The Great Family Escape:
Babes | Tykes | Junior | Teen | All Family Trips
Teen Awakenings:
Ages 13 Years and Up
Sayulita, Mexico
Wave Riding in Paradise
Here's a trip finicky teens can't say no to—surfing in Sayulita, Mexico, a sleepy fishing village 35 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. The warm waters of the western Nayarit Coast and a strong right break in summer make Sayulita ideal for young longboarders or wannabes. The waves are a little smaller in the off-season, but gringos are fewer, prices are lower, and the two- to three-foot (half- to one-meter) rollers will still rev up the most jaded of teens. Retreat to Villa Amor's 33 chic, affordable villas, some with terraces and plunge pools with views of the Pacific. Or rent one of Sayulita's well-priced casitas with palapa roofs and saltwater infinity pools.
Where to Play: After a 90-minute surfing lesson on the main beach with Lunazul Surf ($30 per person for a group lesson; $40, private; www.lunazulsurf.com), hire one of many charter boats along the beach for a reef excursion ($150 a day). On land, trek lush rain forest or bike on jungle singletrack ($40 for a guided bike tour and rental; www.wildmex.com).
Post Curfew: The town center is only a ten-minute walk away. Try dinner at Sayulita Fish Tacos, just off the plaza.
Details: A Villa Amor two-bedroom costs $357; www.villaamor.com. Local casitas start at $600 a week; www.sayulitalife.com.
Columbia Gorge, Oregon
Multisporting in the Cascades
"Of all the trips we offer, this is the one my kids would pick," says Julie Ubben, Bicycle Adventures assistant marketing manager and mother of three teens. Her company's five-day customizable sports sampler is a nonstop cycling, rafting, and windsurfing tour through Oregon's Columbia Gorge. Accommodations include two nights at the Flying L Ranch, an 80-acre (32-hectare) spread on the sunny western slope of the Cascade Range, and two nights at the Hood River Inn, which, with its own beach and windsurfing lessons taught next door, is home base for young boarders.
Where to Play: While guides worry about whether your teens are pedaling the right route, it's just you and the wind on the Columbia River Scenic Highway, with views of Washington's 12,276-foot (3,742-meter) Mount Adams just across the river.
Post Curfew: Evenings at the Flying L Ranch are reserved for strolling through ponderosa pines or soaking in the outdoor hot tub. From Hood River Inn take a side trip to Cathedral Ridge Winery (www.cathedralridgewinery.com), named after the knife-edge running off Mount Hood's summit, and sip local varietals in front of sweeping mountain views.
Details: The cost is $1,696 for five days (10 to 30 percent discount, depending on age, for children under 17); www.bicycleadventures.com.
St. Lucia, Caribbean
Going Deep in the Tropics
With hotel rates dropping at the island's top resorts in summer and more direct flights from the States each week, off-season St. Lucia is becoming the hottest alternative to summer camp. Great adventure digs for families are the 12 beachfront bungalows of Anse Chastanet Resort, a 600-acre (243-hectare) jungle property perched on the island's rugged southwest coast. Rooms are distraction free (no telephones, radios, Wi-Fi, or TVs), and most have views of the Pitons, St. Lucia's stunning twin peaks.
Where to Play: If your crew isn't dive-certified, this is the time to do it: "You can all do your coursework at home, then make open-water dives with us the first day," says Vanessa Laurencin, a guide at the resort's PADI dive center, one of the best in the Caribbean. Anse Chastanet's dive boats depart daily for sites such as Superman's Flight, Fairyland, and Pinnacles, in St. Lucia's protected marine reserve. Other days, bike 12 miles (19 kilometers) of mountain trails.
Post Curfew: Treat the family to a four-course candlelit feast beneath the branches of the resort's Treehouse Restaurant.
Details: Doubles cost $305; all levels of scuba certification are available ($250 for basic certification); www.ansechastanet.com.
The Great Family Escape:
Babes | Tykes | Junior | Teen | All Family Trips
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