# Where should I vacation in the Carribean/Mexico/South America? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 9, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086 "2005-05-09T17:45:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/1 "2005-05-09T17:45:27Z")
Mother has informed me we will be going on a tropical beach vacation sometime before September, and she wants me to do the recon. I am hoping you well-travelled dopers can recommend places for me to go, or places for me to NOT go. I’m not looking for specific hotels as much as which country/city. What I like: Easy-access snorkelling with clear water and pretty fish Nature trails National parks Pretty scenery Horseback riding Kayaking/rafting Beaches with warm water Biking Sailing (not me sailing, to pay other people to sail while I drink beer and throw cheese to the seagulls) Ruins Excellent food A nice little touristy shopping spot for milling about in the evening I have already been to Aruba, Guatemala, Puerta Vallarta and Cancun, so I’m looking for someplace different. I heard Costa Rica has nice snorkelling but that’s all I know about it. So tell me your vacation stories and recommendations! ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/2 "2005-05-09T22:25:21Z")
Have you considered Brazil? You might especially like northeastern Brazil. While there aren’t any ruins, there’s quite a bit of colonial architecture. Plenty of snorkeling, sailing, gorgeous beaches, and other outdoor stuff. I recommend a visit to Rio de Janeiro (which isn’t in the northeast) to just about everyone. It’s loads of fun. And it somehow manages to be very tourist-friendly without being a city-sized tourist trap. (There are tourist traps to be had there if you want them, though.) I’ve heard nice things about Puerto Plata, in the Dominican Republic. I’ve only been to Santo Domingo, though, which is also interesting and has places of historical and touristic interest. Oh, and there are some fun beach/resort places in the south coast of the island, though they’re not as spectacular as I’ve heard the north coast places are. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/3 "2005-05-09T22:34:02Z")
Oh, and I forgot to mention that Rio has a national park right in the middle of the city. You could spend one day on the beach at Ipanema or Copacabana and the next in the forest. Rio’s very hilly, and you can go tandem hangliding over the forest and the beach. That’s 10 minutes of pure soaring ecstasy. Trust me on this. I’ve also heard that the countryside surrounding Rio is gorgeous. There are a couple of resort towns–Parati comes to mind–that are famous in Brazil for their beauty. I haven’t gone to Parati or to Teresopolis (a town in the hills outside of Rio), but I’ve heard they’re marvellous. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/4 "2005-05-10T03:29:18Z")
Here’s a post I made in the [Help me go somewhere in the Caribbean](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=295139) thread. My top pick for you would be Antigua, though the ruins are colonial-era rather than ancient, and there’s not much in the way of nature trails. Not sure about the cycling. And hey, you could have a mini-dopefest with what’s-her-name, the doper from Antigua. Second pick would be the BVI. I know very little about Mexico, but I can say from experience that Puerto Vallarta was fine, but the snorkelling wasn’t as easy-access as some of the caribbean islands. * * * I lived in the Caribbean for about 2 years, and visited a few of the islands. In no particular order: St. Kitts: This is where my home was. Good - Nice rainforest and crater hikes, good shore-entry snorkeling if you know where to look. Brimstone Hill is a world-heritage listed colonial fortress that’s extremely impressive if you like that sort of thing. Best place on the island is Ottley’s Plantation Inn, it’s gorgeous. Bad - Surly locals who technically speak english but manage to be incomprehensible anyway. High crime. Populated areas are dirty. Most places the food is only okay. Overall - I wouldn’t recommend it. Nevis: Part of St. Kitts Good - Can ferry to St. Kitts for a buck or two. Locals are much friendlier. Where Admiral Lord Nelson married his wife. Bad - Still a part of St. Kitts, and not that much to do there. Overall: Lady Di used to stay on Nevis. I don’t know why. Saba: A tiny rock in the ocean. Good - world class scuba diving, good food, locals are very friendly, and absolutely zero crime. Many places don’t even have locks on the doors. Has good hiking, though everything on the island is steep. Bad - Absolutely zero night life, climate isn’t that warm, and no beaches. Not one. Overall: Great if you like scuba, hiking, and nothing else. St. Maarten: Playground for the rich Good: Lots of nice beaches, plenty of food, shopping and nightlife, clothing optional beaches. Bad: Very built-up, with giant hotels. Overall: Incredibly touristy. If that’s your thing, then this is the place for