Mark Warner makes everything so easy. From checking in, the BA chartered flight and the transfer the other end to the array of activities available on resort and of course the childcare. Earlier this year, we had our first family holiday with Mark Warner at the Levante Beach Resort in Rhodes, Greece. We’d never put POD in childcare on holiday before but a few hours each morning meant we could finally dust down the rackets. The POD Father even dilly dallied with sailing although it was short-lived – simply because we ran out of time.
We recently visited the beautiful Levante Beach Resort in Corsica with Mark Warner. Situated on the stunning east coast, the hotel is located among beautiful gardens with breathtaking mountains as the backdrop. While tennis remained high on our agenda, we were keen to try a few of the watersports too. Naturally around the group tennis sessions we’d already booked in the UK.
San Lucianu is one of Mark Warner’s smaller resorts but still offers a vast array of watersports and a whole host of other activities such as tennis, cycling and fitness classes. You can do as little or as much as you like. We had a wonderful sea facing room which made the waterfront even more enticing, in fact POD had her hands in the water not long after we’d taken in the view from our balcony!
The beach has super soft sand and the sea is so incredibly clear. During the course of the week, I came to love wandering along the waterfront before breakfast. All the boats had been brought to the waters edge and lined up ready to be sailed, all you could hear was the sound of the waves.
Sailing
Sailing at the San Lucianu Beach Resort suits beginners right through to seasoned professionals due to the varied wind conditions. Group tuition clinics are available for beginners or improvers and the more experienced can free sail. First-class tuition is offered by RYA trained instructors, all of whom are eager to help.
The group sailing clinics are all free. For beginners, there is 3 hours tuition available and for refreshers, a one hour session. Improvers can take advantage of race techniques, trapezing, asymmetrics and catamaran sailing over the course of 5 days (1½ hour session per day).
RYA sailing courses for adults and children are available for all standards. These cost from £50 per week for children (aged 6+) with adult tuition £70 per week. Private tuition is also available.
With limited sailing experience ourselves, we booked a parent and child sail. This means you can enjoy all the benefits of sailing but with an experienced sailor taking the helm. It wasn’t busy at the waterfront the day we sailed so I was able to capture POD’s first sail from a safety boat. It also provided the perfect opportunity to take in the landscape around the resort and the magnificent backdrop.
POD wasn’t sure about the boat initially but this was more to do with the sea stinging her eczema more than anything else. Within minutes she was having a whale of a time under the watchful guidance of sailor Ruth and the POD Father.
Many of the views around us almost took your breath away. The picturesque village shown in the photograph below is Cervione, located just ten minutes from the San Lucianu Beach Resort. We paid it a visit one afternoon and were so impressed with it, we insisted others visited.
We timed our sail with one of the calmer days albeit unintentionally. The sea was so still it meant we could bob around and just enjoy ourselves.
Although I would have loved to have been in the boat with POD and Daddy, there was something rather magical about watching POD in a boat for the first time. And being able to capture those moments without falling in!
As you can imagine, once POD got used to being in the boat it wasn’t long before she wanted a go herself! And Daddy got the opportunity to test the skills he’d learnt in Greece too.
There was so little wind on this particular afternoon but this photograph truly sums up the joy of sailing. Just miles and miles of ocean and beautiful scenery. Bliss!
Windsurfing
Like the sailing, the conditions for windsurfing at the San Lucianu Beach Resort are just as good. The mornings tend to be calmer with the afternoons providing good conditions for the more advanced sailors. Group tuition, private instruction and RYA windsurfing courses are available for all standards.
Free tuition is provided for all levels of windsurfer in the price of a holiday. For beginners this is 3 hours tuition, the refresher is a one hour session on land with the improver windsurfing 5 x 1½ hour sessions. For those looking to gain a windsurfing qualification, the San Lucianu Beach Resort offers RYA courses – from 14 years upwards. There is also a RYA Youth Windsurfing Scheme for younger children.
The beach bar at the San Lucianu Beach Resort provides the best seat in the house for watching windsurfers. From those getting to grips with standing up to the more experienced hurtling off into the distance. My balance is pretty dreadful so I admire anyone that’s able to remain upright in the water. Perhaps I should give it a go on land to see how I get on!
POD was in Mini Club for a few hours each morning while we had our group tennis sessions. Mini Club caters for 3 to 5 year olds with activities taking place both indoors and out. I love that the Mark Warner childcare provides POD with the opportunity to do things she wouldn’t normally do – like windsurfing.
We’ll be writing about the childcare in the coming days but hats off to both the teams – the nannies looking after her but also the waterfront staff too. POD had bad eczema behind both knees and the sea water stung but they were amazing and managed to ensure she didn’t miss out.
Other watersport activities
As well as sailing and windsurfing, other watersport activities on offer at the San Lucianu Beach Resort include kayaking, paddleboarding and jetskiing. POD got to do kayaking, again with Mini Club, and it was wonderful to watch. Some of the kids were standing up and jumping off the boards by the end of the session!
The waterfront at the San Lucianu Beach Resort was such a great spot. After relaxing around the pool, joining in with other activities (like volleyball, football or social tennis) or exploring, we loved to just sit. At the end of the day, you’d get to see the boats being brought back up the beach – a sign it was almost dinner time.
The San Lucianu Beach Resort will certainly be remembered for POD gaining water confidence. She got to do things she’d not normally do like sailing, kayaking and to a degree, windsurfing. But that’s the thing about Mark Warner, they make everything so easy – you can’t help but get involved. We met some amazing people and had the most fantastic week.
Disclaimer: Mark Warner covered the flights, transfer and half-board accommodation at the San Lucianu Beach Resort. Opinions are our own.
