We've been going to PP for more than 10 years, and every year it's like going to visit family. We're not alone; the repeat business is huge for a place with just 10 rooms -- we always run into people we've met before. The staff is incredibly stable for a resort -- fewer than a dozen all told, and more than half have been there since we started going, even though they work really hard -- they're the waiters, office staff, divemasters, room cleaners, all in the same day. They're incredibly patient and friendly.
It's not luxury in the sense of a high-end spa, with uniformed servants or formality, but it envelops you with that sense of relaxation a vacation is supposed to supply. There's no pressure. Don't want to dive today? No problem. Not feeling like eating at the appointed time? Someone can bring you something, or just wander into the kitchen and Cam, Diane or whichever staffer happens to be there can find something for you.
The heart of the resort is Gladys Howard, a Cordon Bleu-trained chef. She's 75 and doesn't do the cooking anymore (except on rare occasions), but supervises the menu -- her cookbook (available at the resort) is the guide. (Ask for the recipe for almost anything, and she'll yell in her Texas drawl, "It's in the book!") People fly from Grand Cayman just for dinner at PP, and people at other resorts book dinner, too. Cam and Diane always win top prizes at the annual Cayman Cook-Off. Food is served buffet style, but it's really, really good. Everything's included for a diver, including drinks; nondivers have an honor sheet to record soft and hard drinks at the self-serve bar. Wine -- good wine, not plonk -- is served with dinner. If you're (un)lucky, Gladys will convene a train dominoes game after dinner.
PP runs just one two-tank dive a day, which may not be what the hard-core want, but it means you get to sleep in, have breakfast, not be rushed for lunch (which always waits until the divers are back) and have some time to relax or explore in the afternoon. Plus the profiles are long -- 40 minute deep dive profile (though you can stay down as long as your air/computer will allow you), and shallow profile for an hour or more. And you can buddy up and go off on your own, or stay with the divemasters. We recommend some of both -- Gay and Martha are fabulous at spotting the little critters, and the other divers all share their finds. There have never been more than 14 divers on any boat I've been on at PP, and the average is 8 to 10. Once, it was just me and two divemasters! You can also do as much shore diving as you want -- the marine park begins at the west boundary of the resort -- and if enough people want it, a night boat dive can be had.
Bikes are free, and if Gladys is in the mood, she may take everyone to Point of Sand. The island is small enough that if you take enough water and sunscreen, you can bike around it in a few hours, though some of the roads will be sand.
The rooms are big and airy -- ask for one of the new beachfronts, which have porches front and back -- but no TV, phones or keys. When we first started going, only a few people on the island had satellite -- we were there during the 2000 election standoff, and we'd eagerly await each plane to get the latest twist -- but now PP has high-speed wireless and a guest PC. Some rooms have AC, but you need it only in the deep summer; the breezes work well in the Caymanian bungalow design.
The bar has all sorts of guest-made artwork around, and there's a contest for the best piece every year, first prize being a free week. The only rule is you have to find the material on the beach. (Why do so many doll parts end up on beaches?) There are paints, glue guns and the like to help you decorate your find, and some are incredibly detailed -- including animals and fish so realistic that a biologist would admire. Each year when we go back, we're tickled to see that one of our creations has lasted another year on display.

My husband and I have been regulars at Pirates Point over the last 10 years – I remember our first visit because it was our honeymoon. We return frequently as do many of their guests.

The diving: Bloody bay wall is always stunning. Because it has marine park status and a small number of visitors, the reefs are in great shape. The spectacular underwater drop off into that deep bottomless blue is always a thrill. It’s like being dropped into an aquarium.

There aren’t a lot of pelagics and no wrecks. There are lots of colorful fish and corals typical to the Caribbean with usual sightings of turtles, nudis, eagle rays and a shark or two. The combination of warm water with good vis and little current calm makes this a place for watching fish as they clean, court/mate, protect, etc. Wrasse and squid were courting on this last mid-June visit.

The dive crews at Pirates Point are expert at alerting you to local and seasonal fish behavior and will offer helpful tips on perfecting technique and buoyancy, so you can watch fish do their thing without scaring them off. If you’re interested in learning more about this special place and diving, this crew is generous with their insights but they never coddle or crowd you. Their watchful eye insures safety, which is a priority I appreciate. It ensures that all level of divers are having fun, learning good technique and not putting others or themselves at risk. I always learn something from watching Gay underwater, and the crew loves scouting out exotics.

