Sports Training Destinations in Europe

Achieving your potential in any sport requires talent, commitment and dedication. But to reach the very top of their sport, athletes rely not only on their own abilities, but also on things like highly skilled coaching staff, adequate financial funding and access to the best training facilities. You may think that countries such as Australia and the USA lead the world in sports facilities but in Europe there are now some of the finest dedicated sports training centers in the world. The southern countries of Europe such as Spain, France and Italy make ideal locations for these facilities, benefiting as they do from a mild winter climate while still being within convenient traveling distance from most European countries. In this article we will look at some of the biggest and newest facilities available and explore the new and upcoming concept of sports tourism.

The Canary Islands, part of Spain, lie on the southern-most edge of Europe in the Atlantic Ocean. The climate there is consistently mild, never experiencing really cold weather, seeing low levels of rainfall and, even in summer months, remaining relatively cool compared to some European mainland areas. Because the islands are already a popular tourist destination, there are frequent flights to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria from many other countries, making the islands very accessible. Air fares to the Canaries during the months of January, February and March are very reasonable and provide a low cost way of escaping the harsher weather of more northerly regions in Europe.

On the island of Lanzarote lies the long-established sports resort Club La Santa, which opened in 1983 and welcomes sports fans from all over Europe. The club offers year-round training facilities and boasts a 50m open air swimming pool, six lane tartan athletics track as well as huge indoor fitness areas providing Nautilus , Cybex and Tetrix equipment. Also indoors are six badminton courts while outdoors there are 10 hard court floodlit tennis courts. Everyday the center puts on organized events like group runs, mountain bike rides, aerobics sessions and other coaching groups.

Tenerife, one of the other larger islands in the Canaries, is home to a very new centre located close to the southern village of La Caleta. Tenerife Top Training, or T3 as is more likely to be known, is a brand new high-tech sports training center that opened its doors in October 2008. It has 3 swimming pools, 50m and 25m outdoor pools in addition to an indoor therapy pool with water flow technique improvement facilities. Indoor physio and training rooms complement the outdoor tennis and football pitches. Close by is a luxury hotel providing high class accommodation, although visitors may chose to rent one of the many holiday villas close to the resort. The international airport, Reine Sofia is close by ensuring very short transfers times for visitors.

On the island of Cyprus, which is accessible by flying to the nearby and newly renovated Paphos airport, the sports resort of Coral Bay provides fantastic facilities. It was used by the Great British Olympic team as its training camp prior to the Athens Olympics and provides an outdoor Olympic 50m pool which is heated all year round. There are also 4 tennis courts and indoors a well-equipped gym and relaxation pool. Flights to Paphos are available from the UK, and with a flight time of around 4 hours, Cyprus provides a convenient location for mild weather winter training.

If a flight to Cyprus is a little too far for you, then you may opt for a shorter flight to Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands where you will a range of superb sports training facilities. The Son Hugo swimming complex provides two 50m 10 lane swimming pools, one indoors and one outdoors. Also on Mallorca is the MegaSport Fitness center located close to the capital Palma and its international airport. The center provides a range of indoor and outdoors sports areas and is located close to the international cycling velodrome and football stadium.

So for both professional and amateur athletes alike, a trip to one of these warm weather sports training centers will provide a great kick-start to the season ahead. With cheap flights provided by a number of companies to the airports nearby, the trip need not cost too much either.

About the Author

If you are a sports fan looking for a low cost trip to warmer weather then Dan Williams advises a comparison of
cheap flights to Tenerife
Lanzarote and Paphos on the
FlyThomasCook
website.