you. Statia, also known as St. Eustatius Good - apparently has a nice crater at one end. Bad - Major oil terminal, and from the air the island looks like a junkyard. Overall: I spent about 10 minutes on Statia. It was enough. Antigua, home to Sailing Week Good: The best food I have ever eaten was on this island. There are lots of resorts around the island, and plenty of nice beaches. It’s home to Nelson’s Dockyard (ie English Harbour) which is a lovely colonial era park and working marina. I stayed in the Copper&LumberStores hotel, a colonial era building within Nelson’s Dockyard; very romantic and wonderful for a naval history buff like me. Best restaurant is Le Bistro, but there are plenty of fine eating establishments; the suckling pig at Abracadabra springs to mind. Snorkeling is good. Near to Barbuda, a major seabird colony. Snorkeling was good, and kayaking fun too. There are plenty of activities, mostly involving the ocean. Bad: Mostly flat. Has only one tiny bit of rainforest. St. Johns is a bit crapulous. Overall: I enjoyed the place, especially all the historical ruins and the fabulous food. Grenada, where they actually liked me Good: Grenada is the only place I’ve ever seen pro-US graffiti. Apparently the locals are all pretty happy that Reagan put down the communist coup, and it was weirdly refreshing to have people say again and again “We love americans.” The major town is full of small, twisty streets and felt cozy and european. There were some colonail-era forts to check out. Decent beaches. Bad: Restaurants seemed a bit hit-or-miss. Overall: A fun place. didn’t get to spend enough time there. British Virgin Islands Good: Good food, lovely beaches, good snorkelling and boating. People are friendly. The Baths on Virgin Gorda are worth checking out if you like granite boulders on the sea shore. Just get there before the 9am tourist buses. Bad: The water and phone went out at my hotel and the owner said it was my own fault and refused to do anything about it. I doubt that’s the norm, though. Overall: Worth visiting; would happily go there again. Grand Cayman, financial center Good: Nice beaches, first world amenities Bad: Totally flat, built up, and touristy. Overall: I spent only a day here, but I have no urge to return. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/5 "2005-05-10T14:06:04Z")
Tulum, Mexico is right up your alley Easy access (about 80 miles south of Cancun) National parks Mayan ruins Scuba and snorkeling Hiking Everything else you listed ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/6 "2005-05-10T14:17:12Z")
**Senkgelat** already linked to my thread, but I’d like to say that only the dutch side of St-Martin caters to the casino/nightlife set. The French side of the island is more relaxed and has some of the best food _anywhere_. Hiking trails were little used and it was somewhat difficult to find the trailheads. The beaches were great, and I got in my fair share of kayaking. ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/7 "2005-05-10T14:21:56Z")
> [@plnnr](#): > > Tulum, Mexico is right up your alley Ooh, Tulum! Yeah, Tulum is lovely. The beaches are truly gorgeous. I should have thought of this. Tulum is right near the Si’an Ka’an Bioreserve, too. I didn’t go there because the trips were out of my price range, and you really can’t go there and hang out for free. But, then again, I did the student budget backpacking thing. Your wallet may be a little better stocked than mine was. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/8 "2005-05-10T14:39:41Z")
I’ll add another voice to the Tulum chorus. I’d also recommend looking into Belize. There are places that are close to scuba diving and other water sports on Ambergris Caye. There is also a wonderful resort in the interior of the country near some ruins, unfortunalty I can’t remember the name of the resort or the ruins, I’ll look at my notes when I get home. If you want all the things listed in your OP, pretty much Mexico is really your only bet. You can find all of that stuff near Tulum and Chichen Itza. There is lots of cool stuff to see and do in south america, but you won’t find (most likely) all the things you are looking for. If you do, please let me know 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2005, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/9 "2005-05-10T15:42:56Z")
I’m thinking if you’ve “done” Cancun then Tulum would give you a severe case of the déja-vus. Just to further muddy the waters how about Venezuela? (although my first thought I admit was Costa Rica - lovely littel place which should fit all your “activity” needs.) It depends how long you’ve got but you could try to get a deal (possible to purchase in Caracas) which includes a day or two on the Los Roques - a group of coral islands and a few days down in the forest area of Canaima where you can walk behind waterfalls and the like; the flight will go via Angel Falls. I think the area up in the north east is here you’d head for horse riding. [Here](http://www.think-venezuela.net/english/w_nationalparks.htm) are details of the national parks. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/10 "2005-05-11T02:23:53Z")
