Best Things to Buy in Grand Cayman

Duty Free Shopping in Cayman

Cayman is famous for its tax free shopping including: jewellery, watches, luxury brands, gems, precious metals and more. You will find recommendations on where to purchase these items below, as well as where to locate the best gifts and other essentials. Although import duty is charged on most goods entering the country, certain luxury goods remain free of both import duty and sales tax. Such items can therefore work out considerably cheaper to purchase in Cayman than in North America or Europe.  

Duty Free Allowance

• US citizens may take home $800 worth per person of goods duty free. This allowance may be combined with other family members so that a family of four could take a total of $3200 worth of goods home.
• Local products such as rum cake, arts and crafts are also duty free and US citizens may take unlimited quantities of these home.

Art Galleries

Grand Cayman’s best galleries that sell locally produced original paintings (as well as prints) can be found at: Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe in George Town; The National Gallery of the Cayman Islands and Kennedy Gallery (Tel: (345) 949 8077) both in the Seven Mile Beach area; Pure Art Gallery & Gifts (345) 949 9133 in South Sound and the Bodden Town Art Shop (345) 943 2827. Locally produced underwater photographs can be found at Cathy Church’s Underwater Photo Centre & Gallery on South Church Street.

The Ritz-Carlton also use their bridge across West Bay Road as an art gallery where they feature local artists.

Antiques & Shipwreck Coins

For antique maps, ancient and shipwreck coins and interesting antique prints visit Artifacts (345) 949 2442 situated within the Cayside Galleries building on Harbour Drive in George Town.

Locally Made Collectables

Great gifts to take home or to buy as a memento include locally made art, jams, hot sauces, rum cakes and a multitude of other gifts. The two best places to find these things are again at Pure Art Gallery & Gifts in South Sound and the Bodden Town Art Shop. See the Shopping in George Town for more details.

Caymanite

Hidden away under the jagged crust of Grand Cayman’s East End and the craggy cliffs of the Bluff in Cayman Brac, lies a beautiful rock called Caymanite. With layers of earth tone colours created by the different metallic contents of each strata, once expertly cut and polished, the stone’s radiant hues transform jewellery and carvings into a completely unique Caymanian gift. There is a Caymanite display at the Cayman Islands National Museum and it can be purchased from the Museum shop, the Craft Market, Pure Art Gallery & Gifts and the farmers market at the Cricket Ground.

Leather Goods

Designer handbags, luggage sets, belts and more from designers such as Fendi, Cartier, Chopard and Longchamp are available in various Kirk Freeport boutiques.

China & Crystal

Lalique, Waterford, Swarovski, Baccarat, Wedgewood, Herend, Versace, Vera Wang and Lladro are just some of the designers whose pieces are available here from Kirk Freeport. Look out for the Lladro and Lalique stingrays, exclusive to the Cayman Islands.

Cameras

Cayman is famous for selling fantastic cameras at prices far better than those in the US and Europe. The main dealer is Cathy Church’s Photo Centre located on South Church Street, just outside of George Town.

Jewellery & Watches

Other great things to buy while in Cayman are watches, gems and precious metals as all are duty free and sales tax free. The best option is to just wander downtown to Island Plaza on Harbour Drive, the Jewellery Palace on South Church Street, Kay's Fine Jewelry on Fort Street or one of the many Kirk Freeport stores located on Cardinall Avenue or in Bayshore Mall. Each of these companies offers a wide range of diamonds and other gemstones, as well as top-of-the-line jewellery.

The boutique, family-owned jewellery store, Rocky's Diamond Gallery, specialise in high-end jewellery. They offer an extensive collection of gemstones, perfect for life's big events. You can even have a piece of jewellery designed and made by their in house jewellery designers.

In the Seven Mile Beach area you will find Jewels in Paradise located in the Cayman Falls plaza and there is a beautiful jewellery store in Governors Square called Balaclava Jewellers.

If you're on the hunt for something with a little more history, head to Artifacts on Harbour Drive and view their extensive collection of beautiful antique items.

Clothing

If you are looking for beach or resort wear there are plenty of stores. The best places to look are George Town and Camana Bay, try the following: Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe, Waterman - Blue Wave, Divers Supply and Sand Angels and Ame in Camana Bay. Funky Monkey in Governors Square is another great option. It is also worth looking in the hotel shops in The Ritz-Carlton, the Kimpton Seafire and The Westin.

Diving & Snorkelling Equipment

Divers Supply sell, rent and service diving and snorkelling equipment. They are located in the West Shore Centre (Pink Plaza) on SMB. Most dive operators also rent snorkelling and diving equipment.

Liquor Stores and Wine Merchants

Cayman has numerous liquor stores and wine merchants and the quality and quantity of what they sell is extremely good. Liquor, however, carries a heavy import duty and this is reflected in the price of a bottle of liquor in liquor stores, as well as the cost of drinks in restaurants and bars. For example, duty on hard liquors starts at CI$11.85 per litre, so over a third of the retail price of a bottle costing CI$30.99 (Appleton VX Rum for example) consists of duty. Duty on wine is CI$3.60 per litre, champagne is CI$10.85 per litre, sparkling wine is CI$7.80 per litre, over-proof liquors is CI$15.98 and beers are CI$1.95 per litre. Jacques Scott and BlackBeard's are popular wine and liquor companies and they have numerous stores around the island.

Souvenirs and Unique Gifts

For a huge selection of inexpensive good quality souvenirs try the Blue Iguana Souvenir Outlet and 2Blue, both are downtown.