Secluded Beachside Fish & Dive Resort
Location: Little Cayman
Style: Barefoot Caribbean Luxury
Budget: £££
Despite being less than 100 miles apart, life on Little Cayman, baby island to its Grand counterpart, couldn’t be more different. Away from the expansive resorts along Seven Mile Beach and Grand Cayman’s infamous financial centre, life on Little Cayman takes a somewhat more relaxed view on life, with serene sandy beaches and world class diving to boot. Nestled on one of the island’s most picturesque spots, Southern Cross Club is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the Caribbean style of life whilst also exploring the surrounding waters.
Activities at Southern Cross Club
Southern Cross Club is predominantly a fishing and scuba diving resort, and it’s these water based activities which are core to life at the club. With several custom built boats and a team fully dedicated to running trips around the island, you’re in great hands when exploring above or below the water.
Little Cayman is regularly listed amongst the best dive destinations in the world and more specifically, the sites along Bloody Bay Wall, situated parallel to the island’s north coastline, are the reason why. This stunning gem in the Cayman’s diving crown should be on the bucket list of all dedicated divers. Southern Cross Club host one or two boats daily for a morning double tank trip, often to Bloody Bay Wall, with the option of joining another single tank trip in the afternoon if you can’t get enough of this underwater playground.
Each dive boat hosts 10-12 guests, alongside 3 instructors, making for a personal and intimate experience when diving with SCC. One of the more senior instructors, Mike Schouten, is renowned throughout the Cayman Islands, with over 10,000 dives under his belt and an incredible knowledge of the waters, whose passion is truly evident on any trip with him.
With many fantastic dive sites around the island, you’ll be spoilt for choice, and as there’s only a few dive resorts on the island you’ll often have the pick of the sites. To the south of Little Cayman is a group of sites, a short 10 minute journey from the club, including great spots such as Gay’s Reef and Charlie’s Chimney, where you can spot tens of lobster thriving around the coral heads outside of hunting season. Around the north side, a slightly further journey, dives tend to take place in the stunning marine park, Bloody Bay, home to its namesake wall dives.
Whilst diving on Bloody Bay Wall, the usual dive profile involves dropping straight onto the shallow reef, sitting at only 5 metres deep, before heading out over the drop off and onto the breathtaking wall itself. Bloody Bay Wall is an impressive sheer drop, studded with colourful corals and an array of vibrant marine life. All the SCC dive staff are extremely knowledgeable about the various critters you may find during your dive, pay attention to their detailed dive briefing and keep your eyes peeled for everything from big pelagics and colourful reef fish to tiny macro inhabitants.
With regards to the larger residents, you can expect to bump into green turtles nestled amongst the corals having a snack, or one of the reef sharks or nurse sharks taking a nap on the sand. One of the most unique experiences in Little Cayman is the intriguingly friendly Nassau groupers. Although these large stripy fish are critically endangered, they’re rather common around the Caymans and love befriending divers so don’t be surprised to find you’ve got an additional dive guide!
Away from diving, whilst a large chunk of offshore waters around the island are protected, Southern Cross Club offer a number of excellent fishing options. Along the protected shallow flats just off the beach, you can simply wade along, with a rod in hand, to find snapper and jacks. Alternatively, for the more adventurous fisherman, you can opt to charter a boat heading offshore for some deep sea fishing, where you can find massive Marlin and Mahi Mahi when in season.
After a morning of diving or fishing pull up a sun lounger or grab a hammock for a spot of relaxation under the warm Caribbean sun, where you’re only steps from the shimmery pool or a refreshing drink from the bar. For those who can’t get enough of the water, head out on one of the paddle boards or kayaks across the tranquil bay to Owen Island. Or if you’d rather stay on dry land, borrow one of SCC’s beach cruiser bikes and ride out to Ramsar Historic Little Cayman National Trust Booby Reserve to observe thousands of these bizarre birds in the wild.
Staying at Southern Cross Club
Although Little Cayman was discovered by sailors back in 1503, the island has far from experienced an influx of visitors, with its quaint shores now being home to only 200 people. Perched on the edge of South Hole Sound, with its calm waters naturally protected by the reef line beyond, during your stay at Southern Cross Club you’re unlikely to be disturbed by many people whilst enjoying your slice of paradise..
