So, the kid and I have decided to hit up a beach vacay next summer ('23). Beach getaways were a pretty regular thing while she was growing up, and it will have been five years since we've done one next summer. We had decided we were going to hit up an active retreat in Utah complete with spa treatments and all that stuff, right up until I went to Mexico a few months back and sent her pics of the beach I was at which brought her to the decision that Utah can wait because she missed the beach so much. With that agreement out of the way, we have to decide WHICH beach to go enjoy. We both want to discover somewhere new, so that rules out Mexico, Jamaica, Bahamas, and the Dominican. I was eyeballing Aruba, one of the Saint islands (Lucia, Kitt, Maarten, Thomas), the Caymans, or maybe the Virgin Islands. All of these sound pricey on the surface, so I would love to hear some advice and stories of where you've traveled to go with the good and bad of the places!
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I have been to Cozumel, Costa Rica (Pacific Side), Cabo, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
My favorite place so far and we have been 3 times is Isla Mujeres. A little island off the coast of Cancun. Fly into Cancun and ferry over and stay on the island. Its not well known so its not real busy and I cant think of a bad thing to say about it.
The price is excellent.
This is where we stay at-
https://www.privilegehotels.com/en/isla-mujeres/
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Originally Posted by el borracho:
Turks and Caicos, the Cayman Islands and St Lucia are meant to be some of the best beaches in the Caribbean.
Cuba has some great beaches but might be difficult to navigate if you don't speak Spanish. Also have to be flexible on amenities... outside of Havana things get scarce.
Tobago has some great beaches as well but it will take more time to get there and it is pretty low on shopping/ nightlife. You could probably split time between Trinidad (more developed) and Tobago (less developed).
I would take Roatan and Utila off the list if you wish to lay out on the beach. The sand flies will eat you up.
Somebody mentioned the Corn Islands. The beaches are ok but these are small islands with very little going on.
I would also take Bonaire off the list for a beach vacation. Some of the best scuba in the Caribbean but the beaches are crushed coral- not sand.
Cuba was a very interesting place, politics aside. If our government ever ends the blockade, it will take awhile to build up the infrastructure to support the amount of tourists that will visit. Right now Canadians are the largest group of tourists theat visit the island.
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