The Caribbean for first-time adventurers

Once they’ve tired of luxuriating in the gardens of 600-acre resort Anse Chastanet, near St Lucia’s Pitons, clients can work up a sweat trying the resort-operated off-road biking.

Newbies can sign up to Bike St Lucia’s Jungle Biking Introductory Skills class on the Anse Mamin Plantation to learn proper pedalling techniques using specially designed Cannondale suspension bikes. They’ll also learn techniques, including how to improve balance in a dedicated skills area and how to ride deftly up and down hills, negotiating gullies and roots.

“Beginners have eight miles of trails to try their hand at, hidden amid tropical vegetation and historical remains which show off the area’s natural beauty and cultural heritage,” says Helen Tabois, senior product & marketing manager for Caribbean & Cruise at ITC Luxury Travel Group.

The bike tours are also open to non-resident guests from £48pp via bikestlucia.com.

Book it: ITC offers seven nights’ B&B at Anse Chastanet from £1,985pp based on two sharing, including flights and transfers for travel completed by December 21. itcluxurytravel.co.uk

For fishing fans who want a more generous dose of adrenaline, suggest deep-sea fishing, which involves venturing into the open water, where they’ll be more likely to catch a trophy fish.

For those seeking seclusion and calm waters, the Cayman Islands are hard to beat, offering game, reef and deep-sea fishing. Little Cayman is particularly convenient for deep-sea fishing as the drop-off is only half a mile from shore on both west and east ends of the island, where depths reach 200 metres and continue deeper, meaning visitors spend more time fishing and less time reaching the fishing grounds.

Nearby is the Cayman Trench, extending down to almost 70,000m, where the sea teems with fish. With a guide, clients can expect to catch wahoo, tuna, mahi mahi, barracuda and blue marlin weighing more than 20lbs.

Book it: Go Fishing Worldwide offers seven nights’ full-board at the Southern Cross Club, including internal flights and four fishing sessions, from £3,995pp. gofishingworldwide.co.uk

Nearly a quarter of St Kitts is rainforest, which clients can explore on hiking trails, winding their way past sparkling streams, waterfalls, tropical plants and flowers. Trails range from moderate to challenging, so there’s something for everyone.

If they’re keen to stretch their legs further, suggest a hike to the summit of dormant volcano Mount Liamuiga, which at 1,156m above sea level is accessible only by foot. The five-hour guided climb takes visitors past an array of wildlife before arriving at a height of 853m at the crater rim.

Here, they take in views of the rainforest, steaming sulphur vents and a freshwater lake below. Clients are also able to enjoy spectacular panoramic views of the neighbouring islands of Anguilla, Antigua, Nevis, Saba, St Barths, St Eustatius, and St Martin.

Hiking Tours are offered by a range of companies including Greg’s Safaris, from £88pp.

Book it: Gold Medal offers seven nights at the Ocean Terrace Inn just outside Basseterre, a great base for adventurers. Room-only prices start from £1,179pp including Gatwick flights for travel between May 17
and June 12, 2017. goldmedal.co.uk


The island of Tortola in the BVIs is one of the best sailing spots in the world, with clear waters making coastal navigation simple and appealing to beginners. “The BVIs are an exquisite classroom for budding sailors,” says Sunsail’s BVI base manager, Matt Holt. “It’s the perfect archipelago for learning to sail, blessed with constant trade winds and fantastic sea conditions.”

The Sir Francis Drake Channel and numerous sounds and harbours provide confined water for training, and just a few miles away are offshore conditions for those looking to boost their sailing prowess. A highlight of Sunsail’s weekly Sail Training Courses is the nightsail, where clients have one of the most famous sailing destinations to themselves.

At sailing school, days start at 8am and finish at 6pm, with the aim that clients achieve the Royal Yachting Association syllabus by the end of the week.

Book it: Sunsail offers a seven-day sailing trip to Tortola including a five-day sailing course for beginners from £550pp, based on two sharing a cabin in May, excluding flights. sunsail.co.uk

For an adventure-filled way to explore Jamaica’s beaches and countryside while combating the heat with a cooling breeze, suggest a horseback ride. Clients old and young travel on a friendly, well-trained horse with an experienced guide on Viator’s Heritage Beach Horse Ride.

