Sport

There is a wealth of golf courses in northern Brittany and it is so easy to just pop over there for a long weekend or midweek break on the overnight ferry from Portsmouth to St Malo. Your trip starts with an extremely tasty dinner on Brittany Ferries – delicious buffet for the first course with lots of shellfish, followed by an excellent main course and pudding. Very good value too.

A great place to stay is the Grand Hotel in Pleneuf Val Andre on the Emerald Coast, about a 40-minute drive from St Malo, which has an excellent restaurant. This very friendly hotel has been welcoming guests since 1895 and the ever-hospitable Assistant Manager lived in the UK for 7 years, so speaks excellent English, but is keen to help you with your French too.

The hotel is situated on the promenade overlooking St Brieuc Bay where the best beaches in Brittany can be found. There is a beautiful view from the bar and restaurant through some lovely old trees and a vast expanse of sandy beach – the perfect place to enjoy the sunset whilst sipping a glass of champagne!

The nearest golf course to the hotel is the Val Andre which is only a five minute drive away and is rated one of the best and probably the most beautiful in France. It is a modern parkland/links course with fast well defended greens and is a challenge to even the best of players. The 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th holes have the most stunning views over the cliffs and beach and 11th hole has a tee about 200 ft above the fairway It is well maintained and is suitable for golfers of mixed abilities. 18 holes, par 72, 6433 yards

Another superb course to play is at the Dinard Golf Club, the second oldest golf course in France and a traditional links course, which was founded by a group of British residents at the end of the 19th century. It was designed by Scotsman Willie Dunn and is the second oldest course in France. P G Wodehouse was known to play here It is a well established course and although not that long a course, is very challenging with a great range of holes. This course also has panoramic views over the coast. With an art deco clubhouse it has a very English feel to it. 18 holes, par 68, 5815 yards.

There are several other golf courses in the area and one could easily fill a week playing on a different golf course each day in Northern Brittany, without having to drive very far. A very enjoyable holiday for any golfer with the added bonus of a variety of great restaurants.

The La Manga Club, on Spain’s Costa Calida, and just 20-minute’s drive from Murcia airport offers the most comprehensive range of sporting and family facilities of any resort in Europe. It also boasts one of the most reliable climates in the Mediterranean, and is thus a great location for winter, spring and autumn breaks.

Accommodation is either at the 5 star Hyatt Regency, or in one of the many self catering villas and apartments dotted around this attractive leisure resort, and the wide choice of shops and restaurants has created an attractive and safe environment for families and sports enthusiasts of all ages.

Sporting facilities include three international golf courses, as well as a nine hole pitch and putt course,golf academy and driving range.The resort also boasts a Tennis academy, Fitness and Health, Horse Riding, Mountain Biking, Dance, Rugby, Football and Cricket Academies, Water Sports on the Mar Menor and scuba diving at the nearby marine reserve at Cabo de Palos.

Junior Club and Childcare facilities are also very comprehensive, and cater for all youngsters from 3 months up to 12 years, with additional programmes for teenagers.

Many of the restaurants and bars welcome children of all ages, with children’s menus and regular supervised entertainment.

Direct daily 2 hour flights on Easyjet or Monarch from Gatwick, 20 minutes transfer direct to the resort and accommodation in the 5 star Hyatt Regency Hotel or in first class self catering villas or apartments, backed up by this extensive range of sporting and restaurant facilities represents a great choice of holiday destination.

On our first day we were given full sets of winter gear, all in very good condition, which were ours for the week and then it was an introduction to the first activity of our action packed week, snowshoeing across the frozen lake and local woods

On our second morning two guides introduced us to cross country skiing, including inevitably how to pick ourselves up from the ground! Once they felt we had learnt enough we were able to venture out on through the woods and round the frozen lake.

Day three was, for me, the real highlight of the week, an entire morning spent with huskies. It was just a short drive from our lodge to the husky farm where we were greeted and given a short lesson on how to control our own sled with its team of five huskies before setting off on a splendid 5 km trip through all sorts of terrain. Even for those who are not dog lovers it would have been impossible not to have fallen for these incredibly friendly dogs who lapped up the attention and were thrilled to have the exercise. In the afternoon we went to a reindeer farm where we had another sled ride and fed them afterwards – so all in all a good day out with the animals!

The local town of Ruka is also a ski/snowboard resort in its early development – a perfect place for beginners and I enjoyed a morning boarding. On our penultimate day we were introduced to the real Finnish wilderness, igloo building (which was our home for that night), survival skills and some rather unsuccessful ice fishing!

This was a really brilliant week with lots of activity, extremely friendly and helpful staff, good food, first class equipment and comfortable accommodation in Basecamp deep in the Finnish Wilderness. The camp, a 40 minute drive from the airport at Kussamo, is only four years old and benefits from under floor heating, excellent en suite bedrooms (twin/double & family), dining room, bar, sauna and Jacuzzi with views across the lake.

Situated in the North Atlantic, Bermuda is actually made up of over 180 islands, islets & rocks. Eight are linked by bridges & causeways which gives the illusion of one island. There are a host of accommodations to choose from – small b&bs to luxury hotels – our favourite is Elbow Beach.

Elbow Beach is part of the Mandarin Oriental Group, so luxuriously high standards are guaranteed. Its 235 rooms & suites, split between hotel & cottages, lie in lush landscaped gardens leading down to one of the islands best beaches just 2 miles from the island’s capital, Hamilton. Facilities include a state of the art fitness club, a putting green, cycle shop, and plenty of hammocks strung between the palm trees – perfect for a snooze in the sunshine!

Bermuda lays claim to having more golf courses per square mile than any other country and is a year round destination for golfers. For those more passionate about the sea there is every conceivable activity available: both reef and wreck scuba diving, parasailing, yacht charters, reef and deep sea fishing are all available.

Bermuda has a fascinating history as Britain’s oldest colony; dating back to 1612 so a visit to the Maritime Museum at the Royal Naval Dockyard is a must as is a visit to the island’s former capital, St Georges.