From You’re in trouble now! by Chris & Tracy

Looking to soak up the warm sun this winter? The Caribbean and Mexico offer the quintessential R&R experience, with their plentiful beaches and laid-back atmosphere. This time of the year boasts some of the best tropical weather around, and with the range of accommodations available, you’re sure to find the right fit. This region is quite accessible to both luxury and budget-minded travelers and offers everything from all-inclusive resorts to secluded house rentals to adventure vacation packages.

Here are just a few ideas of great destinations to get you started with your trip planning:

Mexico

Easily reachable from the United States, Mexico offers travelers spectacular beaches, superb snorkeling and scuba diving, colorful markets, historical sites and ruins, and lively cities and villages. If you’re looking for a resort vacation, try Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, or Puerto Vallarta. For the offerings of a metropolis, including amazing museums, you can’t go wrong with Mexico City. And for historic ruins, visit Yucatan, Palenque, Oaxaca, and more.

Tulum is also one of the top spots for ruins. Realtraveler Ericka visited Tulum and wrote about it in her travel blog:

“Enticed by turquoise water, coral reefs and white sand beaches, we opted to spend our first trip to Mexico along the Caribbean coast known as the Mayan Riviera. We wanted a more authentic experience so we ended up staying in the little village of Tulum, just two hours south of Cancun. There’s plenty to do here: Snorkeling, exploring cenotes, visiting ruins or just relaxing on the beach.” (more…)

Acapulco is another vacation favorite, with all the beach holiday features as well as a vibrant nightlife and the endless entertainment of its dare-devil cliff divers. The scuba diving is great here as well, as The Journeyers describe in their blog:

“We of course went SCUBA diving and it was a totally different experience from San Diego. First, the water was like 40 degrees warmer. All we wore were 3mm (vs 7 mm) short suits. No head gear, which actually really sound proofs you. In the naked, the underwater world has its own sounds. The aquatic life was obviously quite different – lots of puffer fish, really a lot. There were also a lot of sea urchins which meant you really had to have your buoyancy under control! We saw lots of other fish, whose names I don’t know but it was really cool!” (more…)

My favorite getaway destination in Mexico is the beautiful and quaint Puerto Vallarta. What used to be a small fishing village has recently become a tourist hot spot, but it has managed to retain its traditional charm, especially in the Zona Romantica. It’s also a fantastic destination for art lovers. Go to my blog, the Puerto Vallarta section in particular, to read my Top 10 list of must-dos for this lovely town.

Resources:

Mexico Travel Guide
Mexico Editors’ Picks
Mexico Travel Deals
Things to Do in Mexico

Caribbean

There are so many incredible Caribbean destinations to choose from, depending on what you’re looking for in a vacation. One trip to this area of the world will guarantee the desire for a return visit. Some great destinations to consider? How about Aruba, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and the Domincan Republic — just to name a few at the beginning of the alphabet!

Here’s a couple more ideas to get you inspired:

Costa Rica

You won’t just find soft golden beaches here, but also lush tropical rainforests, active volcanoes, incredible hiking, and some of the best surfing, snorkeling, and diving sites in the world. Whether you’re seeing relaxation or adventure, you’ll find it in Costa Rica. It’s a country also known for its efforts in conservation; wildlife lovers can observe countless birds, sea turtles, and other jungle animals during their stay. Jungle treks and canopy zipline tours are popular attractions here.

During their trip to Costa Rica, Jennie and David made the journey to the park, and found it to be one of their favorite destinations:

“One of my very favourite places in Costa Rica is Tortuguero National Park, a maze of canals and jungle on the Caribbean Sea Coast. Dubbed by some as ‘the Amazon of Costa Rica’, the only means of transport in the park is by boat along the canals or by very small plane. After a bumpy, dusty bus ride along farm roads to the main canal, we traveled by boat, a 2 hour fast ride to the village of Tortuguero and our home away from home, Tortuga Lodge.” (more…)

Read ddbartley’s blog Costa Rica 2006 for more ideas and an inspiring itinerary.

British Virgin Islands

Made up of over 50 islands scattered throughout the Caribbean Sea, BVI is the perfect place for getting away from it all. WorldAdventureMan highly recommends a visit to the small island of Jost Van Dyke:

“Whether you are staying in a private villa, one of the guesthouses or just visiting the famous Soggy Dollar bar the white sand beaches will warm your soul and the lapping of the warm turquoise waters will massage you cares away. If you happen to be lucky enough to be on the island for the party at New Years, you are in for a nightlife treat. It is on this night every year that the island turns into one of the hottest spots in the Caribbean to ring in the New Year. With live bands, fantastic food and drink flowing like water you’re sure to have a good time. Make sure to find a good cool place to stash your private bottle (a $20 to the bartender will find you a private icebox storage) of Veuve-Cliquot bough at a much cheaper price from the duty free shop on your way through St. John’s or Tortola. Then as the magic new years hour arrives, retrieve your chilled bubbly and retreat to the beach with that special someone…” (more…)

Resources:

Caribbean Travel Guide
Caribbean Travel Map
Caribbean Travel Deals
Top Spots in the Caribbean
Grand Caymans