Cayman’s Crystal Caves has won Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice 2024 award as the fifth top attraction in the world, outranking the likes of the Colosseum in Rome and Louvre Museum in Paris.
Seven Mile Beach also landed a top award among the ‘Best of the Best’ beaches in the world, ranking 15th in the traveller-led awards announced this week.
The Travellers’ Choice Awards ‘Best of the Best’ title celebrates “the highest level of excellence in travel”, the popular travel review-driven site stated.
“It’s awarded to those who receive a high volume of above-and-beyond reviews and opinions from the Tripadvisor community over a 12-month period. Out of our 8 million listings, fewer than 1% achieve this milestone,” Tripadvisor said of the awards.
No small feat
Cayman Crystal Caves, located in North Side, is now ranked among the top attractions in the world, including the Empire State Building in New York, which topped the list, and the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which came in second.
Archie Whittaker, front of house manager at Cayman Crystal Caves, says being ranked among such famous attractions feels like a dream.
“To see that we have literally ranked top five of the world under some of, in my opinion, the most amazing attractions worldwide, we are ecstatically excited to be chosen. To be number five in the world and coming from the uniqueness of our little Cayman Islands is actually exceptionally special,” Whittaker said.
Reopened in 2022 under new management, the caves have fast become a draw for tourists from around the world who flock to the Old Man Bay site.
Whittaker said the award is not the result of a single act, but a team effort at the caves.
“There’s no ‘I’, it’s all about ‘we’. Everything that this has gotten us so far has all been a collective effort of our amazing team. We’re small and united in one and that’s what happens when you have a team that everyone is on the same page,” he said.
Cayman’s appeal
One reviewer on the Tripadvisor site posted, “We had a great time on our tour of the Crystal Caves. It was a great change of pace activity after a week on the beach”.
Reviews like this and the more than 3,000 others helped earn the team at Crystal Caves the accolade.
Tripadvisor, in its introduction of the Cayman Crystal Caves, said, at the site “friendly guides will tell you all about the geological site” and visitors can admire the stunning limestone formations and lush vegetation while learning how the caves were created.
“This unique, family-friendly activity is perfect for a break from the beach. Just remember to wear water shoes during your visit,” it said.
Whittaker said from 2023 to now, there have been 79,844 visitors at the caves.
He said the team at the caves have added new elements to the experience at the popular attraction, which he believes gave the site an extra nod of approval.
There is a revamped restaurant and background information posted at the location that briefs visitors on ownership of the caves and the community’s historical ties to the area.
Whittaker added that they have also introduced a new ‘dig’ area called ‘Sandy Creek’ Mining Company at the location at which customers can purchase packages with a mix of rocks, gemstone and crystals to ‘mine’.
“Families can come in and mine for gemstones and crystals, which is a cross selection of collections from around the world that are in our Sandy [Creek] Mining Company, which is amazing. We launched that last summer for summer camp and it’s been a great hit,” he said.
He said they have also introduced evening attractions like dusk to dark tours, which have attracted more visitors to the caves.
Heavenly beach
As for Cayman’s stunning Seven Mile Beach, one Tripadvisor reviewer said, “This place is heaven when it comes to the water and sand. Clear, aqua blue waters for as far as the eye can see. The sand is clean, fine, and not hot. There did not seem to be any shells where we were, but the dried coral that washed up was really neat.”
Cayman Islands Tourism Association President Troy Leacock expressed excitement at the latest awards.
“It’s great to see Tripadvisor recognising and awarding our attractions. Amazing attractions, wonderful people and world-class service make Cayman a ‘Best of the Best’ traveller destination,” he said.
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My Family of a party of 7 visited Crystal Caves in December of 2023. We had a delightful visit with Archie and staff. Everyone was very knowledgeable and friendly to all the tourist visiting the Caves. When I return to Grand Cayman, I will make the Caves a destination on my trip! Keep up the good work Archie and Staff.