Staying fit in Paradise is easy as a day at the beach. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, sailing and kayaking offer health benefits with all that fun in the sun and water.
Ai Chi is an option for those who prefer to get their exercise in the pool and my personal fave, yoga at the beach (all levels welcome) is available if you prefer to get your fitness on the sand. I've seen power walkers at sunset in Frederiksted Town; there are runners (with and without their dogs) moving along the main roads early in the morning long before the sun reaches its peak. If you are into more organized activities, we have martial arts and fitness centers, team sports, golf, and much more. I've listed some information below on places that offer ways to stay active and healthy in your new island home.
- N2 The Blue, www.n2blue.com, specializes in small group dives, no more than six divers at a time and is located in La Grange, Frederiksted. The certified staff offers SDI (Scuba Diving International) and PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) instruction and can accommodate everyone, from newbies to experts. Their introductory course is offered every morning for about three hours starting around 9:00 a.m.
- Located inside the Salt River Bay National Park and Ecological Preserve, Anchor Dive Center, www.anchordivestcroix.com, features PADI diving instruction and adventure packages for everyone from beginners to certified divers. Their special offers include free tanks and weights for shore diving.
- Dreaming of being a diving instructor? Well here's another option. Dive Experience, St. Croix, www.divexp.com, offers a variety of training courses for PADI certification. You can choose from over 40 different specialties including "green" scuba dive courses, such as "Ecological Diver."
- Island Flight Adventures, www.stcroixjetskirentalsandtours.com: You can opt to rent for a self- guided water tour, if the thrill of jet skiing around the island is for you. Wake boarding and tubing are offered also.
- SCUBA's West End Snorkel Tours, www.stcroixsnorkeling.com, gives you the opportunity to experience breathtaking underwater views and amazing sea life in Frederiksted's West End on a two-hour tour. You will stop and snorkel near Sandy Point, the West End Reefs and the famous Frederiksted Pier. The tours happen three days a week, twice a day, and all equipment is included.
- Caribbean Adventure Tours, www.stcroixkayak.com, also located in the Salt River Bay National Park and Ecological Preserve, takes you on a water tour of the island's beautiful vistas. Choose from an historical tour, a tour that begins at sunset and continues by moonlight or an ecology-focused tour. Prices are reasonable and tours feature life vests and sit-on-top kayaks with back rests for comfort and safety.
- Kite St. Croix, www.kitestcroix.com, is the place to go to try a new kind of water sport. Kite boarding involves a rider on a short board controlling a kite sail which pulls him along the water and propels him into the air. Kite St. Croix, located on the island's East End, offers rentals and lessons with certified instructors for novices and expert kite surfers alike.
- Paul and Jill's Equestrian Stables, www.paulandjills.com, offer a unique way to see the island with a four-legged guide as part of the party. Tours are given on horseback for beginners ("auto-pilot" horses and lessons included) through expert riders. The tropical trail ride includes stops at the beach, an authentic slave village (historic, not in use) and a nature tour through the rain forest, with photo opportunities.
- Virgin Island Wellness, www.virginislandwellness.com: This full service center offers classes in many Eastern and Western disciplines, including yoga, Pilates, water aerobics and Qigong. Veteran instructors are available for private instruction as well.
- Yoga on Hibiscus Beach, meets each Tuesday and Thursday that weather permits, from 8:30 to 10:00 a.m. The Hibiscus Beach Resort is located on the island's North Shore. The certified instructor, Emmy, welcomes all ages and levels and will modify moves accordingly. Sessions are a bargain at $8.00 each.
- Bare Bones Yoga takes place on the beach at the Sandcastle on the Beach hotel in Frederiksted. Deborah Phillips is the certified yoga instructor on Saturday mornings from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon; all levels are welcome to participate.
- Would you rather get fit, strong and calm, moving through water like a lily in a pool? Well "Ai Chi," a mixture of East and West philosophies, could be the discipline for you. Ai Chi is water-based and promotes total body strength and relaxation, through a combination of Tai-Chi concepts and Shiatsu and Watsu techniques. Simone Palmer leads classes in the pool at the Sandcastle on the Beach hotel in Frederiksted, once a week on Tuesday mornings for $10.00 per class. www.sandcastleonthebeach.com.
- Caribbean Health & Fitness Complex, www.vihealth.com: the largest comprehensive health and fitness facility in the Caribbean features fitness and rehab centers with full service facilities and exercise classes in a variety of disciplines. The fitness center is located in Christiansted, and has a 25-meter heated swimming pool, dry sauna and steam room on the premises; swim classes are available for adults and children. There are specialists in sports medicine and physical therapy, a registered nurse and personal trainers on the professional staff.
- Fantasy Sport Fishing Charters, out of Christiansted, gives the deep-sea sport fishing enthusiast options: four, six or eight-hour trips on Fantasy, a 38-foot Bertram Special Edition. The crew provides everything you will need including bait and tackle, and you get to keep part of your catch.
- Go fishing with Captain Carl Holley aboard the Moko Jumbie, a 36-foot Hatteras, for full or half day tours. Up six people can be accommodated and provided with rods, reels, tackle and bait. Keep a part of your catch or have it professionally mounted for you. www.fishwithcarl.com
- Prefer to get fit by stepping at your own pace? The 4-mile (round trip) Annaly Bay hike to the natural tidal pools is your kind of exercise. The trek begins at the Carambola Beach Resort in the North Shore region of the island. The trail winds through areas of lush greenery and a beach covered with unique black rocks, and ends at the tidal pools.
- For more hikes and a variety of locales, the St. Croix Hiking Association schedules hikes that are open to the public monthly. Join the organization for special annual trips to other exotic locales, including other Caribbean islands. www.stcroixhiking.org.
- Studying a traditional eastern martial art more to your liking? The St. Croix Martial Arts Center is located in Peter's Rest. Mr. Charles, the founder and instructor, will be offering adult classes in Tae Kwon Do, starting this October on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Call (340) 778-8631 for more information and to enroll in classes.
- You are still in luck here in Paradise if more conventional sports are your preference. The Buccaneer Hotel's 18-hole golf course and eight tennis courts await you in Christiansted, www.thebuccaneer.com. The Carambola Golf Club offers an 18-hole course in a rainforest for your sporting pleasure. Give the 9-hole Reef Golf Course on the island's East End a try as well. The Chenay Bay Beach Resort's two tennis courts are open to the public; there are four public courts in Frederiksted and Christiansted as well.
I'll help make your dreams come true here in St. Croix.
Kim Lucas, REALTOR
www.retireinstcroix.com
www.kimlucasvi.com
kim@coldwellbankervi.com
340-626-3758
