Want to know the best Caribbean island to visit in 2019? GRAND CAYMAN!

At least that is the assessment of the Caribbean Journal, which just published its list of the 19 best islands to visit in the Caribbean for the coming year. Grand Cayman is first on the list.

“These are places to go and we chose Cayman to be No. 1,” said Guy Britton, executive vice president and managing editor of the magazine. “We chose Cayman because of its unique qualities.”

The magazine says Grand Cayman is “home to one of the greatest beaches in the world – but it’s also so much more. Seven Mile Beach is home to two of the most luxurious hotels in the Caribbean, The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman and the Kimpton Seafire.”

It also notes the island offers “an array of culinary options and an unparalleled comfort and ease,” citing Camana Bay as an example.

“The Cayman Islands is as sophisticated, well-developed and easy-to-explore a destination as there is in the Caribbean right now,” the magazine says, “and that’s why it’s gotten the No. 1 slot for 2019.”

In a news release, tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell was quoted as saying, “I am extremely pleased that the Cayman Islands is the recipient of this distinct honour. It is a testament that the future is bright for tourism in 2019.”

The release noted that 2018 was on track to be the biggest year ever for overnight tourists, with 410,984 such visitors in the first 11 months of the year.

Topping the Caribbean Journal list is the latest accolade from the magazine. In 2018, it awarded “Caribbean Restaurant of the Year” to Blue by Eric Ripert at The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman.