Cayman Crystal Caves

Cayman Crystal Caves

Cayman Crystal Caves
5
About
Cayman Crystal Caves is a fascinating nature attraction located in Northside, Grand Cayman, and Cayman's newest tourist attraction. When you visit Cayman Crystal Caves, you will be escorted with a knowledgeable Tour Guide, and join us on an adventure exploration of "Cayman Down Under". You will venture into amazing caves where you'll see stalactite and stalagmite crystal structures and otherworldly formations, formed by single drops of water and the slow passage of time. Tour through the unique rainforest nature, under which the caves formed. Amongst the forest and caves is plenty of plant and animal life including strangler fig trees, air plants, parrots, and bats.... History Cayman Crystal Caves have formed over millions of years. Fossilized shells and animal life in the caves show us that at one time, the mass now containing the caves was all located under the sea. Over time, as sea levels changed and land began to rise, rooms began to form through water erosion, making caves. Within these rooms spectacular stalagmite and stalagtite crystal structures began to form, as rain water dripping through the limestone ceiling of the caves left calcium deposits behind. The caves are still today continuing to evolve. The process of stalagmite and stalagtite formation occurs as rain water becomes slightly acidic when it first travels through surrounding plants, earth and other organic matter. This acidic water disolves part of the limestone as it seeps through the earth, and re-deposits microscopic calcium layers, as the water drips from the cave celings. Over time these deposits collectively form the crystal structures. Hundreds of years ago, Pirates used these caves as hideouts, and also as shelters from the elements, including hurricanes. As the Cayman Islands became populated, locals used the surrounding lush lands as farmlands, and mined the caves for rich fertilizer produced by bat guana, as some of the caves are inhabited by bats. In the last half century farming stopped, as the population switched to more lucrative jobs within the tourism and financial sectors. In the early 1990s, Christian and Ole Sorensen undertook an in depth search and exploration of all caves in the Cayman Islands, and began talks with the Cayman Islands government on developing a cave attraction based on the experience from the family's development of the very successful Harrison's caves in Barbados. After a few years, it was realized that the crystal caves of Old Man Bay were extremely unique and stood above any other caves in the Cayman Islands, and for that matter, most of the world. It took almost another two decades to purchase the various parcels which encompasses the caves and surrounding rain forest, as well as devise a route to the landlocked site from the main road. In the last few years of planning the attraction, Ergun Berksoy and the Berksoy family, who have vast experience in the tourism sector, joined the Sorensen family in this venture and together they have seen Cayman's newest and very exciting tourist attraction to completion.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • worldofnateg
    Hooksett, New Hampshire13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must see!
    My wife and I booked a group tour, but ended up taking a private tour due to some last minute cancellations. Our tour guide Yven was awesome! Informative, hilarious and simply a very cool dude. We had a great time! The caves were amazing and the potential for expansion is endless with 100s of other caves waiting to be safely excavated. We may not be back to Grand Cayman (we’re island hoppers. Grand Cayman is a great island), but the memories will be forever.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 6, 2023
  • Cameron K
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Visit!
    A great day out - the caves are awesome and the well persevered. The tour guide Jasmine was very knowledgeable and fun! The tour was well timed (essential given the heat) and not over priced. Very highly recommended.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 8, 2023
  • Chris T
    Attleboro, Massachusetts19 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great time with great views!
    The tour was great! Our guide Oscar was very knowledgeable and very charismatic. He shared alot of history and local knowledge. I would highly recommend this to someone looking for something other then the usual snorkeling tours. Its also very affordable. Theres a bit of walking and it gets hot in the caves so dress accordingly.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 11, 2023
  • donovanc114
    Johannesburg, South Africa2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning and informative!
    This was a great way to learn about the habitat and surrounds of the island as well as see some incredible caves. It was definitely hot and humid, but soo worth it. Our guide was fun and interactive, and took plenty of photos for you if you requested it, he also was slow and purposeful about taking us through, matching the groups energy! Its not the most 'fun' activity on island, but I still have to recommend it! I do believe in learning about the place you visit, and this tour gives you a bit of everything.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 19, 2023
  • Compass15228663225
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Excursion
    We had an amazing time at the caves. Our tour guide Oscar was fabulous. He was a true Caymaian and was so knowledgeable about the island. It does get hot so be sure you bring a bottle of water. The caves are beautiful and you won’t be disappointed!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 19, 2023
  • daniyuyuyuyu
    Bedford, Pennsylvania2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Devin is the best!!!
    The tour was awesome. Especially loved learning the facts about the agriculture and the history of how they built their homes!!! Devin was our tour guide, he grew up playing in the caves and knew every single corner of the caves like the back of his hand. He made our experience amazing!!!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 20, 2023
  • barry d
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Raining Caves
    Wish the guides gave more technical information about the formations. It was raining and they rushed us a bit. They were soaked and uncomfortable themselves, but I would expect them to be more prepared. We were given ponchos at the beginning of the tour. One guide was somewhat professional the other was not.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 21, 2023
  • Jonathan F
    Lincoln, United Kingdom9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Cayman Crystal Caves a ‘Must Go To’
    This is a must go to! It started with a very good and informative overview of the history by Archie Whittaker whose family ties with the area on both sides go back 5 generations. We then started the tour with our wonderful guide Janel who has such a wonderful personality making the experience fun and very informative. The caves and nature are simply superb and breathtaking!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written October 23, 2023
  • Kimberly B
    Grove City, Ohio7,475 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful caves and worth going to
    We decided to come here during our stay in Grand Cayman. The price is a little high for the time spent there ($40/pp) but it was definitely beautiful. There are 3 caves you go in and all 3 all unique in their own way. Beware they are extremely hot inside the caves (unlike the caves we have here back home, which are cold) so that was surprising. The owner gave a speech prior to going about the history and you could tell he was really passionate about it. Our guide was amazing and made things fun. They put you in vans to drive you back to the caves and it was hot. They do give you the option to drive yourself and I really wished that we would have for the cold a/c. They also provide you with bug spray, which is good. They do have some bats in the caves but they do not bug or harm you and there are some tiny green frogs as well. They are so neat. The last cave has a beautiful underground water area that is absolutely gorgeous. The walk to and from the caves is informative with the lush greenery with signs. It's definitely a place to check out for several hours when in Grand Cayman.
    Visited August 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 24, 2023
  • Rusty P
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Crystal Cave Visit October 2023
    Great tour from start to finish. A generational Caymanian provides some insight on the land and history of the village from his family lineage to start the tour. Tour guides take you in and out of 3 caves. They can be humid, as they are not very deep. Take the early morning tours. Tour lasts about 2 hours. Bathroom breaks provided. Good value for a half day activity. Have lunch around Rum Pointe afterward. Highly recommend!
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with friends
    Written October 27, 2023
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Popular mentions

