Hi, swimmers! I'm planning a family vacation to the Caribbean and would really like to go somewhere I can swim 2-3 miles solo daily in the ocean, bay or sound. (So maybe close to shore for safety?) Anyone have recommendations for particular hotels that would allow this option without too much travel time? I have two children, ages 9, and 11 and a non-swimming husband, so family-friendly is a must.
Hi, swimmers! I'm planning a family vacation to the Caribbean and would really like to go somewhere I can swim 2-3 miles solo daily in the ocean, bay or sound. (So maybe close to shore for safety?) Anyone have recommendations for particular hotels that would allow this option without too much travel time? I have two children, ages 9, and 11 and a non-swimming husband, so family-friendly is a must.
Check out Swim Trek's open water swimming holiday in the British Virgin Islands - sounds exactly what you're looking for and there's plenty to keep hubby and the kids busy. www.swimtrek.com
St Thomas has a huge, beautiful Megan's bay you can swim at safely.
In St Croix you could stay at the Marriot (used to be the Carambola Resort) at Cane Bay; then swim there or you could go to Tamarind Reef hotel and swim near there. Tamarind Reef is a nice, quaint hotel with a fun pool bar, but is a very basic hotel. It's one of my favorites because it is so simple. You could also probably be fine at the Buccaneer which is just up the road from Tamarind Reef. The Bucc has a nice beach and a peninsula you can swim around. IT also has a beast of a golf course for your hubby and good snorkeling for the kids at all three places.
St John is spectacular and has several beautiful bays/beaches on the north side. If you can swing the Westin, it also has a beautiful pool that, in a pinch, you could do laps in.
I just got back from St. John and swam at least a few hours every day. Cinnamon Bay was a perfect beach, although there's only a campground there so might not work for the rest of the family. The swimming was fantastic.
I also love Anguilla and there are some fantastic beaches to swim there. When we stayed there, I swam a few hours every day and never got bored with it.
I've done the St. Croix Coral Reef swim many times and while I love it, the beach at the Buccaneer is not the best for taking off by yourself unless you have a safe swimmer. The beach at the hotel is pretty small so it requires going farther out in the open water. Depends upon your comfort level.
Recently, Culebra had some of my favorite swimming. Not a lot of options for non-swimmers but it's gorgeous. And the snorkeling is AMAZING.
St Thomas has a huge, beautiful Megan's bay you can swim at safely.
OMG Megan's Bay if my favorite! I've been to lots of beaches in the the Caribbean, Atlantic, Meditterean, and IO/Arabian Gulf. It is the best. The water is shallow...you'd have to go farther out to swim than at most beaches. But the water is as clear as in a pool. Beautiful!
Dan
