Every time I close my eyes I still see the water...riots of blues. I still feel the pink and white soft sand between my toes and hear the waves crashing against the shore as I fall asleep. I have returned home, but my heart and soul remained in Grand Cayman, at the Retreat.

I traveled with my children, ages 22, 16 and 13 to Grand Cayman June 14-21, 2011. It was a last minute trip after an incredibly busy period my my "work life". I found great airfare from Detroit and searched for the perfect accommodations for my family. We prefer secluded, out of the away destinations, with wonderful snorkeling and beaches. We're divers, so close access to a top-rated dive op is a must, although they do not need to be on-site. I knew I didn't want to stay on 7MB, it is too much like Miami or Aruba for me and I like neither of those destinations. At all. When I started researching Rum Point and The Retreat, I knew I had found my GC island home.

We arrived to beautiful sunshine, a warm, humid breeze, and no line at immigrations. We had arranged transportation with McCurleys and BA provided a stop at Hurley's to shop for groceries before we headed to the "north". Our Nissan Sentra was awaiting us in the parking lot and we quickly scrambled to the condo - unit #22. The grounds were nice...not extravagant like a resort complex, but well kept. We were greeted at our doorway with conch shells and a small foot bath for sandy toes. I smiled. The condo was extremely well-equipped, and much more beautiful than I expected. The pictures on the web-site did not do the unit justice. Two bedrooms, with wonderful, premium pillow top mattresses and an assortment of pillows, including squishable down. Two and one-half baths, an extremely well equipped kitchen with premium cookware and even muffin tins (which I DID use), and the perfect blender for frozen island drinks. The screened porch ran the length of my king size bedroom and was a haven from the mosquitos at night. Additionally, I could open my doorwall, which opened onto the balcony, wide at night and fall asleep to the sound of the waves. It was as close to sleeping on the beach that I could imagine without a tent :)

High ceilings and ceiling fans gave an airy feel to the unit, and the views were amazing. The unit faces Northeast, so I watched every sunrise from bed. The placement also captured the strong breeze, important for the balcony, and for my comfort at night as I turned off the AC when opening the huge doorwall to sleep "outside" The unit had a washer and dryer, essential for a busy active family (and beach towel freshening), beach towels, a cooler and fast, secure wifi. Charcoal grills dot the property and we used them 4 of the 7 nights we were there. Picnic tables are near/on the beach, and there are plenty of lounge chairs available on the sand. It was a perfect home base. I felt safe and completely at home at property and in the unit.

We didn't use the pool often as it is not ocean-side and I could not tear myself away from the water view. it is however a nice size and very clean. The few times we did use it it was the perfect temperature and we were the only ones in it.

The beach is beautiful. It is small, yes, but perfect. The snorkeling is outstanding, but I must stress that you need to venture out about 350 yds to the Boulder Gardens where the snorkeling is absolutely outstanding. Near shore snorkeling is passable. Check out Testudo's snorkel blog in the forums area for details about snorkeling this area, as well as all of GC. I walked the beach to the west of Rum Point every morning, in front of the gorgeous villas. You MUST do this if you stay here. The sand is perfect, the water shallow for hundreds of yards, with something new to discover each day. Rum Point itself does get crowded on cruise ship days and we were glad for the actual physical separation between our beach and the main Rum Point beach (rocks and trees). It was amusing watching the cruise ship visitors arrive by snorkel "barge" and then leave several hours later. We at at the Wreck Bar one day for lunch (no cruse sip visitors that day) and the food was good and relatively affordable for GC standards. The resident birds, however, were a nuisance, and even dive bombed our heads....my kingdom for a pellet gun....

I have posted detailed trip reports on the forum with more info about the resort, diving, snorkeling, the beach and, still yet to be posted, food shopping, restaurants and misc. Feel free to pm me with questions. This was our first trip to GC. It won't be our last. GC and the Retreat were the first island destinations that truly felt like home. We'll be back soon. Wish it could be a permanent stay.

My wife and I stayed in Retreat #19 May 24 - Jun 1, 2011 for our honeymoon. The place was wonderful. Spacious Great Room, huge screened in deck, and everything sparkling clean. (All the places here have screened in decks/patios - the mosquitos come out as the sun goes down and drive everyone from the beach.) There were many nice touches, including a bin of water on rug to rinse the sand/salt off your feet before entering the condo.

The staff was very helpful - whatever we asked for (DVDs, fix the DVD player, etc.) they provided (except a can opener - we never did get one). The kitchenware was adequate - dishes were new, but pots and pans need replacing. That said, we still were able to prepare our own meals as desired.

