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EXUMA, BAHAMAS
Best for: Kitesurfing // Because: Shallow and clear waters // Home base: Club Peace & Plenty (peaceandplenty.com) // Insider tip: Iva Bowe’s is the favourite hangout for the local kitesurfers
Best for: Catamaran sailing // Because: Great trade winds // Home base: Guanahani Resort & Spa (leguanahani.com) // Insider Tip: The best time to sail is during the dry season, December to April, when the trade winds are exceptional.
Shallow waters. No crowds. Exuma, or, more specifically, Runaway Bay, is the model setting for kitesurfing. The sublime, crystal-clear, sandy-bottom water of the beaches is knee to waist deep, and the current of air coming down from North America (along with breezy trade winds) makes it the idealspottostrapintogearandskirtthesea’ssurface.Beginnersandadvancedkitesurfersalikehead to Exuma Kitesurfing (242-524-0523), the only kiteboarding operation on the island and one of only wo kiteboarding schools in the Bahamas. Owner Gary Sweeting is International Kiteboarding Organization-certified (along with the other instructors) and offers personable guidance and hands-on lessons so your time on the water is an absolute thrill.
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SAINT BARTHÉLEMY
The harbours may be lined with million-dollar yachts, but there’s always room for catamarans in glamorous St. Barts in the French West Indies. This island is best known for its chic allure, stylish hotels and gorgeous, unspoiled beaches. Thanks to its prime location, the island is also a favourite destination for sailing. Set up sail on any of the tiny harbours, though the best one is at St. Jean, the most popular beach with some great shallow waters that form into perfect bays. The beachfront Carib Waterplay (06-90-61-80-81) offers a variety of sailing activities, from beginner’s to advanced. Guide and owner Jean Christophe is the perfect chaperone, considering he made a 13-day sailing journey across the Atlantic to set up shop on the island back in 1983. Once you get past the hills and outer bay on a good launch, speed naturally picks up with the trade winds, giving you the thrill of working the main sail, rudder and jib. Go north along the island and park at the Guanahani Resort’s popular beachside restaurant for lunch (a magical setting viewed from the water) before you brave the sea again.
NEVIS
Best for: Hiking // Because: Nevis Peak, a dormant volcano, provides amazing views // Home base: Hermitage Plantation Inn (hermitagenevis.com) // Insider tip: The volcanic rock of Nevis Peak is still hot enough to get the natural mineral pools – at the base of the mountain – sizzling for those who want to give those worked-up legs a relief! Nevis is one of the Caribbean’s most distinctive islands: All the popular activities are more inland rather than sea-based. Nevis is a destination for those who want to spend more of their time exploring its lush forestry and hiking trails. At Nevis Peak, a dormant volcano that stands majestically in the middle of the island, an adventurous hike can be experienced by beginners and advanced alike (the latter make it up to the rewarding woodland summit peak, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the Caribbean Sea). It is worth the trek to see the variety of flora and fauna that abound – and we’re not talking squirrels and grass. The entire island is chock full of wild vervet monkeys, plenty of which will be swinging to and fro among the trees.
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CANOUAN
Best for: Kayaking // Because: Seclusion and scenery // Home base: Raffles Canouan (raffles.com) // Insider tip: While you can’t kayak there, nearby Tobago Cays is one of the only places you can swim with sea turtles. Kayaking in the Caribbean? Been there, done that. Kayaking in Canouan? A new adventure. Canouan Island in the Grenadines of the West Indies is a mere 5.6 by 6.8 kilometres, but it’s one of the Caribbean’s best spots to jump into a kayak and paddle away. Though the region is far from sea kayaking, it’s great for advanced beginners and intermediate levels that want to gain speed on flat waters, as the reefs are quite far from shore. The island’s lush landscape and secluded coves pop out deliciously like a storybook. Begin the journey at Raffles Canouan, a private estate surrounded by some of the world’s largest coral reefs. They offer traditional and pedal, single or double kayaks. Godhal Beach is the perfect place to spot diverse fish and other sea creatures. More active kayakers head over to Twin Bay for the sublime beach “coves” that are well worth the effort.
Adventura _ Winter 2009 _ www.adventuramag.ca _ 17