5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles3,510 reviews
Excellent
2,916
Very good
451
Average
107
Poor
19
Terrible
18

Pieolicious
Montreal, Canada90 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
40$ US per person to visit the "crystal" caves plus a "tropical forest" tour. If you are thinking that you will see glorious crystals you are sadly mistaken. You will have the guide hold up his cell phone, flashlight on and wave it slowly on the cave wall where you will see some glitter.....

Tropical tour is a 10 minute thing showing plants and trees...
Written March 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Momofglutenfree
Shelbyville, KY52 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
We traveled by rental car to the caves for our tour. You must call in advance to make the reservation and they take a card over the phone to hold the reservation. When we arrived, I filled out a waiver for our family and we drove to the entrance. We were greeted by a quick introduction to the caves then drove our vehicle to the starting point for the tour. Our guide was very watchful of our group and gave us lots of information about the area. Once inside the caves, we were pretty much free to roam. The guide encouraged my teenage son to crawl into some spaces to see things the rest of us couldn’t. We traveled with 3 adults over 65, 2 adults 43 and one 13 year old boy. The walking trails and caves were easy for all of us to navigate. Be warned, this is hot even inside the caves. In Kentucky we are accustomed to cold cave systems and no real bug issues. These caves are hot and there are lots of bugs. Use bug spray, sunscreen and bring water. If you don’t mind sweating this is a very cool experience.
Written July 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DJ M
George Town, Grand Cayman5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
One of the must see activities when visiting the Cayman Islands. Staff are great and our guide was very passionate not only about the caves but the land and community. If you have a chance choose Patrick as your guide!

We took our 3 year old and although he was a bit hesitant the lights really made the caves feel safer for him and the bats at the end were very quiet and not flying around.

