Sunset House February 9, 2010 by lukesheppard

Stepping out of my room, feeling the sunshine on my face, catching that breath of fragrant tropical breeze, gazing into the alluring blue water and I’ve have found the beginning of why so many people love Sunset House in Grand Cayman. Escape the cruise port-of-call and tourist shuffle of Seven Mile Beach for serenity and the chance to mingle with fellow guests who love the sea, both above and below water at Grand Cayman’s Hotel for Divers, by Divers, situated in a predominantly residential area of Grand Cayman. Set on a coastal road about 1.2km (3/4 miles) south of George Town, this is a well-recommended middle-bracket hotel whose rooms are divided among a quintet of two-story pink-sided outbuildings.

Accommodations are simple, no-nonsense, and comfortable. Plenty of shore dives are available — in fact, the resort is consistently praised as one of the best for shore entry points — as are boat trips Grand Cayman’s most popular dive sites and Stingray City. Swimming out from shore to the sunken wreck the LCM David Nicholson, or the famous Amphitrite, the 9’ tall bronze mermaid, just 100 yards off the coast from Sunset, is a favourite pastime for divers and snorkelers alike. Don’t expect to swim here off sand: You must lower yourself via ladders directly into the sea; however, with coral reefs resting just feet off of the coast, who needs sand anyway?   This place is favoured by divers and snorkelers, who appreciate the jagged, mostly rock shoreline (site of excellent snorkeling possibilities) and the extensive diving programs. You’re given a number of options for accommodation here.

Two other great reasons for staying here are direct access to the hotel’s much-praised restaurant, SeaHarvest, and its sprawling bar, My Bar, which is especially busy every Friday night. The multicultural population of Grand Cayman, a byproduct of its international banking industry, has produced a diverse culinary scene and Sunset House is at the top of the list. Grand Cayman might be the last place you’d expect to find a nice spicy plate of Indian food. But My Bar at the Sunset House has excellent curry dishes and other Indian specialities for $10 to $20. About 80% of the guests staying at the hotel here are scuba enthusiasts; and about 80% of the clients at the hotel’s bar and restaurant are full-time island residents. So whether you are a harden scuba enthusiast, or that person who has always wanted to see what the fishes see; kick back, enjoy the sun, the breeze and the enticing gin clear waters of the Cayman Islands here at Sunset House .