Leave Parents Home for ‘Gramping’ Experiences Near and Far

Remember when multigenerational travel was all about three generations traveling together? Well, now the latest trend is “gramping,” that is, grandparents and grandkids taking off on adventure while leaving busy parents at home. Here are a few properties reaching out to that market.

Atlantis Paradise Island in the Bahamas, for example, is offering an immersive turtle release program available through October. Families can take part in a behind-the-scenes tour of the resort’s aquarium and fish hospital and meet with one of the resort’s 165 full-time marine biologists, aquarists, veterinarians, lab technicians and water safety specialists. Guests will be able to name a turtle, ride a motorboat to the nearby release location and be in the waters during the release. Snorkel equipment is included, and a portion of the proceeds goes back to the Atlantis Blue Project.

Turtle Release Program. Photo: Atlantis Paradise Island

DuVine Cycling + Adventure Co. created a new menu of family tours that mix culture and adventure geared toward fit kids and grandparents. Activities include sea kayaking in Greece, zip lining in Provence, mozzarella tasting in Puglia and bread baking in Holland.

Duvine Cycling + Adventure Co.

At Playa Cativo Lodge, in Costa Rica’s rainforests on the coasts of Golfo Dulce in the Osa Peninsula, animal lovers and conservation-minded families can enjoy an upscale, full-board, eco-lodge experience. Accessible exclusively by boat, Playa Cativo offers open-air casitas with 360-degree views of the rainforest. Grandparents and grandkids can join guided property hikes with prime access to the Piedras Blancas National Park, home to an estimated 750 species of trees, 140 species of mammals, 367 species of birds (with a number of species endemic to the region), 117 species of reptiles and almost 10,000 species of insects.

Tour and Adventure Center. Photo: Playa Cativo Lodge

Excursions range from dolphin and whale sightseeing excursions to Rio Esquinas Mangrove ocean kayaking. There even is an off-grid Alternative Energy Tour to learn how Playa Cativo Lodge operates at 100 percent clean energy, and a Nocturnal Rainforest Guided expedition for the truly adventurous.

Golfo Dulce biodiversity. Photo: Playa Cativo Lodge

The Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, Massachusetts, is a great way for grandparents to introduce their grandchildren to Colonial history. Home to the Lexington Battle Green, where the American Revolutionary War began, families can explore the 11-mile Minuteman Trail, Walden Pond and historic residences of various literary authors, all located within easy walking distance of the property. The 22-room Inn at Hastings Park also offers afternoon tea, two on-site restaurants and loaner bikes.

Inn at Hastings Park

Or take to the water with Sunsail Sailing Vacations, where grandkids can learn to sail aboard a yacht. Families can pull into tiny ports inaccessible to large cruise ships, and itineraries range from the Mediterranean and the South Pacific to the Caribbean. Experienced grandparents can captain a bareboat Sunsail yacht themselves or book a skippered charter yacht for a vacation of fishing, treasure hunting, kayaking and snorkeling.

Sunsail Greneda. Photo: Sunsail Sailing Vacations