Also the canteen at the base of the caves had very reasonable prices for drinks and snacks. I would recommend going as early as possible as it can get a bit hot in there.
Written November 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Danielle S
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
We booked the 9 am tour for July 1 and we were told to arrive at 8:45 wearing closed toe shoes and to bring bug spray and water. We had our two children ages 8 and 10 with us. They did provide bug spray on site also but the bugs were not bad for us on this day. Entry was easy and once we arrived Archie detailed some history of the land including some of his descendants and how they fabricated building material from the islands natural resources. It was truly an interesting introduction to the caves. We took a 5 minute van ride to the Caves with our tour guide Shakira. We happened to be the only ones on the tour which was rather lovely (upon our departure there were about 15 people waiting for the next tour). Shakira shared many facts about the local plants as we walked along the trails. Then, we traversed three caves with Shakira sharing all the history and future of the caves with us. She was gracious and kind even taking family photos for us. She pointed out many interesting formations and answered all our questions. They plan to open more caves to the public as their attraction is growing which they also plan to have ATV rides and a zip line in the future. We were allowed time at the end in the gift shop and the woman running it was so very friendly and genuinely interested in our family and our travels. This was a wonderful excursion for us as we were not staying too far from the caves and their natural beauty is amazing. We were pleased to visit this site in its early years and look forward to watching it grow into an adventure destination on the island. We will visit again as it was a highlight of our vacation!
Written July 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sinziana2011
Munich, Germany48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Couples
Our visit was much beyond the expectations. My husband is very interested in caves and when he heard that there are caves on Grand Cayman, he absolutely wanted to visit. But reading on the website that prior reservation is essential, we were a bit discouraged, decided nevertheless to try our luck and we got to visit with quite a short waiting time. The admission price seemed a bit high to me (I think about 42 USD/person) but the beauty of the caves worths it. Really beautiful and you get to be very close to all the limestone formations. Very nice guide also, the introductory part was kind of boring (for us at least).
Written May 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Weary Travellery
Lexington, KY158 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
The Crystal Caves are interesting, especially if you're in to geology, Karst topography and hearing a lot about local family history. Some of the formations were cool and the underground lake with the decorative lighting and all the varied rock formations was worth lingering over.

That said - if you're used to cave tours in the US, be prepared for the exact opposite here. It was hot and stick on the surface, and only marginally less hot and sticky in the caves. Bring a good flashlight if you really want to see things, a cell phone won't do it. Wish we had known that before arriving. They do provide bug spray, and be sure to use it or bring your own. The many passageways lost a little of their luster after our guide informed us that they had used jackhammers and hand tools to make most of them, so the caves were "more accessible." Seemed like a possible safety issue. We were glad we went but would not do it again.

The families that own the caves have grand plans for the area, and some of them, like adding zip lines, would bring more people. Other ideas, like adding ATV trails, are terrible - if you want to destroy the quiet, natural character of an area, nothing will do it quicker than a bunch of roaring ATV motors spewing gasoline fumes everywhere.
Written September 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Donna C
Bahama, NC7 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Family
We went in 2017 and it was great. 5 star. This time the tour group was too big and the guide only spoke the the first 5-10 people in the group. So if you were at the back you didn’t hear anything. Several folks asked her to wait and to gather people score she spoke but she never did that. The caves were still amazing and worth the visit.
Written July 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jess
Richmond, VA4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
Our family of 4 (2 teens) loved this tour! We loved getting to explore the different types of caves. Our tour guide provided neat local history as well as information in the caves themselves. As we walked the trails from cave to cave, our guide told us lots of interesting facts about the plant and animal life we saw along the way.

Hourly tour booking were divided into smaller groups with guides and spread out to different parts of the property. It didn’t seem crowded at all! Definitely a great way to spend an hour or so. And if you’ve got a rental car, make sure you hit a restaurant while you’re out that way!
Written December 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

DodgerMom668
Tewksbury, MA302 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Couples
This was one of our stops driving the island. Please note, when we were there you needed a reservation to take the tour and visit the grounds. We have been to Cayman several times but this was our first at the Crystal Caves. First the caves are amazing when you think about how many years it has taken to make these formations. Our tour guide Ashawni made the tour fun. A quick van ride and walk and we toured 3 caves. Ashawni was knowledgeable about the caves and made us use our imaginations as he pointed out rock formations such as the headless sheep and Ray Charles. The last cave had a beautiful "lake' you just want to jump in but alas "no touching" for fear of killing the entire ecosystem it takes to make these. Ther is a souviner shop, bar, and other refreshments but I would recommend bringing water as the caves get very warm (hydrtion is important).

An unexpectd surprise was before the tour left one of the decendents from one of the originally families who settled there and owned the land gave us the background of the area, his and the other familieis and it gave you a greater appreciation for the area you were visiting.

If you are staying on the island plan to visit this attraction when thre are no cruise boats. Our group of 6 pretty much ha d the morning there to ourselvces.
Written April 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MissBibimbap
Raleigh, NC57 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
The Caves just re-opened Apr 7, 2022–so glad we were able to visit during our stay! You need a reservation, tours currently run every hour from 9a to 4p, and we booked directly with the office. Our guides, Chisholm and another gentleman, taught us about all the natural botanicals as we walked through the path. The caves themselves are so unique and worth making the trip! Got to see a few fruit bats too! The path is easy, our 3yo was just fine, but recommend wearing tennis shoes! They provided water, bug spray, and flashlights. There is a small gift store and restrooms along the way. A fun experience for couples, families, anyone! And support a local, family-run business while visiting Grand Cayman!
Written April 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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