The club’s iconic 14 beach bungalows stand out in their vibrant pink, yellow and turquoise colours, set on the glistening white sand. With palm trees dotted throughout, Southern Cross Club fully embraces (if not stipulates) bare foot luxury, declaring guests to be overdressed if wearing shoes!
The beach bungalows are split into traditional or deluxe options, all with views overlooking the water and a stone’s throw away from the warm Caribbean waters. Each of the bungalows also has a terrace and some even have outdoor showers, perfect to relax and watch island life tick by. At the far end of the resort, tucked away, lies the Honeymoon Suite a fabulous option for an utterly romantic adventure.
At the centre of SCC sits the main clubhouse, perched behind the club’s swimming pool and jacuzzi, with an outdoor terrace dotted with sun loungers and tables, where you can enjoy your meals during your stay. Additional sun loungers and hammocks are spread across the beach allowing you to find the perfect spot.
Atop the main club house is a crows nest, with sweeping views across the club, a great spot to hide away with a book, or for a game of mancala with your partner. You can find bicycles behind the club house and a raft of kayaks and paddle boards waiting for you to use at the water’s edge.
Dining at Southern Cross Club
The restaurant and bar are undoubtedly the heart of SCC, where you can find both guests and staff alike relaxing after a day of fishing or diving, recounting tales of their escapades with a cocktail or beer in hand. During the day, the bar is unmanned with SCC operating an honesty bar system where you can help yourself to a cool one and return back to your waterside haven.
All meals are included when staying at SCC, with Chef Anu and his team proudly putting together an extensive buffet (for breakfast and lunch) or a la carte (for most dinners). You’ll certainly not leave hungry. Expect fresh fish to be aplenty, as well as special themed nights, such as Mexican, Indian or Italian.
If you happen to visit during a major holiday season, you can look forward to a spectacular celebration to go with it. With its proximity to the USA, Thanksgiving is a popular time to visit the club, and the team put on one hell of a banquet, with several turkeys to go round along with all the trimmings. It’s also a popular spot for island locals to come and celebrate, so the party atmosphere definitely gets into full swing!
Key Information about Southern Cross Club
What are the Southern Cross Club rates?
Room rates at Southern Cross Club start around US$350 per person per night in low season and up to US$450 per person per night in high season. Uplifts are applicable for premium beach bungalows.
All rates are inclusive of airport pickup and drop off, three delicious meals a day and use of bicycles, kayaks and stand up paddleboards. On top of the room rate, you can choose add an activity package of diving and / or fishing, with a 5 night double tank package (i.e. 8 dives) working out at US$55 per dive. Flats fishing sessions lasting 2-4 hours cost around US$250 per person, and if you’re interested in deep sea fishing, rates are available on request.
What is the best way to get to Southern Cross Club?
Little Cayman has a (very) small airstrip which is operated by Cayman Airways and is only accessible via Grand Cayman or Cayman Brac. Flights usually run around 3 times a day from Grand Cayman in a small propeller plane, with only around 15 seats. The flight time is in the region of 35 minutes flying below the clouds with stunning views of the Caribbean.
Multiple routes across the Caribbean and the USA, including from Miami, Tampa and New York, fly into Grand Cayman. For European connections, your best bet is to use British Airways’ semi-direct flight to London with a short stopover at Nassau on the way.
Our final thoughts on... Southern Cross Club
Life on Little Cayman, with its authentic Caribbean way of life, couldn’t be more different to the glitzy spots on Grand Cayman, and Southern Cross Club is the best place to stay to fully enjoy the charms of the island whilst exploring the dazzling array of creatures living under the shimmering waters. Leave your shoes at the door and enjoy a few days of barefoot luxury with delicious food and world class diving to boot.
Find Out More…
Southern Cross Club – https://www.southerncrossclub.com
Explore more from the Cayman Islands and the Caribbean.
Many thanks to the Southern Cross Club for hosting us during our time in Little Cayman. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
