Known as much for offshore bank accounts and money laundering as it is for sunshine and warm aquamarine waters (and, for big Tom Cruise fans, its starring role in The Firm), Grand Cayman is a pleasing mix of bucks and beaches. Still, while the banking part of Cayman remains eternally behind-the-‘seens,’ every view on this island boasts a new glimpse of paradise. Everything, always, is spectacular, from world-famous Seven Mile Beach — where a stretch of sugary white sand goes on and on (and on) — to Rum Point — where local boaters dock to drink and chill and enjoy their Sundays (“They call it going to church,” one resident tells me) — to Stingray City — where a swirling group of South Atlantic Rays greet hundreds of visitors every day.

Admittedly, I’m here on Grand Cayman for the beaches. Who isn’t?

That said, I’m also here to go beyond. Don’t get me wrong: I’m definitely a man who enjoys spending a day or two seaside in the shade of a palm tree. But I’m also a man who easily gets restless and who, after whiling away too much time seaside, soon hungers for something more active.

The Caymans (which comprise Grand Cayman and its smaller sisters, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman) don’t have a single all-inclusive resort. Affluent but ambivalent, this is a place that encourages the visitor to rent a car and wander. Adjusting to driving on the left-hand side, I roll my pimped-out automobile — I say “pimped” less for the admittedly kick-ass amped-up stereo than the strange, furry dashboard — from local outfit Andy’s Car Rental (curious tagline, given the lavish culture, not to mention my lavish car: Why Pay More?) and navigate my way to a resort that seems perfectly suited to my style of trip: Caribbean Club.

Set on one of Seven Mile Beach’s best stretches, this ultra-luxe Club offers vacationers an exceptional high-end experience, at the same time leaving enough space for guests to make their own fun. Programs are limited (for example: no scheduled games in the pool hosted by a cheesy “fun coordinator”), while luxury and space are prioritized — all suites are huge, at least 2,700 square feet, and boast expensive finishes (granite and stainless steel in the kitchen, jet tub in one of the three bathrooms) and spectacular ocean views.

Arriving in my salubrious suite, I think: Definitely off to a good start. I’m touring the Caymans for the better part of one week, with only very little of my time spent beachside. Cars, cooks, catamarans: I’ll be a busy 5-Day Traveller. I’m going to go big — a good fit, I’ve decided, for going Grand.

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Image courtesy of Eoin McNamee.