Features

Whether it’s the chance to flex those muscles on the tennis court, perfect that golf swing or learn to tack and gybe on a sailing course, the opportunity to improve sporting skills is becoming a major holiday attraction.

The Caribbean has a huge amount to offer sports lovers, and genning up on which resorts are best geared to which activities is a good way to boost sales. Some operators, such as Virgin Holidays and Caribtours, make it easier, with dedicated pages in their brochures highlighting specialist resorts, including diving and golf hotels.

While major sports events like Wimbledon, Cowes Week or the British Open may inspire some to book tennis, sailing or golf holidays, a little imagination and some well-timed promotions lets agents take things into their own hands.

Caribtours managing director Catherine Leech said: "Agents could use sports tournaments to stimulate the market themselves. They could liaise with operators to negotiate special deals to resorts known for their tennis and then promote the offer during Wimbledon fortnight. They could do the same for major golf and sailing competitions."

Wimbledon wannabes and complete beginners have lots to keep them on their toes in the Caribbean, with hotels and resorts increasingly catering for tennis enthusiasts of all abilities. Courts are often floodlit at night for play after the heat subsides, and racquets and balls are usually complimentary.

One of the best islands for tennis is Antigua. The new Carlisle Bay has nine courts and a tennis club managed by world-renowned Peter Burwash International. Complimentary beginners’ clinics take place each week: clinics for children cost $20 an hour and there are special summer tennis packages. Neighbouring Curtain Bluff hosts two annual tennis weeks, with clinics and guest-versus-pro games. The next takes place from November 7-14.

On Barbados, Sandy Lane has nine floodlit courts and a resident professional. The Occidental Club on the Green hotel, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, has a tennis academy run by ex-pro Guillermo Vilas, while Club Med Punta Cana has 14 courts and offers advanced courses for £106 for three days.

Jamaica is another good choice, with great facilities at Round Hill. Couples’ Swept Away resort in Negril is hosting a tennis month in October, with a long weekend of celebrity guest instructors and Pro-Am events from October 7-10.

At the Four Seasons Nevis, there are 10 courts. Lessons with Peter Burwash International pros cost extra. In Anguilla a $1.7 million state-of-the-art tennis academy with seven courts and a stadium is due for completion in 2005.

Sample product: Carlisle Bay’s commissionable summer tennis offer, valid from May 1 to August 31 2005, costs $4,790 per suite for two, with seven nights for the price of six, four hours of private tennis tuition, breakfast, dinner and tea, but excluding flights.

From colourful underwater gardens to secret grottoes and dramatic wrecks, the variety and quality of diving in the Caribbean is hard to rival. But before booking your client’s holiday, it’s worth establishing how experienced they are, as different islands are suited to different levels of ability.

Jamaica and Barbados may be better for beginners, with shallow and medium-depth dives, while Cuba is suited to the more experienced. The Bahamas is known for diving with sharks, and Grenada is famous for the Bianca C, the Caribbean’s largest wreck.

Keen divers should choose a hotel with dive centres on-site or close by. Prebook a package through operators such as Caribtours, Kuoni, Harlequin or Virgin Holidays, though dives can be arranged locally.

Some resorts include diving in all-inclusive packages. Sandals and Beaches offer a comprehensive resort scuba programme, with introductory courses for novices. Certified divers can dive twice a day, while the non-certified can take the plunge once a day.

On St Lucia, the BodyHoliday at LeSport features free shore scuba diving for qualified divers and a ‘try dive’ for beginners. Laid-back Habitat Bonaire hotel has a PADI five-star centre offering 24-hour diving, 365 days a year, while Divi Tiara, a remote hotel on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands, with its own dive operation, is a good choice for access to less-visited dive sites. Dedicated divers might prefer a liveaboard option, staying on a dive boat, available through operators such as Harlequin.

Sample product: seven nights at Habitat Bonaire cost £786 per person in September with Kuoni, room-only, including flights. A three-day dive pack, including equipment, two boat dives a day and unlimited shore dives costs £118.

With the northeast tradewinds providing an almost constant breeze, the region is a top choice for sailors – whether dedicated yachties or novices. And that’s not to mention the warm waters, balmy temperatures and variety of islands around which to sail.

Antigua is among the world’s top sailing spots, with its April regatta bringing competitors from around the globe. Other classic destinations are the British Virgin Islands, a safe haven for novices with its calm seas, and the Grenadines for more challenging trips.

One of the best-known resorts for sailing holidays is Bitter End, Virgin Gorda, in the British Virgin Islands, offering more than 100 boats, dinghies and skiffs and a sailing school. An introductory course and use of boats is included in the cost.

On Grenada, Neilson features the Allamanda Beach Resort complete with a Royal Yachting Association school offering a variety of qualifications and unlimited free-sailing included in the package price.

Sunsail’s Club Colonna on Antigua is an ideal place to learn or practise skills on RYA courses. The more experienced can charter their own boat, with or without crew, from several islands, combining stays ashore with time on a yacht, or join a flotilla in the BVIs or, new for 2004, the Grenadines. Sunsail’s Platinum brand features luxury yacht charters, from 43ft catamarans to 77ft luxury monohulls that can be skippered.

Other specialists, such as Caribbean Connection, offer yacht charter holidays with crewed vessels a firm favourite. A gourmet chef and fully stocked bar are part of the deal.

Sample product: a week at Neilson’s Allamanda Beach Resort in Grenada costs £815 in October, twin-share, including all sport and tuition,  bed-and-breakfast accommodation and flights.

A new venue will appear on the golfing map late next year with the opening of Anguilla’s Greg Norman-designed 18-hole championship course.

On the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico players are spoilt for choice, with more than 20 courses to choose from. Tobago and Barbados are also popular among golfers.

It’s best to choose a hotel with a course attached, as guests receive preferential use. While it can be organised locally, specialist operators can usually arrange for tuition or book tee-off times in advance.

Another new championship venue is the 18-hole Green Monkey, at the revamped Sandy Lane, Barbados. Designed by Tom Fazio, it’s one of three courses at the hotel.

Jamaica is well-known for top-quality golf facilities and its hosting of the Tiger Woods Foundation golf clinic for children this month further raised its profile. The Half Moon Golf Club at Montego Bay is great for beginners with its David Leadbetter Golf Academy, while at Our Lucaya on Grand Bahama there is an academy created by Tiger Woods’ coach.

The Four Seasons in Nevis offers complimentary weekly clinics and has special golf vacation packages as well as private tuition.

Keep costs down by choosing a hotel with golf included in its all-inclusive package. LeSport on St Lucia includes unlimited green fees and tuition, while Sandals includes golf and complimentary lessons at the Sandals Golf and Country Club for guests staying in all its Jamaican properties.

All-inclusive SuperClubs’ Jamaican resorts are popular too. Its Breezes Runaway Bay Resort and Golf Club has an 18-hole course and on-site school, Grand Lido Braco has a nine hole course and there’s a new 18-hole SuperClubs Golf Club at Montego Bay.

Sample product: Sandy Lane’s commissionable Golfing Adventure package, valid until October 31, includes three rounds of golf and other treats, and starts at $1,575 per person for five nights with breakfast, excluding flights.

Back to top