Prior to 2020, like many Caymanians I know, I was actually quite poorly travelled between our sister islands, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. I’d been to Little Cayman a handful of times but Cayman Brac only once, and all of this as an adult.

When you live on an island, it seems you don’t often travel to another island for a holiday!

One of the big positives to come from Covid-19 travel restrictions has been the reminder of how lucky we are to have all three beautiful Cayman Islands right on our doorstep. A chance to explore our “neighbourhood” properly and for us a chance to buy a beach house in Little Cayman.

This past week we finally booked in for a very long overdue trip to stay at the Le Soleil d’Or in Cayman Brac and it was everything we could have hoped for and more.

Getting There

Travel to the Brac is a breeze thanks to the Cayman Airways 737 jet and the Saab direct flights, it’s only 30 minutes from Grand Cayman or just 7 minutes from Little Cayman where you’ll fly over our little beach house, The Hideaway en route to the Brac!

What To Pack

Packing for the Brac and specifically, Le Soleil d’Or, is the perfect combo of glam meets practical.

You’ll need heat-friendly clothing {think linens and cotton}, gym gear, hats, sunglasses, and proper shoes for exploring the Bluff and farm, lots of resort and swimwear for lounging by the pool and floaty dresses for a beautiful dinner in the gorgeous restaurant.

Like Little Cayman, you can bring a cooler of perishable food and drink for your stay. But remember you’ll have breakfast included and a whole host of fresh fruit, veggies and eggs on offer at Le Soleil d’Or so only bring items you won’t have on offer. Cayman Brac has a great bakery, supermarket and liquor store. If you have space I would recommend bringing some nice bubbles for you to enjoy some sundowners on your balcony after a long day exploring.

You can find the Cayman Airways baggage policy here.

Our Stay At Le Soleil D’or

Having seen the hotel from afar on our first and only trip to the Brac 8 years ago, it’s safe to say a stay here has been a long time coming!

Thanks to some attractive staycation pricing, Le Soleil d’Or has been welcoming locals to enjoy a discounted stay for the last year and we were happy to take advantage of that.

Craving some new experiences with the spoils of a luxury hotel, Le Soleil d’Or was the perfect early birthday treat for me. A lesson in a long and happy relationship? Plan your own birthday presents!

Le Soleil d’Or has a variety of accommodations to choose from including rooms at the main Manor House {found on-site by the restaurant, reception, and just below the Farm}, the Coast House {a short walk from the main grounds to a beautiful beachfront bungalow} and the Beach Club {a studio on its own private white sandy beach 2.6 miles from the site}.

We chose the Pink Guava room in the main house but on arrival, we’d been kindly upgraded to the Coast House which was such a treat! The Coast House felt so decadent for the two of us as it’s essentially an ocean-front home with its own pool, sandy beach hammock, and studio living. We needed at least 4 more people to make the most of it!

Included in your stay at Le Soleil d’Or is:

• Round trip airport transfer in a comfortable SUV or van

• Daily breakfast for two per room

• Complimentary amenities within your accommodation upon arrival and will be replenished daily: Fresh Fruit, Juices and Vegetables, Home Baked Cookies and Milk, Eggs, and Bottled Water, along with Nespresso coffee and tea service.

• Guided tour of Le Soleil d’Or’s 20-acre farm

• Access to beach bicycles, fitness centre and basketball/tennis court

The Farm

Easily our favourite part of our stay at Le Soleil d’Or was our tour of the 20-acre farm with farmer Randal. Set above the hotel grounds, the farm is actually located on top of the Bluff which is incredible in itself, let alone how lush it is in such a tough climate. The Bluff terrain is not easy to cultivate {to say the least} so the farm has to have soil and water trucked in to create beds away from the salt spray down below.

Despite the conditions, the farm has almost every type of produce you can think of. There are so many varieties of citrus fruits, plums, herbs, salad leaves, dragon fruit, eggplant/aubergine, avocado, pineapples, papayas - the list was endless and it was amazing to see them thriving in Cayman.

As if the terrain wasn’t harsh enough, the other challenges they face come from some unruly guests…the rock iguanas and Cayman parrots who come and nibble on any soft fruit they can find.

Places To Explore

There are so many hidden gems just waiting to be explored so grab your sunnies, slap on some sunscreen jump in the car - you won’t be disappointed:

Rock Climbing & Yoga - the pros at Rock Iguana teach you how to rock climb, rappel and explore the Bluff from a unique angle with over 110 different routes for a variety of skill levels. Yoga classes also on offer with a limited schedule.

Go Diving with Reef Divers - The Brac has some of the best dive sites in the Caribbean with walls, drop-offs, patch, and finger reefs, and the wreck of the MV Captain Tibbetts, a 330ft Russian warship to explore. The sea is pristine, visibility is excellent and marine life abundant. There are two dive shops: Reef Divers at the Cayman Brac Beach Resort and Brac Scuba Shack to explore the 50+ dive sites across Cayman Brac.

Grab some Jerk from Barry’s - Barry's Golden Jerk is served from a roadside shack that is everything good about Caribbean cuisine - jerk chicken and pork, served with fresh-baked bread. Look out for the painted sign and the oil-drum smoker on the roadside.

Dine At Barracudas - An excellent place to grab drinks and eat, Tuesday is sushi night, and every other night there's New York-style wood-fired pizza.

Visit the Cayman Brac Museum - Housed in a pretty white-and-blue-painted colonial house on the coastal road to Stake Bay, this small museum recounts the history of the island. Artifacts depict life for early settlers during a time when the island was largely cut off from the rest of the world.

Go Hiking - There are 12 marked trails on the Brac that take you through wetlands, forests, over the Bluff, and to historic landmarks. Trails are well marked, and whilst guides are not necessary, they are encouraged. Hikes are graded from easy to rough and ceramic signs on the roadside mark the start of each trail, sturdy footwear is recommended, as is sunscreen and water.

Visit the caves - The island's largest, most enticing cave is at the Great Cave, on the eastern end of South Side Rd which has ladders to enter its large cavern that’s home to bats!

Shop at Pioneer Bakery - Grab yourself a fresh loaf of Brac Bread (a round loaf similar to Jamaican hard dough) to bring home. Call ahead before showing up, as the baking schedule can be erratic and the goods tend to fly off the shelves. Cash only.

Go Fishing - Make the most of the crystal clear waters which are teeming with reef and game fish. Keen anglers can go shore fishing for tarpon or deep-sea fishing for wahoo, mahi-mahi, blue marlin, and tuna.