Seven Mile Beach is a wide, powder-soft stretch of white sand that curls around the west side of the island. The waters are generally calm, warm, and crystal-clear - owing to the barrier reef that protects the shoreline from large waves and currents.

The slope heading out to sea is an easy and gradual one, ideal for swimming or just wading in. It's by far the most popular beach around; even so, it never gets towel-to-towel. If you do want to slip away from the crowds, walk west to where there are fewer hotels.

The community of West Bay north of George Town begins at the northern edge of Seven Mile Beach and is the second largest district on the island. Though most of the area is residential, a few tourist attractions are around here, like the Turtle Farm on West Bay Road (daily 8.30am-5pm; phone 345/949-3893), which has thousands of green sea turtles on display, of which more than half are raised to meet the local demand for turtle meat.

Those who are conservation-minded can sponsor the release of turtles into the wild. Tours are self-guided and take less than a half- hour to complete. At the time of writing, the farm was still recovering from Hurricane Michelle, which destroyed much of the seaside tanks and gift-shop; there's still plenty to see across from the original location.

Cayman Islands
     travel guide

Cayman Islands
Overview
Where to go
When to go
Getting there
Costs & currency
Communications
Food and drink
Brief history
Best of Cayman Islands
Info and sites
Diving, hiking
Festivals and holidays
Scuba diving