The two-and-a-half-hour ride takes them past farmlands, sugar plantations and castles that date back nearly 500 years, and they hear tales of Jamaica’s history along the way. The experience is topped off with a bareback ride along a white sandy beach, where clients can choose to stay atop their trusty steed as they ride into the topaz-hued Caribbean Sea for a well-earned dip.

The trip is suitable for riders of all levels, with no experience necessary.

Book it: The Heritage Beach Horse Ride, including complimentary hotel pick-up and drop-off from Ocho Rios or Runway Bay Hotel, starts from £58pp. viator.com

Canyoning is an adrenalin-fuelled mix of hiking, swimming, diving and climbing, and in Dominica it takes place in the heart of the rainforest, exploring the destination’s waterfalls. Water babies can enjoy the natural wonders of the island on a tour which will see them climbing waterfalls, swimming through rock pools, hiking across river beds and jumping over cascades.

Clients don a wetsuit, helmet and harness and prepare for all-out action, with an experienced guide leading the way to Dominica’s canyons, located near the town of Roseau.

Extreme Dominica (extremedominica.com) takes groups of up to 16 people for three to four-hour tours. Clients should bring comfy closed-toe shoes with good grip, a swimming costume and plenty of sun cream. Prices start from £128pp, or £103pp for groups of 11 or more, with gear rental included.

Book it: Western & Oriental offers seven nights at Fort Young Hotel, Roseau from £1,019pp including flights, based on two sharing. westernoriental.com

“With calm, clear waters and year-round sunshine, Grenada is the perfect destination for learning to dive,” says Phil North, brand manager for Dive Worldwide.

Known as the “wreck capital of the Caribbean”, Grenada has 15 wrecks to explore, the most famous being the Bianca C, regularly ranked as one of the world’s best dive sites. Clients opting for Dive Worldwide’s Learn to Dive in Grenada holiday, will take a full Padi open-water course while staying at True Blue Bay Resort.

The boutique property is well-suited to both families and couples and is located 10 minutes by boat from the majority of dive sites in Grenada’s Marine Protected Area.

North recommends clients also visit the underwater Sculpture Park, which attracts coral growth due to its shallow location. Guests are eased into a mix of theory, pool work and open-water dives to achieve their qualification.

Book it: Learn to Dive in Grenada starts from £1,845pp based on two sharing, including seven nights at the True Blue Bay Resort, flights, transfers, Padi open-water course, tuition and equipment. diveworldwide.com

As long as they have a head for heights, thrill-seekers will love zip lining and in Antigua they have the added bonus of whizzing through the air with the thick greenery of the rainforest as a backdrop.

Antigua Rainforest Zip Line Tours has a total of 12 zip lines, varying in length and height according to ability and bravery levels. Experienced rangers are on hand to advise which lines suit varying ages and abilities.

For beginners, suggest the Zip and Beach Tour, which combines whooshing through the rainforest on nine zip lines with drinks and a beachside meal at Turner’s Beach Bar and Grill. For a more nail-biting experience, still open to beginners, there’s the Full Course Tour incorporating all the zip lines and ending with a challenge course (£71 per adult).

Book it: Kuoni offers seven-nights’ B&B at Carlisle Bay in an Ocean Suite from £2,329pp, including Gatwick flights and private transfers. The hotel is a seven-minute drive from the start of the zip line tour. agents.kuoni.co.uk

The Dominican Republic is one of the top destinations in the world for kite-surfing fans, but you don’t have to be a pro to give it a go. While La Policia Beach in Cabarete is ideal for experts, thanks to its big waves, beginners can find their feet at the IKO-certified kiteboarding school on Playa Beach in Punta Cana.

Clients staying at Club Med Punta Cana can sign up to the beginner lessons run by the school, making use of state-of-the-art teaching methods and equipment. Playa Beach enjoys perfect conditions for learning to kite surf, with warm, shallow waters and steady winds. Lessons are open to those aged 12 and over and cost £136 an hour.

Book it: Club Med Punta Cana offers seven-nights’ all-inclusive from £637 per child and £1,118 per adult. Children under six stay free. Price includes Heathrow flights and is based on a September 7, 2017 departure. clubmed.co.uk