They are extraordinarily helpful to photographers and divers with special needs. The minimal current allows divers to enter the water and go to depth when they are ready, so it’s all pretty relaxing. Pirates Point attracts divers who are experienced, self sufficient and open to learning. On this trip the suggested max bottom time was 90 minutes per dive in 84 degree water and the vis was very good (it’s often excellent). The schedule is two dives after breakfast with afternoons free. With interest from guests one night dive is offered during the week. The boat is very comfortable with sun and shade available. Distance to dive sites is about 30 minutes.

The food: fresh salads, veggies, fruit, wonderful fish, sadly I can’t pass up a good dessert - the main courses are served buffet style, with cloth napkins, china, - wine and candles at dinner. This is not your typical dive hotel fare. There are too many dive spots in the Caribbean that I don’t go back to because of the bad food and/or heart breaking poverty. Fortunately the Caymans are economically well off so poverty, theft and security just aren’t problems. I don’t know how PP gets it’s wonderful fresh food but it’s the best food on the island and comparable to the best you can get on Grand Cayman.

The facilities: The island is small with few inhabitants and no shopping or nightlife. This is a great place to write a book (like Gay did) or catch up on your reading and relaxing. Most guest hammock, or bird, or do some minimal island exploration in the afternoons. At hors d’oeuvres there is often a diver that has put together a video or photos from the day’s dive. After dinner there is coffee, cards games or dominos. I just retire.

Pirates Point consists of a few beachfront (no A/C) duplex , one triple, and a set back quad cottage (with A/C, the rooms a little smaller rooms) for a maximum of about 20 guests. If you need 400 count sheets, body spray showers, gym with spa and room service this is not the place for you. The rooms are plainly furnished, no phones, no tv.

PP is keenly aware of the need to conserve and protect their sensitive environment. Bad runoff water has ruined good diving in lots of places. That means no phosphate soap bars, not running the A/C if you’re not in the room, not wasting water and minimal personnel. Bring what you need with you or just do without for a few days – it’s island life.

The people: The guests are usually companionable Americans or Brits, mostly divers with a few bone fishermen or birders. I often travel there on my own and always feel very comfortable being a single. Your hosts, Gladys, Gay, Peter, Cam, Ingrid, Martha, et al. are always thoughtful and very hard working.

Getting there: Cayman Airways is not very well organized. There are usually hoards clamoring at the ticket counter and little to no signage for correct gates and counters. So be sharp and find your way, then it’s a short hop on a small, old prop plane that seats about 25 in sub minimal comfort. The landing strip is still gravel.

In almost 20 years of diving, Pirates Point on Little Cayman has emerged as our new standard of excellence among dive resorts. The combination of outstanding diving, fabulous food, and caring staff in such a lovely, unspoiled setting leaves just one question in your mind – how soon can we afford to return?

We stayed at Pirates Point during the last week of May in an oceanfront triple. While the accommodations are a little rustic, they were more than satisfactory for our needs. My husband, 14 year old son, and I are all divers, and we were impressed by the quality and professionalism of their dive operation. Gay, Ingrid, Peter, and Ash are all excellent dive masters, and they were especially helpful in assisting me with my dive gear on the stern platform. (I had a back injury a few years ago, and need to be very careful not to re-injury myself.) My fears were unfounded – I was in such good hands with the Pirates Point dive team that I dove twelve times without any back problems whatsoever, thanks to their help. We saw hawksbill turtles on almost every dive, schools of squid, sharks, eels, eagle rays, and abundant fish and coral. After diving in other locations with bleached coral and fished out reefs, it was immensely satisfying to dive in such healthy conditions.

