Once upon a time, Island Princess Elle Belle took a magical journey to Grand Cayman’s famous Seven Mile Beach and made her castle the new Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa. The Seafire, named for the beautiful sunsets that seem to set the ocean ablaze, is the best and latest luxury family-friendly resort in the Caribbean. From the moment I arrived, the sea and sand beckoned and I couldn’t say no.
I landed on this beautiful island where the colors are right from my crayon box: The water is ocean blue, the beach is desert sand, the pool is turquoise, and the sunset gets a brand new color called seafire! There’s fun for everyone in the family with a beautiful beach, two oceanfront, pristine pools, cool Camp Seafire (kids’ club with themed day and evening programs), a serene spa and fitness center and delectable dining options. With this colorful excitement around every corner and its island chic meets Caribbean comforts appeal, the resort immediately felt like home.
From the second I looked outside the picturesque views lured me in and the water beckoned. I could have lived at the Seafire Pool (the pool for water babies of all ages) with its cozy lounge chairs, scrumptious snacks and endless water fun. My little sister loved the shallowest part of the pool that she affectionately called the fountain pool with its pint-sized waterfalls and fun fountains for splashing and playing. And Mommy loved the lounging options (the woven banana shaped loungers or laying in a hammock around the pool) for viewing all this action. Plus, I met the best, new friends at the pool (you know who you are), making pool time extra special. It was a swimming good time!
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My next stop to the beautiful beach was just steps away and the beach became my ultimate vacation playground. I loved using the fun-tastic beach pails, shovels and toys from the Seafire. And I scoped out a superb spot for the fam at the edge of the ocean with easy access for me to splash in the waves while my little sister would build sand castles. But the best part was the big water sports toys at the Red Sail Sports stand where I could play all day (at no cost to Mommy and Daddy) with the giant water tricycle, kayak, snorkeling gear, paddle board and more.
This island paradise was chock full of amazing adventure and awesome animals. I loved exploring the Cayman Turtle Farm and swimming with the green sea turtles and their friends in the lagoon and then holding the turtles up close and personal. I even saw a shark feeding but didn’t want to swim with them at all. Speaking of swimming with ocean animals, the Seafire’s exclusive Red Sails Sports North Sound Eco Safari Tour was a must-do. We enjoyed a fantastic voyage to the can’t-be-missed spots of the Stingray City Sandbar, Coral Reef snorkeling, the Mangroves and Star Fish Point. I did things I thought I would never do like kiss a stingray. Yes, I kissed a sting ray and I liked it (because kissing a stingray gives you seven years good luck)! I also snorkeled with schools of my favorite undersea fish, saw upside down jellyfish and phenomenal fauna at the Mangroves and played and danced underwater with a dozen gigantic star fish. Turtles and star fish and stingrays, oh my! It was once in a lifetime!
All this incredible activity worked up my appetite and the Seafire’s selection of fresh, local cuisine made everyone’s taste buds dance. The main restaurant, Ave, was perfect for family dining with its buffet breakfast and delicious dinner. I loved the traditional favorites and Mommy loved the local flavors, especially the fresh catch and Cayman pepper jelly. My personal, favorite dining destination was at the beachfront Coccoloba with its ceviche, fish tacos and stellar kids menu. My little sister loved the fish and I loved the pasta. The grown-ups loved that kids under 5 eat free. And we all loved ordering rounds of tasty pina coladas (but don’t worry – mine was virgin). It was out of this world!
Our nightly after-dinner ritual was to take the beach access elevator back up to our room, pushing the magic “Seafire button” and singing our own Seafire chant on the way up. And when the doors opened we would run wee, wee, wee all the way home to our room. After playing all day on this incredible vacay, at bedtime we retreated to the room and happily gazed out of the floor to ceiling windows. I enjoyed stepping out onto my private balcony to really take in the perfect ocean views. After a while, I jumped into my soaking tub for a royal island bath and then suited up in my robe and slippers to go back out to watch the stars from my balcony. That was the perfect island ritual before plopping into my cushy bed for sweet island dreams of what I would do tomorrow when the sun and sea beckoned again. I never wanted to leave the Seafire!
To learn more about the Seafire, visit seafireresortandspa.com!
Elle Belle is an adorable preschooler who lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan with her magnificent mommy, dapper dad, and new baby sister. She can be reached at ellebellenyc@gmail.com.
