On most days the water temperature of the ocean and swimming pool was too warm to be refreshing. The resorts offer plenty of beach activities. Every afternoon a group of people, mostly enthusiastic women, learns the merengue and other Latin dances from high-energy instructors at Paradisus. Nearby, young people kick up the sand in volleyball and soccer games. In the ocean, children in orange life jackets bounce over waves aboard those gigantic yellow bananas pulled by boats.
Some guests try wind-surfing, and quickly learn it's much harder than it looks.
Others try sailing, kayaking and big-wheeled peddle boats. A gray raft attached to a motorized hang glider occasionally flies through the sky, looking like it is defying gravity. Helicopters carrying sightseers also bank off the coast and para-sailers wave from above. People occasionally walk by selling cigars, jewelry, souvenirs and even sarongs. But they are not persistent or annoying.