The perfect holiday requires the perfect beach, and there’s nowhere on earth that offers quite as many gorgeous expanses of white powdery sand as the Caribbean. Here the waters are warm year-round and the ocean is teeming with exotic plant and animal life, making it the ideal location for those who love to explore beneath the waves as well as for those who simply like to watch them roll in.
Whatever water sports you’re into, from the laidback to the adrenalin-charged, you’re sure to find them here and what’s more, Caribbean hotels often offer them to guests free of charge – so you won’t need to break the bank if you love to windsurf or if the kids discover a latent love of boogie boarding.
In Barbados you may not even need to leave your resort to try your hand at all things waterborne, with many Barbados hotels offering unbeatable beachside locations and water sports on site. At The Fairmont Royal Pavilion on the west coast everything from windsurfing and waterskiing to snorkelling and swimming with turtles is on offer free of charge, while serious water sports enthusiasts will love the stiffer winds at south coast Silver Point Hotel, where the nearby water sports centre offers surfing, windsurfing and boogie boarding.
Wherever you are on the island, you’ll also find spectacular sealife, which makes for some great snorkelling; while for those who like to go deeper, scuba diving is one of the island’s greatest pleasures, with the world-class wreck dive site, the SS Stavronikita, offering a range of dives for all levels just offshore.
If you’re keen to strap on a tank and get beneath the waves but haven’t done it before, Jamaica offers great facilities and conditions for beginners. Several Jamaica hotels, including the Royal Decameron Club, the Gran Bahía Príncipe, Couples Tower Isle, Couples Negril and Couples Swept Away run free scuba lessons in the pool to get you used to the equipment before heading out to sea, and many others offer scuba diving instruction at no extra cost, so you’ll be an expert before you know it.
If diving doesn’t appeal but you still want to discover the famous Caribbean sealife (something Jamaica holidays are not complete without) many hotels on the island operate glass bottom boat tours that offer the chance to see those picture-perfect tropical fish and coral reefs without getting so much as your feet wet; while for those seeking more active pursuits the island is also home to everything from knee boarding and waterskiing to kayaking and windsurfing. There’s even a water park with two giant slides at the Sunset Beach Resort, so even the kids couldn’t possibly get bored.
There’s something for everyone in the Caribbean Sea and whichever island you choose to make your base here, the call of the ocean is sure to have you riding those waves and coming face to face with tropical fish, reef sharks and turtles as soon as you step off the plane. Just don’t forget your swimsuit.
