A morning on the pristine beach under waving palm trees. A buffet lunch, with vast tables of salads, vegetables, seafood, hot sliced meats. An afternoon of water sports, tennis, aerobics, or circus stunts such as leaping from the flying trapeze. And all the drinks you can manage. All for 49 Euros, or $62.

 A ìjourneeî (day) at a tropical Club Med has become a viable and entertaining alternative for vacationers. Unless you are already staying at an all-inclusive, a lunch and afternoon can be most pleasantly and economically spent ìau Club.î I have done a number of such adventures, and they come in price ranges and timing to fit most agendas: the day, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., including lunch, costs 49 Euros ($62.34) per adult, E 31 for teens ($39.44) and E 24 for children under 12 ($30.53) on weekdays, E 54 ($68.70), E 42 ($53.43) and E 31 ($39.44) on weekends; the evening, 6:30 p.m.-closing of disco, including dinner, E 40 per adult ($50.89) , E 42 ($53.43) for teens and E 31 ($39.44) for children under 12; and the late night, 11:30 p.m. onwards, E 40 for adults ($50.89) (www.clubmed.com).

 When it started, Club Méditerranée was an ingenious solution to the singles vacation. Amid an atmosphere of decadence, it required communal meals at large tables (everyone had to use the familiar ìtu,î unheard of for the formal French) and it made introductions easy ó on the tennis court, in the windsurfing lesson or at the circus, where patrons learn various highflying tricks showcased late in the week. Rooms were Spartan: narrow single beds, no view or balcony to speak of, and a bunk mate if you arrived alone. The focus was on the public places: meeting people, doing activities, drinking, and dancing at the late-night disco. The resorts operated on two premises: That single people wanted to meet others like them, and that they wanted to know what to expect from their resort.

  In the new millennium, the former may not be a primary mission, but the latter continues to operate. The ascetic accommodations are gradually being phased out, and most Club Meds now cater to families, offering considerable advantages for those with children.

And the clubs have a loyal following among aging Boomers, faithful to the decadent memories but firm in their preference for the atmosphere Club Med has to offer. During a recent visit to Buccaneer's Creek on the Caribbean island of Martinique , this faithfulness was abundantly evident. (For more about this island, check out www.martinique.org.) That club is on the verge of a 17-month closure for upgrading (and believe me, it is needed ó when was the last time you paid $200 per person a night for a room with a linoleum floor?) and regulars were distraught about next year's vacation. I suggested that they might visit Guadeloupe , where to me the club is almost identical ó both are on a French island, an hour's flight apart; both in fact are in a town called Sainte Anne (the French imperialists were not very original in their choice of names).   Oh no, came the response. Nothing could replace ìLes Buccaniers.î Unless it were a Club Med in Africa, one distraught couple suggested.

The club with which I am most familiar is the one on Guadeloupe, called Caravelle. (Look to future columns for a more thorough discussion of this charming yet occasionally difficult vacation island, and check out www.guadeloupe-fr.com.) At the quiet resort where I stay, only breakfast and tennis are included in the litany of opportunities available at ìLe Clubî practically next door. I do a lot of my own cooking, and purchase every drop of alcohol. Escape for a day or an evening to Caravelle can be an entertaining alternative.  You still have to talk your way in. The guards are used to the old days when clubs were fiercely guarded, only admitting a select few. After some conversation, however, you will be ushered to the front desk where they imprint your credit card and entwine your wrist in the signature bracelet that gives access to everything from beach chairs to free drinks at the bar.

 If you're just doing the ìjourneeî (day), you now have the run of the place. My favorite thing is tennis, so I try to go on Tuesdays when there are mixed doubles and I get a chance to meet some likeminded friends. I've also had some stellar tennis lessons at Club Med, the most recent at Buccaneer's Creek, where I spent the night. Max, the tennis pro, gave the clearest explanation of a serve I have ever seen, and had us all improving.

 If you have time to stay a little longer, Club Med offers wonderful diving in some of the best-equipped boats I've seen in resort sites not dedicated to diving. The facilities at Sonora Bay in Mexico, and Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, include tanks already on the boat (no need to tote your own, as happens so often with tropical dive providers); the opportunity for giant stride entry, rather than the nervous-making backwards roll off the side of the boat; easy-off, easy-on decks and ladders; and a pipe hung 15 feet below where divers can take their rest stops comfortably. You will also be offered plenty of water and fruit punch laced with rum as you relax after your beautiful underwater experience.

  You can also take out a sailboat for as long or as short as you want (no keeping an eye on the watch, as when you rent by the half-hour); take a windsurfing lesson; play volleyball.

Or you can simply lie on the beach. As an early comer to the tropical resort business, Club Med has snarfed up some of the best beaches on many locations. That is certainly true in Guadeloupe , where the club occupies arguably the best beach on the eastern part of the island, a pristine sweep of white protected from the often fierce winds and with a rocky spar that affords entertaining snorkeling. In Cancun , the club has claimed the beautiful point behind which other resorts must huddle, and in Martinique , the quiet bay with its two scalloped beaches outshines many other such spots.

 The meals are far from gourmet, but the food is abundant and varied. As a vegetarian, I delight in the many salad options and vegetables undrenched with sauce, sugar, glazing or any of those other calorie-inducing ways vegetables can be diluted. There are also many seafood options, as well as chicken and meat.

While in the minds of many Americans, Club Med is associated with decadent sex, actually the company has worked hard to change its image. Culture has made it change If you, as I do, you often vacation in a setting where every sailboat ride and every meal must be paid for separately, a day of Club Med's current blend of athleticism and self-indulgence in food and drink against a beautiful natural backdrop can be a highlight.  Happy Traveling!

You may e-mail me at:

EGraham@photoandtravel.com