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! These sound like great places. South American is definitely a possibility, particuarly since I’ve never been; but it would be a long flight. I will be there a week. We’re using my grandmother’s time-share thingy so I’ll need a few options for location; last time every place we wanted was booked, and for some of the smaller areas there are less than half a dozen possible hotels. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/11 "2005-05-11T02:26:13Z")
I’ve not been there myself but I believe that Costa Rica has all or most of the items on your list. ---
**Author:** ![Atrael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Atrael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atrael)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/12 "2005-05-12T19:00:30Z")
I’d give a second thought to Cancun if I was you. I’m not sure how many times you’ve been there, but there is so much to see and do that’s within a day’s drive that I can’t believe you’ve done it all. Around Cancun itself, tons of snorkling/diving things. I know there’s at least one [horseback](http://www.thereservationcenter.com/body.asp?tour=CUN-HR001&page=TourDetails&sc=159&City=Cancun) ridding tour. There’s one of my favorites [BOB](http://www.cancunbob.com/) which I thought had all the good parts of diving without having to learn how. There’s Tulum just an hour or two south with more snorkling, and I know of at least one [place where you can snorkel inside a cenote](http://www.hiddenworlds.com.mx/). For ruins there’s [Tulum](http://www.tulum.com/), [Coba](http://www.mayasites.com/coba.html) (which I think gives you the best “still in the jungle” feel), [Chichen Itza of course](http://www.mayasites.com/chichen.html), and if you feel like staying out that way an extra day in Merida (my wife and I did that on one trip. Very interesting Colonial feel to the town, plus every Sunday there’s a big street party), you can hit the sites along the Puuc route: [Uxmal](http://www.mayasites.com/uxmal.html),[Labna](http://www.mayasites.com/labna.html), and [Kabah](http://www.mayasites.com/kabah.html). The Yucatan region of Mexico I think gives you the best bang for your buck as far as what to see/do. If you just want to lay on the beach you can easily do that at accomodations from 5 start don’t-even-have-to-put-my-own-suntan-lotion-on, to more quiet quaint places down the coast closer to the BioSphere Reserve. Tons of water activities in Cancun, and Cozumel isn’t that far away. Good food, both american, or local if you’re feeling adventerouse. Driving through some of the local villages, and seeing how they live also was a very moving experience, plus we picked up some very cool suveniers. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@The\_Hook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hook)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/13 "2005-05-12T19:55:35Z")
> [@Gaudere](#): > > I heard Costa Rica has nice snorkelling but that’s all I know about it. Because I live there… uh, here, I think I can answer some of these: Easy-access snorkelling with clear water and pretty fish **Yes.** Nature trails **Big Yes.** National parks **Lots of yes.** Pretty scenery **As long as it’s not a city, then another yes.** Horseback riding **Not exactly our thing, but yes… it depends on where, but lots of tour packages offer this option.** Kayaking/rafting **You bet.** Beaches with warm water **Standard accommodations, I presume.** Biking **Yes.** Sailing (not me sailing, to pay other people to sail while I drink beer and throw cheese to the seagulls) **Ok, no seagulls, but there _is_ surfing!** Ruins **Well… no. The “oldest” would be a Church that has a couple of hundred years. There is nothing cool, Indy Jones style.** Excellent food **I dunno.** A nice little touristy shopping spot for milling about in the evening. **Yes, there are numerous rip-off centers that will accommodate your needs.** 😃 We also have [this](http://www.costaricacanyoning.com/) and canopy, a sport invented by Tarzan in his teenage years. 😛 We have volcanoes (the three types: boring, regular, and lava fresh). Our health care system is as backwards as it can get; any medical assistance of importance must be attended regardless of nationality or “cash at hand” and it will not cost you thousands of dollars. Most people who come here like what they see and what they get. David Hasselhof, Kevin Bacon, and Mel Gibson can’t be wrong! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-should-i-vacation-in-the-carribean-mexico-south-america/303086/14 "2005-05-12T20:25:57Z")
We are cruising to Cozumel this year, and I have found that [Xcaret](http://www.xcaret.com/indexxc.php) looks like a fabulous place to visit.