We met interesting and congenial fellow divers – some of whom have been coming for up to 18 years! Both on the dive boat and in the dining room, we heard fascinating stories about their diving experiences and their stays at Pirates Point. We looked forward to every meal. Each meal was exceptionally executed by Cam, Dave and Debbie, usually centered around various themes. Lunch would be piping hot when we got back from diving around two, and had such stand out menus as home made pizza, beer battered snapper, or beef curry with cocoanut rice and mango chutney. Several hours later (after hanging out in the hammock, riding bikes around the island, or shooting darts in the bar), the dinner bell would ring for another great meal. Whether it was fajitas, roast beef, barbequed chicken and ribs, paella, or perfectly grilled tuna, the main course (like lunch) was always accompanied by at least three vegetables or side dishes, and fresh leafy salads. Dinner was served with wine, and was followed by gut-busting deserts: peanut butter pie, strawberry shortcake, fresh mango over sponge cake, or key lime pie, to name just a few. My son gained 8 lbs. in one week, despite making twelve dives, playing Frisbee on the beach, and riding a bike over 22 miles around the island.

The staff was extremely accommodating – especially to my son who was the youngest person there. Gladys Howard, Pirates Point’s legendary owner, was gone for most of our visit, so were really cherished the fun champagne party they threw at her lovely home when she returned on Friday. Gladys’ interesting stories and infectious laugh that Friday made us wish that we had been able to have more exposure to her during our entire week. However, if Gladys had been there all week, we might not hagve spent as much time with our dive masters, especially Gay, who efficiently manages Pirates Point, has written a hilarious book about her experiences on Little Cayman, and is a dive master beyond compare, and Ingrid, a lovely former attorney from Wales with a sparkling wit, who “chucked it all” six years ago to travel around the world.

Our vacation at Pirates Point could not have been better. While not luxurious, I would rank it among the finest dive resorts in the world!

Pirate's Point is not the Ritz Carlton, so if you are looking for that, stop at Grand Cayman. Accommodations at Pirate's Point are comfortable, but rustic - remember, there are only about 100 residents on this remote island, so its really incredible that the folks at Pirate's Point are able to maintain at all. I have been to Pirate's Point eight or ten times (lost count somewhere along the way), and I think I have probably stayed in every room there. I have my favorites - the beachfronts to theleft of the main building (and I don't feel that air conditioning is needed) - but all of them are comfortable. Don't believe anything you read here implying that the place is not properly maintained - it just isn't true, but you have to realize that Pirate's Point is a rustic resort. Oh yeah - as to electricity, Little Cayman has only a very small electrical generator for the whole island, and I'm sure the reason for asking residents not to leave their air conditioners running (there are only a couple of rooms that even have it) is for conservation, rather than merely curbing unnecessary expense (they also ask guests to limit toilet flushing due to scarcity of fresh water as well). I'm sure I have at least 100 dives on Little Cayman. Gladys Howard is the greatest hostess in the world (by the way, don't blame her for having a nice home nearby, especially if she is kind enough to invite you over), and Gay Morse is the best divemaster in the world, while her husband, Ed, is a diligent and capable superintendent who keeps everything working on an island where resources are scarce. The staff there is helpful, and they really will be your friends (no kidding) if you give them the chance. Just remember that there aren't many folks on the island, so everyone plays lots of roles - that means your divemaster in the morning will probably serve lunch that afternoon, then wash dishes, then handle phone duties, then set the table for dinner, and (oh yeah) make coffee for you after dinner. The diving on Jackson's and Bloody Bay is definitely world class, and I have some experience diving all over the world for over 20 years. While there are not a lot of huge pelagics, I have seen and photographed lots of exciting things, including flying gurnards, schooling squid, nurse sharks, reef sharks, other sharks, turtles, eels, octopi (including juveniles), pipe horses, sea horses, pipe fish, nudibranchs of various types (get Gay or Martha to help you fina a Painted Elysia, but don't tell them I put you up to it), etc.! Yellow Rose III is a great dive boat; I first saw it when it was brand new on the floor of the DEMA convention in New Orleans just before it was delivered by the manufacturer - it should be mentioned that there are rarely more than ten or twelve divers on board - its never crowded - and most of the divers are VERY experienced. I have photos of overhead sun and clouds taken from 100' with the boat looking like a balloon hanging on the anchor line - that's how good the visibility can be (it isn't always though, because life isn't perfect). Pirate's Point isn't for everyone - there's no five dive a day schedule, and there's not a lot to do on Little Cayman other than relax. However, if you are looking for great diving, friendships that can last a lifetime with other experienced divers you meet on vacation, a staff that is really dedicated, and some of the best dining at any all-inclusive resort anywhere in the world, then (like me) you will return to Pirate's Point Resort over and over again!