Cemetery Beach
The verdict on Cemetery Beach
- Who it suitsSnorkellers and anyone who wants the powdery Seven Mile sand without the resort crowd, from beginners who stay close in to confident swimmers who fin out to the deeper coral.
- Best spotStraight off the sand on a calm morning, working the reef overhangs close in first, then swimming out to the richer coral about sixty yards offshore once you are warm.
- One thing to knowThere are no facilities and the access is a low key path through the cemetery and a white gate, so park by the cemetery and bring everything you need.
Published 7 March 2026. Last reviewed 29 March 2026
Cemetery Beach is where the locals send you when you ask where to snorkel Seven Mile from the shore, and they are right. This is the northern end of the famous beach, past the resort strip near West Bay, with the same squeaky white sand but a fraction of the crowd and a reef that starts almost at your feet. If you came to Grand Cayman to get in the water rather than to people watch, this is your spot.
The snorkel is the whole point. A rocky reef rises close to the shoreline with overhangs and ledges that fish hang around, so beginners can find life in standing depth a few yards out without committing to a long swim. Push on and the bottom drops away, with the better coral sitting about sixty yards offshore where the water reaches around twenty feet. That tiered layout is what makes it work for everyone, an easy poke about close in and a proper fin out for the confident.
The honest catch is access and amenities. Do not expect a sign or a kiosk. You park along the road by the small cemetery, walk a path through it and out through a white wooden gate onto the sand, which is easy to drive straight past the first time. There is nothing to hire and nowhere to buy a drink, so this is a bring your own day, gear included. None of that is a flaw, it is simply the deal for the quiet.
Time it for a calm morning before the trade wind fills in, when the leeward water is glass and the visibility is at its best, and the whole west facing strip still gives you a clean sunset later. For loungers, lunch and the busier scene head down to Seven Mile Beach proper or the wider West Bay Public Beach just up the coast. For turtle snorkelling instead, try Spotts Beach. For verified clubs and cabanas, use our Cayman Islands beach clubs directory.
Clubs on and near Cemetery Beach
Cemetery Beach is quiet public sand with no club or bar on it, which is exactly why snorkellers love it. For a daybed, service and a cabana you book the resort clubs and beach bars down the Seven Mile strip. We never invent venues, prices or status, so for the clubs we have verified use the Cayman Islands beach clubs directory.
Cemetery Beach public access
The beach is free public sand reached through the cemetery path and the white gate, with roadside parking nearby. No charge and no service, just the quiet north end of Seven Mile and the reef, so bring everything you need for the day.
Beach clubs on Seven Mile Beach
For loungers, water sports and a cabana the clubs sit down the central Seven Mile strip a short drive south. Named venues and any current minimum spend live on the directory, since status changes through the season, so we confirm before you commit.
Cemetery Beach, Grand Cayman
Cemetery Beach is at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach near West Bay, a short drive north of the resort strip. Park along the roadside by the small cemetery, then follow the path through it and out through a white wooden gate onto the sand. The access is low key with no big sign, so use the cemetery as your landmark and you will not miss it.
Bring reef safe sun cover, water, shade and your own mask and fins, since there is nothing to hire on the sand. The reef sits close in, so go gently over the shallow rock and keep clear of the coral, then fin out to the deeper patch once you are warm. There is no lifeguard, so read the water and aim for a calm morning before the breeze builds.
Not ready to book?
Keep the good shorelines coming. Shore Notes is our occasional letter on the best beaches and the clubs worth your day, sent straight to your inbox. One field, unsubscribe any time.
Reserve a daybed near Cemetery Beach
Send your details and we will help arrange a beach club, cabana or daybed booking down the Seven Mile strip near Cemetery Beach. We confirm current minimum spend, opening status and availability with the venue before you commit. Nothing is charged here.
Independent and honest · 1,340 beaches ranked across 103 destinations · We answer to no resort
Cemetery Beach FAQ
Is Cemetery Beach good for snorkelling?
Yes, it is the best easy shore snorkel on Seven Mile Beach. A rocky reef greets you almost at the shoreline with overhangs that fish gather around, and the richer coral sits about sixty yards out where the water deepens to around twenty feet. It suits beginners close in and confident snorkellers further out.
How do you get to Cemetery Beach on Grand Cayman?
Cemetery Beach is at the north end of Seven Mile Beach near West Bay. Most people park along the roadside by the small cemetery, then follow the path through it and through a white wooden gate down to the sand. It is a short easy walk, but the access is low key and easy to drive past, so look for the cemetery.
Is Cemetery Beach quieter than Seven Mile Beach?
Yes. It sits at the northern end away from the resort strip, so it is far calmer and less crowded than the central stretch, with the same powdery white sand. You share it mostly with snorkellers and locals rather than cruise crowds, especially on a weekday morning, which is its quiet charm.
Does Cemetery Beach have facilities?
Facilities are minimal. There is roadside parking and the beach itself, but no club, restrooms or rental kiosk on the sand, so it is a bring your own day. Pack water, shade, reef safe sun cover and your own snorkel gear, since there is nothing to hire once you walk through the gate.
What is the best time to snorkel Cemetery Beach?
Come on a calm morning before the trade wind builds, when the leeward water is glassy and clear and the visibility over the reef is at its best. Afternoons can ripple up as the breeze fills in. Always check the water on the day, since conditions are typical and never guaranteed.