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Mastic Trail

Mastic Trail

Mastic Trail
4.5
About
No trip to Grand Cayman would be complete without exploring some of the last remaining untouched old-growth forests of the Caribbean. Located in the interior Mastic Reserve, The Mastic Trail is one of several natural heritage sites managed by the National Trust for the Cayman Islands. The trail is 2.3 miles long and the guided walk takes approximately two and a half to three hours. Along the trail, walkers will learn about rare trees including an exceptionally fine specimen of a Mastic tree, from which the Reserve and Trail take their name. Cayman's native Parrot is at home in the Reserve, as is the West Indian Woodpecker, Caribbean Dove, and a number of other bird species. Butterflies, snakes (not poisonous), frogs, crabs and lizards are a few of the animals walkers may encounter. Guided Tours are scheduled Tuesday and Thursday mornings by reservation only. Please see The National Trust’s website or call the main office to book your space on one of Cayman's best kept secret tours!
Duration: 2-3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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  • Ellen
    Phoenix, Maryland10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Enjoyable morning on the Mastic Trail - no bugs!
    Interesting trail. Started at North end at 8am. No bugs at all which was nice. Def need sturdy shoes or hiking boots. While the trail is flat, it is very technical. The first 1/2 mile is fairly easy with some roots/rocks. Then there is a solid mile of walking on coral. Good shoes and good balance required. The last mile is a combo of rocks, roots, some mud (if you look closely there are little trails that go around the wetter areas), and boardwalks which end at a wide grassy area for the last 1/4 mile or so to the South entrance. Saw birds, little lizards, hermit crab, various kinds of birds. Hard to look up or around too much for fear of tripping so worth taking your time and stopping every now and then to look around. If you don't like grass/plants brushing along your legs, wear lightweight pants. Trail is narrow and a bit overgrown in places. Overall a very nice trail and good way to get into nature for a couple of hours.
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled solo
    Written November 9, 2023
  • bart p
    28 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful
    The trail was beautiful. Make sure you wear good shoes and bug spray. Lots of rocks and tree roots on the trail. Maybe we hit the wrong time of the year, we didn’t see much for wildlife.
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written January 15, 2024
  • Caroline N
    George Town, Grand Cayman44 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Real Cayman
    My husband had never done the Mastic Trail before and I have done it many times. Since the weather is cooler, I thought now was the perfect time to go. If you happen to have two vehicles you only need to walk one way, which is what we did and we walked from the North end towards South end, which meant that we started at the harder end and ended at the easiest end. It can be quite a bit of a trek and, as it mentioned at the beginning of the trail, not suitable for children under 8 years old (dependent upon the child of course). We saw a green iguana, plenty of pea doves, some smaller birds, and one bird I have never seen before and which neither of us knew what it was. We took our time and strolled and climbed and chatted and it took us about an hour and 45 minutes. Yes we got hot yes we got sweaty, but it was fabulous. What better place to look at how Cayman really was before all of the development. Lovely!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 5, 2024
  • Julie S
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mastic Trail at last!
    I’ve been coming to Grand Cayman for years and had this hike on my list must do’s. It took 2 hours of comfortable walking. Saw interesting birds and a couple snakes. Wear good shoes and if you have a walking stick that helps. Really enjoyed the experience.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written February 7, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles362 reviews
Excellent
204
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91
Average
46
Poor
14
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7

Andrew M
7,589 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2021
The mastic trail is a 5.5 km trail which is located at North Side, approximately 30 km east of Georgetown. This area is easily reached by taking bus 8a or 8b from the Georgetown Bus Terminal. If you are attempting this as an unguided tour, it is probably easier to start from the northern entrance of the trail. The trail is comprised of three sections. The first section starts at the intersection of Further Road and North Side Road. It is a paved road, which is not in great condition, but after 850 meters the north trail head sign will be visible. The narrow walking trail begins here, and is approximately 3.7 km.

Ensure that you have closed footwear (sneakers), long pants and drinking water. The trail is covered by vegetation for 90% of the walk, so the sun is not a factor and headcover is not essential. Depending on your pace and the condition of the trail, you should complete this section in 45 - 60 minutes. Care should be taken as there are sections that are muddy and others where jagged rocks make trekking slightly difficult. There are no directional markings on the trail, but it is easy to follow as there are no paths leading from the trail. A few laminated signs on trees provide information about the trail e.g. Edge of ancient forest, National Trust Property notices. I didn't see any wild life during my walk, but the sound of birds singing was a constant in the trees above.

