How to Get Off the Sand and Bring Adventure to Your Resort Stay
By Eileen Ogintz
How many hours of vacation do you really want to spend laying on the beach when there are so many other ways to have fun in the sun? Whether you are staying at a major resort with all the bells and whistles, such as a MarriottCaribbean & Latin America resort or a bargain condo you’ve found.
Maybe you want to switch things up and live on a sailboat for a few days in the British Virgin Islands, like my family has. Maybe you want to learn to scuba dive. It’s a lot easier than ever now that you can do all the course work in advance on line with PADI and complete the certifying dives wherever you are vacationing.
Ready to swim with the stingrays? You can do that in the Cayman Islands, but just avoid the times the cruise ship crowds are there. Spend time with a local in Jamaica or go tubing in a jungle river.
A lot of these adventures won’t cost you much more than a couple of those frozen drinks. Here are some ideas to get you off that beach chair:
Mexico
Fly through the trees of Puerto Vallarta on one of the longest zip lining courses in Mexico. (Photo: Justin Lewis/The Image Bank/Getty Images)
Get a bird’s-eye view of Puerto Vallarta’s rich flora and fauna by zipping from treetop to treetop on some of the longest rope courses in Mexico located within ecological reserves. If you’d rather be in the water, snorkel at Los Arcos National Marine Park, famous for towering rock arches, caves, tunnels, and reefs full of marine animals. Also on the Pacific Coast, Riviera Nayarit is quickly becoming a mecca for thrill seekers, Think skydiving on a pristine beach, snorkeling alongside whale sharks, and one of the wildest new extreme sports – flyboarding – that uses a jet pack to propel a rider on a board up into the air or through the water.
Related: How to Travel to Mexico for $17 a Day
St. Lucia
Saddle up for a beautiful horseback ride along St. Lucia’s world-famous beaches. (Photo: St. Lucia Tourism Board/Facebook)
Bike along the steep mountain trail, explore the rain forest, or horseback ride on the beach at this tropical paradise. We can’t forget the volcano — St. Lucia Sulphur Springs is said to be the only drive-in volcano in the world. It’s dormant but you can still see plenty of boiling mud!
Related: From Romantic to Family Friendly, There’s a Resort for Every Vacay Personality in Saint Lucia
U.S. Virgin Islands
Grab a kayak and go exploring the waters around St. John. (Photo: U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism)
Go parasailing off St. Thomas. On St. Croix, snorkel at Buck Island, one of only three underwater national monuments in the United States, with an easy-to-follow underwater trail. A number of tour companies operate excursions to Buck Island, which is not far from shore. And on St. John, rent a boat or kayak.
Turks and Caicos
The clear waters and plethora of marine life make Turks and Caicos a diver’s paradise. (Photo: Turks And Caicos Tourist Board)
Go bone fishing in pursuit of the wily and elusive bone fish in waters that host some of the most expansive flats in the Caribbean with miles of mangroves. This is a great place to snorkel, scuba dive, and bird watch. Search for great blue herons, flamingos, osprey, and pelicans alongside Egrets, Terns, Frigates, Boobies and other water birds—how many of the 170 species here can you see?
Aren’t you glad you left that beach chair?
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