CLUB MED COLUMBUS ISLE

A word first about a persistent rumour: the village is open and bookable. It was indeed closed after Hurricane Dorian and through the pandemic, but it reopened in October 2022 after restoration. That has been over for nearly four years.

Columbus Isle occupies eighty-nine acres on Bonefish Bay, San Salvador, five minutes from the airport. Two hundred and thirty-six rooms in two-storey Creole bungalows, a long powdery beach nobody uses, and an all-inclusive that covers the sailing school, boat snorkelling outings twice daily and more than twenty-five activities.

Two points decide whether your week works: scuba diving is not included, and the kids clubs run in July and August only. We detail both.

Diving is not included, and it is the costliest misunderstanding

San Salvador ranks among the world's twenty finest dive destinations. More than thirty wall sites, visibility regularly exceeding thirty metres, blue holes, and a reassuring detail few islands offer: a hyperbaric chamber with a doctor on site.

Here is the point never to gloss over. Scuba diving is not included in any village formula, in any form. It is operated by a partner PADI centre and charged separately. Courses and certifications are too.

There is, however, a useful commercial nuance: some dive-specialist wholesalers sell packages for this village that do include a block of dives, typically six to ten boat outings over five days, with tanks and weights provided. That is not the standard all-inclusive: it is a separate package.

If you are coming to dive, say so on your first call to your advisor at 1 866 628-6241. They will build the right package or budget diving separately, and the confirmation will say so in writing. A diver who discovers on arrival that their card does not cover tanks has a bad week.

The kids clubs run in summer only

Second structural point. The village minimum age is two, and family rooms exist. But the kids clubs and the eleven-to-seventeen Junior Club open in July and August only.

Outside the summer season there is no structured children's programming and no nursery for toddlers. A family with young children travelling in February needs to know that. The village then suits couples, divers and families with teenagers considerably better.

What the all-inclusive really covers

And it covers a great deal. Accommodation, all meals, all drinks alcoholic and non-alcoholic, more than twenty-five activities, Wi-Fi, and access to the spa facilities.

On the water the list is remarkable: a sailing school with daily outings, windsurfing, wingfoil, water-skiing, wakeboarding, kayaking, paddleboarding, and boat snorkelling outings twice a day. Add the tennis school, yoga, fitness classes, shows and evening entertainment.

The sailing team is what recent reviews praise most consistently: two outings a day, minimal waiting, instructors who actually get people improving. If you have always wanted to learn to helm, this is where it happens.

The beach, and the absence of sargassum

Bonefish Bay unrolls one to three kilometres of powdery white sand, with clear calm water and very few people. The village occupies an Atlantic position, which earns it a concrete and verified advantage: no sargassum risk, unlike the Riviera Maya or Punta Cana.

A single freshwater infinity pool, near the shore, heated in December and January, ringed by palapas and the spa's zen garden. It has no swim-up bar.

Eating and drinking

Christopher's is the main restaurant, beachfront, buffet, for all three meals, with Bahamian specialties and international cooking. La Pinta Beach Lounge works the Mediterranean and seafood on some evenings, and turns into a nightclub once a week. La Niña, a bar on stilts, is the sunset address. Add the Azul Beach Bar and the Verve Lounge with its café.

The rooms, without varnish

Two hundred and thirty-six rooms across two-storey Creole bungalows in bright colours. Four categories: Superior, Superior ocean view, Deluxe ocean view and Family Superior. All run around thirty square metres, which is compact and uniform from one category to the next. Connecting rooms exist in Superior only. There are no suites, and bathrooms have a shower without a tub.

The reviews are direct: the village is described as old-fashioned, with average bedding, weak or absent air conditioning in some units and a shortage of hot water at peak times. Evening entertainment disappoints part of the clientele, with few shows over a week. And bring an oil-based repellent: sand flies come out at dusk.

The score stays excellent: 4.4 out of 5 across more than nine thousand six hundred reviews, first among San Salvador hotels. At that volume, it is the most reliable score of anything we sell in the Bahamas. The profile is clear: you come here for the diving, the sailing, the beach and the staff, not for the room or the show.

Getting there, and the seven-night stay

Here is a real advantage for Quebec travellers: a nonstop service exists from Montreal in season, starting in October. It is the only direct flight from Canada to San Salvador. From Toronto a connection is required, through Montreal in season, through Nassau or through Florida.

The island's air service stays thin: few flights, few operating days. That is what explains the seven-night minimum stay, generally Saturday to Saturday. In case of delay or cancellation, rerouting options are very limited: know it before you go.

A word on combinations: San Salvador and Great Exuma are two separate islands with no direct link between them. Combining them means going back through Nassau, with an overnight layover likely. Treat them as two trips, not one itinerary.

Who this address suits

It suits divers and snorkellers, sailing and watersports enthusiasts, couples, families with teenagers, those who want an empty beach without sargassum, and Quebecers who appreciate boarding a plane without a connection.

It suits less well families with young children outside July and August, travellers demanding about decor and bedding, those who come for evening entertainment, and short stays, since seven nights are required.

The archipelago overview sits on Bahamas travel, the island on Columbus Isle travel, and other sun destinations on all-inclusive vacations.