There are three areas which have boardwalk, which are located closer to the southern trail head. At the southern trailhead, it is necessary to clamber over a wooden stoop to complete the trail. The final section, is a 900 meters walk east from the south trail head to the intersection of Mastic Road and Frank Sound Road. A landmark in this area is the Frank Sound Fire Station. It is easy to get a bus back to Georgetown from this area, as bus 7,8 and 9 are on this route. Other nearby attractions include the Botanic Garden and Crystal Caves.
Written December 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

atxhusker
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Two things: Bring bug spray and good walking/hiking shoes. My husband and I forgot the first and have a couple dozen mosquito bites to show for it.

We saw parrots (thank goodness they're loud so they're easier to spot in the trees) and some lizards and other birds. We only hiked out about 3/4 of a mile and back because of the mosquitos. The trail has mud and a lot of old, rocky coral so that's why you need good shoes.

I think the experience would've been better if we weren't being eaten by mosquitos.
Written June 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Seahorse- Florida
Winter Haven, FL140 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
This is about 3 miles each way hiking trail. It is tough because the trail is mostly over volcanic rock and it is rough and rugged and muddy in certain areas.
Whilst it is not hilly the going is hard and it took us 1,5 hours each way around 3hours in total..
They say you can see birdlife and plants but we saw very little as we concentrated on the trail underfoot.
Bring plenty water , sun hats , GOOD walking/hiking shoes and bug spray.
It is hot and humid so BE PREPARED.
Not recommednded for casual walkers , children or the unfit.
Written November 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emelyn H
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023
We hiked in from the north trailhead. We started at 7:30, hiked an hour in, and returned in another hour. The trail has some areas that are flat and grassy. Other areas climb some on limestone rocks! The footing on rocks is why you need a tennis shoe or other stabilizing shoe. We saw and heard birds, a crab in a snail shell, and many unusual trees native to Cayman Islands. I highly recommend this activity because you get a workout and enjoy nature too!
Written August 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Caroline N
George Town, Grand Cayman44 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
My husband had never done the Mastic Trail before and I have done it many times. Since the weather is cooler, I thought now was the perfect time to go.
If you happen to have two vehicles you only need to walk one way, which is what we did and we walked from the North end towards South end, which meant that we started at the harder end and ended at the easiest end.
It can be quite a bit of a trek and, as it mentioned at the beginning of the trail, not suitable for children under 8 years old (dependent upon the child of course).
We saw a green iguana, plenty of pea doves, some smaller birds, and one bird I have never seen before and which neither of us knew what it was. We took our time and strolled and climbed and chatted and it took us about an hour and 45 minutes. Yes we got hot yes we got sweaty, but it was fabulous.
What better place to look at how Cayman really was before all of the development.
Lovely!
Written February 5, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bart p
28 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
The trail was beautiful. Make sure you wear good shoes and bug spray. Lots of rocks and tree roots on the trail. Maybe we hit the wrong time of the year, we didn’t see much for wildlife.
Written January 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

World Traveller
West Sussex113 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I can’t stress enough the importance of wearing sturdy shoes as the walk is VERY rocky for the most part. It’s not too far but you need your wits about you to make sure you don’t trip. We saw parrots and a snake. I think I’d go again but with a guide next time. It’s interesting.
Written February 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Julie S
6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
I’ve been coming to Grand Cayman for years and had this hike on my list must do’s. It took 2 hours of comfortable walking. Saw interesting birds and a couple snakes. Wear good shoes and if you have a walking stick that helps. Really enjoyed the experience.
Written February 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A Tripadvisor Member
4.0 of 5 bubbles
The Mastic Trail was an incredible hiking experience! We went without a guide and got a little freaked out when we encountered a total of six snakes on this short two mile trail, but it was worth it. I would just recommend going with a guide for anyone out there not comfortable with snakes. To see photographs from the trail visit our website http://www.naturalbornhikers.com and click on trails then forests.
Written February 26, 2002
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Rebecca W
Grand Cayman7 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2014 • Couples
I understand that there aren't a lot of options for people who like to hike/walk outdoors in Cayman but this trail is not the answer. It's a mostly straight yet wholly uncomfortable trek along uneven volcanic rock and overgrown tree roots and brush. If you've ever wondered where to go to collect samples of every mosquito ever to terrorize the island then this might be the place for you. The best part is that it takes hours to get to the end but since it isn't a circle your car is still parked back at the beginning. The walk back gives you plenty of time to reflect on your poor choices.
Written June 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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MASTIC TRAIL (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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