Active Pursuits in the Caribbean for the Sports Minded Traveler

Imagine sitting on the beach sipping a cold tropical beverage, listening to the sounds of the surf gently lapping at the perfect sugar-sand coast, as all concept of time and obligation slowly slip away. If this sounds like a waste of vacation time to you, and you want to spend your Caribbean experience enjoying more active pursuits, then have no fear; many of the Caribbean Islands offer more than just a day at the beach and picturesque sunsets.

Lively travelers visiting the Caribbean can fill their days with plenty of invigorating activities. Try the popular sports of tennis and golf if you enjoy a little friendly competition. There are watersports and underwater exploration for those who want to get their feet wet. And nature-friendly eco-oriented endeavors allow you to become one with the great outdoors. All you have to do is decide which activity interests you the most, and you're ready for all kinds of adventures during your visit to the beautiful and exciting Caribbean.

Tennis and Golf

Many Caribbean hotels and resorts offer tennis and golf packages to accommodate sports-minded travelers. A lot of the major resorts in the region have tennis courts on location that are available to their guests and by reservations for those who aren't staying at the hotel. Often, hotels with tennis courts will offer tennis instruction for various fees, so even if you're a beginner player, you can still enjoy some great tennis action on your vacation in the Caribbean.

If you're in the Caribbean at the right time, or you do a little planning in advance, you may be able to catch a professional tennis tournament during your stay. If you want to spend the daytime hours relaxing and soaking up some sun, a lot of hotels have lighted courts, so you can hit the courts at night, which may also be more comfortable than playing in the hot Caribbean sun. Keep in mind that you may have to pay a little extra for the luxury of lighting.

To make sure you get some much-coveted court time in the Caribbean, check with your hotel or with resorts near where you'll be staying to see if they have courts available, if the courts are illuminated, and how much it costs to play. There are several islands in the Caribbean where vacationers can go to find great tennis courts and facilities, including the Dominican Republic, Aruba, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica, which feature resorts that provide special tennis packages and top-notch facilities.

Golf is also a popular pursuit for many vacationer traveling to the Caribbean. Golf can be relaxing as well as provide exciting competition. The weather in the Caribbean is perfect for enjoying a round of golf almost any time of year, and many of the region's courses are located in beautiful breathtaking settings among majestic mountains and tropical greenery. Vacationers can find great golf courses throughout the Caribbean, but especially on the larger islands. The majority of courses are available to visitors and offer equipment for rental as well as golf lessons for various fees. The costs of golfing on particular greens will vary from course to course, and can range from extremely pricey to budget play, so check ahead with the course or golf resort.

Golfers will be able to find greens in the Caribbean that were designed by world renowned golfers and expert course designers. You can find exciting golf courses and golf resorts on many Caribbean islands with some of the best being in Jamaica, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Aquatic Activities

While staying in the Caribbean, you'll be surrounded by the beautiful azure Caribbean Sea and sparkling Atlantic Ocean, so you'll have access to a wide array of watersports and other aquatic endeavors, like snorkeling, scuba diving, and fishing, just to name a few.

Travelers from all over the world visit the Caribbean to enjoy offshore activities in the region's warm, clear, blue waters. Below the Caribbean waters is a wondrous world of colorful and exotic ocean wildlife including brilliant fish and coral. Because of its fascinating underwater habitats, the Caribbean features some of the most popular dive destinations in the world, and is home to various resorts and hotels that focus especially on the diving aspect of visiting the Caribbean by offering special dive package.

Dive resorts and many hotels offer their guests equipment rental for scuba diving and snorkeling, and even provide scuba diving lessons and certification, because you must have a license and some instruction in order to get the most out of your diving experience.

Coral reefs, old shipwrecks, volcanic vents, and underwater formations are great places for divers to explore, and can be an exciting experience for vacationers of all ages. The cost of your dive or snorkeling excursion will vary according to the kind of dive you take, when you go, and what kind of certification you want to get. Travelers can find great dive spots all over the Caribbean, but especially on the Cayman and Virgin Islands.

Other aquatic pursuits that vacationers can enjoy while visiting the Caribbean include watersports like windsurfing, which has become extremely popular in the region in recent years. Fishing is also a popular activity for many who visit the Caribbean, which has a countless number of fish species dwelling beneath the surface of the crystal blue waters. Also, there is kayaking, parasailing, water rafting, and many other ways to enjoy the waves of the salty Caribbean.

Eco-Oriented Endeavors

For many vacationers, a visit to the Caribbean is the perfect opportunity to get back to nature. Many islands in the region boast lush landscapes and are home to a variety of exotic animal species. Eco-oriented travelers can experience nature in the Caribbean in a number of ways, such as through hiking, camping, and mountain biking. To find out more information about outdoor excursions and nature-related activities, the best place to start is your hotel information desk, which may be able to provide you with maps of the island, the names and numbers of rental companies where you can get camping equipment and mountain bikes, and information on local guides that you can hire to show you around island trails.

Hiking is good exercise and can be a great way to see parts of islands that can't be reached by car. Vacationers can choose from several levels of hiking difficulty, from leisurely strolls to brisk uphill hikes and more strenuous treks. Mountain biking is also another way to get off the beaten path and see areas of the island you couldn't see by staying in the city limits. Take a trip up the side of a volcano, visit a cascading waterfall, or do some exotic birdwatching. The Caribbean offers all kinds of ecological possibilities.