The location was about perfect for us. The Retreat is nice and quiet, very private, but activities at Rum Point were right next door! We could walk 100 yds on the beach to the Wreck Bar and Grill, the Restaurant, Dive Shop, Gift Shop, etc. The catamaran cruise to StingRay City left from the dock there as well.

We set-up two dives through the dive shop, who directed us to their location at Morritt's on the East End - about a 25 minute drive - no problem. The diving was great!

We explored the Kaibo Beach Club, the East End, and 7 Mile Beach. If we return to Grand Cayman, we'll go right back to Rum Point. We liked the beach there the best, and along with the serenity when desired, and the other activities right around the corner, we thought it was perfect!

My two best friends and I stayed for 6 nights at retreat #33 to celebrate a 40th birthday. What a great condo! It is spacious, very clean, and truly felt like a home away from home. From the moment we stepped through the door, we knew this was a great choice. The place is even better than the website, and I can't say enough about the view! I was a little nervous to book through a private party (vrbo #159049), but as soon as I spoke to Belle (the owner) I felt completely at ease. In addition to being helpful and prompt in all communications, she is such a warm and friendly person. I really enjoyed speaking with her and felt as if it was important to her that we had a great vacation, not just because we were renting from her, but that she's just that kind of person.
Rum Point is the perfect place to relax, and relax we did. Most of the time we had the Retreat beach all to ourselves. When we did see someone else, interactions were so laid back and friendly, opposite from typical congested resort areas. Actually, we never even made it to Seven Mile Beach, we were so content here. The Retreat at Rum Point has the best of both worlds--privacy when you want it, or just a very short walk away you have access to a restaurant, bar, gift shop, and water sports.
Recommendations: Rent a car from McCurley's Tours and Taxi Service (345-947-9626; mccurley@cwhiptop.com). They have a booth at the airport and they drive you out to Rum Point (on the way they will make a stop at the grocery store if needed), where your rental car is waiting for you in the parking lot. At the end of your trip, you just leave the car in the Retreat parking lot, and they drive you back to the airport. It was by far the easiest car rental experience I've ever had. Also, going to the Stingray Sandbar with Captain Jimmy is a must. Playing with the stingrays is one of the coolest things I've ever done on vacation. It lives up to the hype! We debated about going on a catamaran or the glass bottom boat. We were very pleased with our choice of the boat. It was a much more personal experience than we witnessed others having that came on the larger catamarans.Captain Jimmy was very knowledgeable and Novelette (his assistant) was a gem. She took at least 30 pictures of us with our camera, and they came out so nice. Another tip-make sure to check the cruise ship schedules and plan accordingly. It can get quite crowded at the sandbar.
I highly recommend Retreat #33, and Belle definitely added to the great overall experience. We were looking for a low-key place to relax and unwind, and the Retreat at Rum Point fit the bill perfectly. What a find!

We stayed in unit 16, which is a third floor, one bedroom condo with an ocean view. It also features a very spacious screened deck. Each unit is individually owned so the furnishings and quality could vary. Our unit was very well appointed and comfortable. The only item I found myself wishing for during our ten days was a small cooler.

The facility has a pool at the rear of the property next to the tennis courts. It also has a very very small workout room which had a treadmill, a glider, a small incline bench and about 50 pounds of dumbells. The beach is small but sandy and perfect for small children. Older kids wanting to crash into waves may be disappointed. The beach is great for beginning snorklers and those with a little more reach can swim to the east around the point to see more coral/fish.

Rum Point is right next door. This is an attraction for day trippers and never bothered us at all. In fact, we would walk over there to see what was going on and maybe grab a sandwich. However, we learned quickly that our beer, wine and pop we had back at the condo were much more economical! There is a Red Sail Sports 'branch' located at Rum Point which we used to book a two tank dive. Everything was professionally handled and went very smoothly. They also have a small gift shop over there and we bought a few things.

If you are going to stay here, you will need a car. There is a small local grocery about 4.5 miles up the road in Northside and another dining option at Kaibo Yaught Club about 1.25 miles in the other direction. As we arrived on a Sunday, having our groceries delievered by caymanshoppers.com was very convenient and highly recommended.

The grounds are well taken care of with plenty of parking and it is well lit at night. Rum Point closes down around 5 with just their formal restaurant open in the evenings. Never heard anything from over there.

This is not a 'happening' place. It was great for us to come home to everyday after exploring, diving, snorkling whatever we decided to do. I would recommend it to anyone who wants the comforts they enjoy at home, but with a tropical flare!