My husband and I were going to have one last vacation before we try for the second kid and were planning on Jamaica in May.
We would drop the kid off at the grandparent’s house in MI and then head down to Jamaica (we were thinking Hedonism 3 ) for a week.
My Mother just informed me that although they were planning on coming out to visit in April for a week, my sister actually has 2.5 weeks off and they would be happy to extend their time HERE so we could go somewhere w/o the added expense or hassle of dropping ToddlerNym off in MI. Sounds good to us!
Mr. Duhnym want’s to drink and have sex. I want to SCUBA and possibly see some ruins along with drinking and sex.
Having never been south of Tijuana, I have no idea where to start looking so am looking to the teeming millions for some good advice.
I’ll even throw in a t-shirt to the person with the suggestion we use. Go to it folks!
Have you thought of Cozumel? It has a wide range of accommedations, from hotels in town to all-inclusive resorts where you would never have to leave the premises if you didn’t want to. It’s easy and cheap to get there (at least from Texas) and the diving is excellent. You could see ruins on day trips to the mainland.
Robinson club Tulum is close to Tulum (20 mins)and Coba (40 mins) (two ruins) and about 30 minutes south of the mainland ferry to Cozumel and shares a beach with Xpu-ha, which is now an ‘eco-preserve’ and has some very nice reefs for snorkling.
Scuba, I’m not sure of, though I’ve heard Cozumel has some good reefs for scubaing.
If you prefer a more natural setting, I would avoid the resorts around Playa del Carmen like the plague…it’s very built up and you have to dodge people trying to sell time-shares in condos all the time. Puerto Aventuras is good for people who like to boat, but the beaches are so-so.
I’ve only been there once, and it was a while ago and I was like 14, but I’d have to second Cozumel. A lot of ruins that are worth seeing are within a day’s travel from there.
A funny side note–the day we got there and checked into the hotel, one of the hotel guide types was giving a schpiel about what there was to do in the area. We asked him where we could go snorkeling, and he proceeded to talk for 10 minutes on all the places you could go to “make a schnerkel”. That’s exactly how he said it… not snorkeling, not “go snorkeling”, but “make a scherkel”. Heehee!
Well, Demo and I did Cabo San Lucas last May, and while there were not any ruins that I saw, the drinking and ummmm, other activites, were aplenty. We did some Scuba diving there and it was just incredible.
Well, actually, we snorkeled, not SCUBA’d, hon. But, it was fantastic, everything you could want for a vacation. If your husband is a fisherman, Cabo San Lucas is the best spot is the world for Marlin fishing. The beaches are incredible, the entertainment was wacky and fun and the food was amazing. The only thing better than the food was the company. Also, this has not become so much of a resort town that the “evil people” are lured in, if you know what I mean. I always felt completely safe there, even at 4 am.
BTW, where are you going in Jamaica? I spent a week in Montego Bay in '99. I could make some reccomendations for there, too.
Me gusta mucho Mexico y puedo offerarte mis consejos sin hesitacion.
The Lonely Planet guide also recommends Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Isla Mujeres, La Paz, Puerto Vallarta, Veracruz and Xcalak.
Cozumel is somewhat close to the Mayan ruins which are nice. It has good scuba. Hell, most of the beaches between Cancun and Tulum have good scuba. Isla Mujeres has a cave where you can see a sleeping shark.
A very cool place, though is Akumal (km 255 from Cancun to Tulum). Also on the Yucatan coast, it features the Spanish galleon Mantacero which divers can explore. It sank in 1741. Its still pretty close to Cozumel. You could day trip from there.
I know you’re on a tight budget, so consider the Hotel Flamingo at Calle 6 and Norte 81 in Cozumel, exceptional value for US $20-35 a night. Or splurge, and stay at the Sol Cabanas del Caribe (ph. 2-01-61, fax 2-15-99) which caters to divers and is slightly pricier. Be sure to dine at Pepe’s Grill.
I have no idea if there is any Diving to be had, but I had a wonderful time in Playa Blanca on the west coast of Mexico. Lots of day trips along the coast for those inclined. I spent most of my time drinking cervesas and swinging in a hammock strung between two palm trees. Bliss I tell ya.
) for a week.