In this article, we review the Turtle Farm (Turtle Centre) in Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
What is the Turtle Farm?
The Turtle Farm is, as the name suggests, a farm where they breed sea turtles in Grand Cayman.
They changed their name in recent years to the “Cayman Turtle Centre” as this was deemed to be more “tourist friendly” compared to their original name (Turtle Farm).
The Turtle Farm is a popular tourist attraction. Many people visit every day to see the turtles. Some people don’t support the Turtle Farm because they kill some of the turtles to sell the meat to the local Cayman population.
However, others say that this is a lesser of two evils as it prevents locals from poaching and killing wild sea turtles.
The Turtle Farm also releases some of their turtles to the wild to help sustain the wild population of sea turtles.
Where is the Turtle Farm located?
The Turtle Farm is located in West Bay in Grand Cayman.
This is about a 10 minute drive from Seven Mile Beach, and a 25 minute drive from the cruise ship port in George Town.
Below is a Google Map showing the exact location of the Turtle Farm (Cayman Turtle Centre):
What can you do at the Turtle Farm?
There are multiple different pools/tanks inside the Turtle Farm where you can see turtles swimming.
There are also some smaller pools where you can see and hold baby turtles.
There is also a large salt-water pool where you can snorkel with turtles and fish. Most people prefer to snorkel in the sea, since you can see more fish and coral. If you are looking for snorkel spots in Grand Cayman, then you can check out our article where we review the top 25 snorkel spots in Grand Cayman.
The Turtle Farm also has a large enclosed bird sanctuary where you can see and hand-feed a variety of different bird species.
There are also pools that you can swim and relax in, and a restaurant.
Below is a video showing the Turtle Farm:
Can you hold the turtles?
The adult turtles are in larger pools that you can’t enter, however, the baby turtles are in smaller pools that you can get closer to.
You can hold the baby turtles and interact with them. It is important that you are careful and hold them in the correct manner.
Is the Turtle Farm worth visiting?
The Turtle Farm isn’t a must do attraction, but it is still a fun way to spend a few hours.
If you are visiting Grand Cayman on a cruise ship and only have one day on island, then we recommend that you skip the Turtle Farm and go to Stingray City instead.
If you are in Cayman for multiple days or longer and you have a lot of spare time, then you should visit the Turtle Farm.
The Turtle Farm is a land based attraction, so it is more accessible for people that are disabled or have issues swimming, compared to Stingray City.
When is the best time to visit the Turtle Farm?
If you are not a cruise ship passenger, then the best time to visit the Turtle Farm is when there are no cruise ships in port.
It can get quite busy with cruise ship passengers, so if you can avoid these busy days, then you should. You can check the cruise ship schedule here.
How much does it cost?
It costs around $40 USD per person to enter the Turtle Farm.
They have different tours and packages, so we recommend that you check out their official website for accurate pricing.
Is there free parking?
Yes, there is lots of free parking.
Across the street from the Turtle Farm is a large parking lot.
There are also many taxis waiting in the area, so if you don’t have your own vehicle, then you can easily get a taxi.
Final thoughts
The Turtle Farm is a fun way to spend a few hours during your vacation. It is a good place to take kids as there are a lot of different things to see.
If you are looking for other things to do during your vacation, then you can check out our article where we review the top 25 things to do in Grand Cayman.