Biking on Tenerife by Bike Point El Medano

Tenerife Ving $44.06 Tenerife Ving > > Avenida Fernandez Perdigon 8 > Puerto de la Cruz > > 38400>Location. This Puerto de la Cruz property is close to Loro Parque and Casino Puerto Cruz. Features. In addition to a restaurant and a bar/lounge, Tenerife Ving features a swim up bar and a television in the lobby. Additional amenities include a pool table and computer rentals. The front desk is open 24 hours a day. Guestrooms. Business friendly amenities include direct dial phones. All guestrooms provide refrigerators. Notifications:Additional fees and deposits may be charged by the property at time of service, check in, or check out. >The preferred airport for Tenerife Ving is Santa Cruz de Tenerife (TFN Tenerife North) 22.2 km / 13.8 mi. Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property’s location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance. Distances are displayed to the nearest 0. 1 mile and kilometre.

Sol Tenerife $66.23 Sol Tenerife > TFS > Avda. Rafael Puig Lliviana, S/n > Arona > > 38660>Location. Situated on the beach, this Arona property is close to Los Cristianos Beach. Features. Sol Tenerife has tennis courts, an outdoor pool, a fitness facility, a children’s pool, and a pool. This 4.0 star Arona property features a hair salon and beauty services. Sol Tenerife has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a poolside bar. Room service is available during limited hours. Guest parking is complimentary. The staff can arrange concierge services, dry cleaning/laundry services, and tour assistance. Additional amenities include room service during limited hours, laundry facilities, and a garden. The property has designated areas for smoking (fines may apply for smoking in non smoking areas). Guestrooms. Amenities featured in guestrooms include air conditioning and minibars. Business friendly amenities include desks and direct dial phones. Bathrooms feature shower/tub combinations, bidets, and hair dryers. All guestrooms at Sol Tenerife are non smoking. Notifications:Additional fees and deposits may be charged by the property at time of service, check in, or check out. >The preferred airport for Sol Tenerife is Tenerife (TFS Tenerife South) 15.1 km / 9.4 mi. Distances are calculated in a straight line from the property’s location to the point of interest or airport and may not reflect actual travel distance. Distances are displayed to the nearest 0. 1 mile and kilometre.

Luabay Tenerife $66.98 Luabay Tenerife > > Avenida Blas Pérez González 11 > Puerto De La Cruz > > 38400>Location. This Puerto de la Cruz property is situated near the beach, close to Loro Parque and Casino Puerto Cruz. Features. Luabay Tenerife has a health club, an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, a spa tub, and a fitness facility. Business amenities include wireless Internet access (surcharge), business services, and audio visual equipment. Luabay Tenerife has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a poolside bar. Event facilities include exhibit space. The staff can arrange concierge services and event catering. Additional amenities include a children’s pool, laundry facilities, and a garden. A total renovation of this property was completed in January 2009. Guestrooms. Amenities featured in guestrooms include air conditioning, minibars, and televisions. Business friendly amenities include desks. Bathrooms provide shower/tub combinations and hair dryers. All guestrooms at Luabay Tenerife are non smoking. Notifications:Guests must be at least 18 years old to check in at this property. The minimum check in age at this property during Spring Break is 18 years old. All guests staying in hotel guestrooms must be registered with the hotel. The resort fee is included in the room rate paid at time of booking. No pets, including service animals, are allowed at this property. Some facilities may have restricted access. Guests can contact the property for details using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Additional fees and deposits may be charged by the property at time of service, check in, or check out. In room safe: EUR 2 per day>

Hotel Luabay Tenerife, Tenerife $68 The completely renovated hotel comprises a total of 337 rooms, 24 of them are singles, 308 double rooms and 3 suites spread over 13 floors. Various facilities are available to guests including a vast garden, a spacious lobby with a 24-hour reception desk, a cosy bar and an air-conditioned restaurant. A wi-fi area is available as well as an internet point, 3 conference rooms, a games room, a shop and a hairdresser.

Hotel Perla Tenerife, Tenerife $39 Renovated in 2003, the hotel lies amidst gardens spanning 500 square meters and comprises 130 double rooms. The reception is available 24-hours and there are 2 lifts. A bar, TV room, restaurant and WiFi are to be found within the hotel. There is a self- service laundry on offer for guests.

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