was very well-outfitted with everything we needed to make many meals which we ate on the patio with a view of the ocean. We loved being on the ground floor as we were only steps to the pool and ocean beyond. There is also a nice grassy area in front of our condo where our daughter could play. The beach never had more than a dozen people on it. The maximum number of people that we saw in the pool was 6 at any time (including ourselves). Lisa Hernandez, the manager, was always extremely helpful and nice. She waited up for us until 11 p.m. the first night when our plane arrived late. Housekeeping was terrific. The lady even washed the dirty dishes in our sink, which was really beyond the call. We loved this place, and will be back.

I returned to Grand Cayman after a 15 year hiatus December 18-24, 2006. I am pleased to report the island is still a terrific spot to visit in the Caribbean. Definitely more hustle and bustle than the "Grand Caymans are where?" days of the 1980s, but not obnoxiously crowded. I have to admit we did not venture away from our north Seven Mile Beach (SMB) condo on the day 9 cruise ships were in port!

I was with my wife, 3 year old, 1 year old, my upper 60s parents, middle-aged sister all in one three bedroom condo at Christopher Columbus Condos(CCC). We had plenty of room. We choose a ground floor unit (#5) for ease of access to pool and beach. I highly recommend the ground floor for this reason especially if you have kids. We were literally 20 steps to the pool or sand and didn't need to schlep a lot of stuff back and forth. The upper units may have a better view from their patios but all you see is big blue ocean, which to me is not worth the trip out the front door, down the stairs, and around the building to get to the pool/beach.

The unit was fully equipped with all you need in the kitchen and lacked nothing. We had three TVs (2 too many), three VCRs (2 too many), 1 DVD player. The stereo in the den was decent with a triple CD changer. These units are called 2 bedroom 2 bath with den, but they are really 3 bedroom units. They don't call it three bedroom because it was originally intended to be an extra den, but most owners have closed them off with bifold louvered doors and it has a closet so to me it is a large third bedroom, period. Each unit has a nice sized patio or balcony, ours shrunk because it was loaded with pool toys and snorkel gear while we were there. Lisa, the manager, was super nice and helpful and even gave us a ride to the supermarket the night we arrived to get supplies. All our beds were comfy and the place seemed updated and repainted after Hurricane Ivan. Everything worked and I have no complaints. We were there during super high season (week before Christmas) so we paid through the nose, but when you are [essentially] dividing by 6, it really wasn't too bad.

CCC's beach is great, lots pristine SMB sand, a little rocky at the entry point but that makes for good snorkeling. The slope is way more gradual than I remember it and the water was calm our entire stay. If the rocks bother you, walk 27 feet to the south and get in over there! I'm told by owners I met there that the rockiness of the beach can change from week to week. Discovery Point Club next door to the North's beach is pretty eroded with large sheets of slick shale like stone at the entry point, but again walk 'over yonder' and get in instead.

I think North SMB is the PERFECT location on GC. Quiet, laid back but still a quick cab ride to Georgetown for shopping. It's a 4 minute beach walk north to the cemetery snorkel spot. 10 minute beach walk south to a fun beach bar and kiddie playscape at the public beach. From CCC, you can walk north to the smaller Foster's grocery in less than a mile.

We took a Stingray city snorkel trip with Captain Bryan on one of his catamarans. They picked us up at CCC on their way from Georgetown to the dock so we got to "sleep in". Even though there were only 2 cruise ships in that day, Stingray City was too crowded to be truly enjoyable. I am still glad I did it and we got to get the boys out on the water. Captain Bryan was one of the few tours that would take our 1 year old. Please Note: They did not require or even have suitable life jackets for our 1 or 3 year old. The water was calm that day and I was okay with hanging on to our little ones, but the grandparents were freaking out! Apparently their boating laws are a lot more laid back than ours. BYO infant/toddler life preservers. Captain Bryan himself drove us back to CCC in his van. The Turtle farm was a good morning excursion with the ability to get up close and personal in the totally redone themepark like facility. It is still all about the turtles with a little water park attached for extra fun (for an extra fee).

Dining on the island is expensive, almost double what I'd pay for similar quality here in Central Texas, but I did not have a bad meal. Papagallao was excellent hand made Italian in a picturesque tropical setting on the north side. Rackham's on the port in Georgetown is good for seafood and comfort food and Tarpin feeding nightly. I did not think the groceries on the island were all that expensive. We brought in pasta sauce, spices, some liquor for foo-foo drinks, and a little breakfast stuff and stocked up for the rest of our meals for 5 adults two toddlers for about $300 for the week.

Lots of building going on after Ivan but the tallest buildings on Seven Mile Beach are about 8 stories and there are very few of them so the island still has a relatively quiet feel.

The reefs were in pretty good shape. Saw lots of fish (even got nipped by one), no turtles (in the wild) though. Due to having little ones to keep happy, I only snorkeled off shore and near Stingray city on our tour.

We only rented a car the last two days to visit some island friends and see some sights from our past visits. The blowholes have lost some of their ooomph! The south and east side of the Island is starting to get more developed but we didn't feel the need to stop and see a whole lot. Van rental was expensive but worth it for the morning sprint to catch or 8am flight out.

I would return to the Caymans for the beach front, park yourself in one spot, do nothing kind of R&R we enjoyed. However, for more natural beauty, although not as easy to get to, I still prefer the Virgin Islands for their striking elevations, surrounding island vistas, and numerous protected calm bays. If I do go back to the Caymans, I would not hesitate to stay at Christopher Columbus Condos again. Their website does NOT do the property justice.