All-Inclusive Day at Club Med

Having grown up in Florida I’ve seen Club Med commercials growing up often but never thought much about it. I was curious again when I saw the sign on Morningside Boulevard on the way to breakfast on weekends, but it wasn’t until today that we decided to check it out. Club Med Sandpiper Bay, like other Club Med destinations, is all inclusive. This means that all food, drink, and activities are included in the price of your stay. We went to pick up our day passes in the morning and chatted with the front desk who gave us a program, map and suggested to walk the property before jumping into whatever we wanted.

As it was morning we went and grabbed a cup of coffee and set out to explore. Club Med is huge! There are expansive outdoor sports areas including volleyball, soccer, golf, and tennis courts. Several large pools and even a kiddie water playground/ splash pad and separate kiddie pool are available. For the adults, there is a lap pool and a beautiful infinity pool in the center of the common areas. The grounds are manicured with lush foliage and shaded by large trees.

We sat in on a circus lesson where the kids were taught cirque du soleil type climbing on a long fabric rope. This is one of their two circus areas, the other is an outdoor course where trapeze is taught. We next toured the kids village where younger children can be entertained while parents enjoy the resort. Each age level has their own facility and staff. The kids’ eyes lit up as we approached the kids water playground and we diverted to spend some time splashing and playing. Both the kids pool and water playground are separate gated areas that are close together so you can hop between pools easily.

After all that splashing we were hungry, so we dried off and went to check out The Marketplace, which is one of the restaurants on property. It’s a huge buffet styled dining hall with separate themed stations. Some of these included a pasta bar, an Asian themed noodle bar, a bbq station featuring hamburgers, hotdogs, grilled meats, a pizza section, a beef and lamb flatbread station, seafood, and even a gelato bar and bread station with a large selection of freshly baked breads. Of course there was a patisserie featuring tiny lovely tarts and desserts. A large wine room and a drink station where you can grab soda, water, milk, juices and a beer tap rounds out the space. We had our choice of one of the indoor or outdoor dining rooms and chose to sit overlooking the sailboats while eating lunch.

Our youngest was still napping so we decided to check out the infinity pool. Dada and baby relaxed on a covered lawn chair while Ian and I played in the beautiful pool. This had to be our favorite part of the entire resort. The pool is large and a good portion of it is shallow so younger kids can splash and play safely. People visiting the resort are often from overseas and very friendly. Two French children struck up a conversation and threw a beach ball with Ian and had him laughing. There are tons of floats and beach balls around for play and music is played keeping the energy upbeat and fun.

At the bar nearest the pool, families sat around for music and movie trivia and we joined in. With a delicious rum runner in hand we laughed and shouted out movie titles when the soundtrack was played and had a blast. Being in Florida, you often have to be ready for afternoon showers and Club Med is definitely prepared. There are two schedules for the day, their standard daily activities and a rainy day program. There is not enough time in the day to truly experience everything at the resort. We did have fun trying! Now that we know what we were missing we will definitely be back. They have both day passes and a Florida resident’s rate so check it out!

Tips:

• Ask a staff member to walk you through the schedule, there is a lot to see and recommendations are helpful
• If you plan on having your children do activities pre-registry is required so ask at check in
• Towels are available at one centrally located spot so grab them first before going to any of the pools to be ready
• People are really friendly, don’t be afraid to talk to other guests, and don’t be surprised if they approach you to chat!
• If the weather turns wet, inquire about the rainy day schedule. There is always something to do!
• The bread bar at The Marketplace is truly delicious. Their Olive bread and Dark Chocolate bread are fabulous!

Christine Hannon Cook is a work at home mother of 3 adventurous children, (two boys and a girl) and one travel happy husband. She moved from Broward to Port St Lucie in 2013 and hasn’t looked back. When not working or child wrangling she can be found gardening, cooking, or taking pictures of her gardening, cooking, and or children. Traveling and reading take up any time leftover and coffee is always welcomed.