Anyone been to Mexico/Central America?

[timber09]

After some discussion and financial planning - I have decided to take my wife to somewhere warm and beachy for three or four nights in October for our 10th wedding anniversary.

I have never made the trip south so looking for any feedback anyone has to good spots to go - pretty much everything is in play that is a reasonable flight out of Seattle.

We have done The Bahamas and a couple islands on Hawaii so likely won't be going back to those spots but everything else is open for discussion. Ideally, we will lay by the beach and sip umbrella drinks for a couple of days with a couple outdoor activities (hiking, zipline, snorkling, etc) thrown in the mix.

Let me know what good spots you have found and/or what good deals are out there.

Thanks!
Joe

 

[99goals]

I have been to cancun. Was really nice but we got stuck by accident at a time share full of people over 60 years old. It was nice but id suggest a much nicer place without those in need of defib kits under every lawn chair.

 

[cburt]

A few years back, my wife and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We got a really good deal, all-inclusive at a resort there. It was a lot of fun. But I'd advise Americans and Canadians to proceed with caution there. My experience was a good one, but if you look at the stats over the past 5 years of Americans and Canadians that have been murdered there, I'd say it isn't the safest place to go. Now you can chalk up some of those deaths to the partying, drunk, obnoxious types poking their noses into places they shouldn't, but there are just too many deaths to count them all to those kind of examples. How many times have you heard this - American/Canadian falls off balcony to his death? Or how about this one - Am./Can. murdered in their vacation condo.? Mexico has a lot to offer and is a beautiful country, but I won't be going back anytime soon. Their justice system is a joke there, and police corruption abounds. It seems like you can simply murder a tourist there and get away with it. Try DR or Cuba. I've heard a lot of great things from Cuba and it is very safe. Good luck, my two-cents.

cburt

 

[BravesFan4Life]

I went several years back to Puerto Penasco, Mexico. Very nice except for the drive from the border in, a little sketch. If you avoid looking like a tourist with money(that is if you have money, etc) then you should be ok. Give no one any reason to try anything and you are ok. Since you are flying should be less problems then driving.

 

[hawkeenut]

I've been to Mexico many times, always the Miyan Riviera, no problems there, although we never leave the resort only to go to the airport, lol.
I've been to Cuba quite a few times, I would say it is safer but I know Cuba doesn't think very highly of Americans. Do your research and have a GREAT and SAFE time!!

 

[Matches]

Went to Belize for our forestry class trip in 2002 and loved it. We traveled around the mainland for a week, then spent a week on the Cates. If you go around the beginning of May you snorkel/scuba dive with whale sharks.

 

[rferrier]

For Mexico, my wife and I really enjoyed the Mayan Riviera (specifically the Bahia Principe properties) with great excursions such as: Mayan ruins (Chichen Itza and/or Tulum), Scuba diving, and Xel-ha natural aquarium for snorkelers.

But our favourite place to go is Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (been to the Bahia property four times now and would go back in a heartbeat, maybe when the kids are a little older)
The price for 1 or 2 weeks is hard to beat, white sandy beaches with lots of beach umbrellas to get as much or as little sun as you desire.
Also great excursions such as sugar cane and tobacco tours, some great cigars that rival Cuba, great diving off Catalina Island, and night life on resort at the Pueblo Principe (if that's your bag).

 

[pwag31]

For Mexico, my wife and I really enjoyed the Mayan Riviera (specifically the Bahia Principe properties) with great excursions such as: Mayan ruins (Chichen Itza and/or Tulum), Scuba diving, and Xel-ha natural aquarium for snorkelers.

My wife and I went to the Mayan Riveria for our honeymoon and loved it. Great white sand beaches, clear water and lots of heat and humidity. Highly recommend Xel-ha, we both really enjoyed our day there.

Paul

 

[Triple B]

I've been to Mexico four times. Cancun for our honeymoon, Mayan Riviera twice and was bored out of my ****ing skull in Cozumel for 24 hours.

Cancun is a great place if you're into partying and staying up late. The kids head there for their vacation and it tends to get loud. Downtown Cancun is pretty lively too and if you're going, I highly recommend checking out the night life.

The Mayan Riviera is more for the adults. Beautiful beaches and all of the resorts are a nice walk to Playa Del Carmen, which is a wonderful town with some very cool restaurants and shops. I'd prefer to go here than to Cancun, personally, mainly because it's a little more laid back.

Cozumel is for people with no pulse. I don't know why anyone would want to go there.

 

[TanguayFan]

If you're only going for a few days, make it worth your while and rent a condo or vacation home somewhere like Turks and Caicos , Virgin Islands or Barbados. I've been to Cancun and loved it, but it will completely depend on the resort you go to, and what you plan to do offsite. And given the troubles there over the last few years, not sure if I would do Cancun again, although the eastern side of Mexico seems to be safer than the western coast. My friends sister was assaulted and beaten at a 5 star resort in Mazatlan this time last year, so you have to be wary.

Cuba and the Dominican? You couldn't pay me to take a trip to either of those places.

 

[chadsexington]

Cozumel is for people with no pulse. I don't know why anyone would want to go there.

Isn't it just a tourist trap built and maintained by cruise ship companies?

Joe, I've been to Costa Rica and Panama. Panama wasn't that great of a vacation-ish style place, though some of the sights in old Panama City are really cool. Costa Rica was significantly more relaxing and vacation-ish.

The only trouble you might run into going farther than Mexico is that your travel times are basically a day there, and a day back, so if you're only going for 3-4 days...most of it is eaten up in transit. I think it's a 5 hour flight from Vancouver to Cancun, so it'd be what... 4 1/2 hours for you guys? :duh:

 

[timber09]

The only trouble you might run into going farther than Mexico is that your travel times are basically a day there, and a day back, so if you're only going for 3-4 days...most of it is eaten up in transit. I think it's a 5 hour flight from Vancouver to Cancun, so it'd be what... 4 1/2 hours for you guys? :duh:

Travel time is really a big thing that I am considering at the moment - I would rather fly four-ish hours to Cabo and spend four days than waste a day on both ends to fly to Puerto Rico or something.

I have been thinking a great deal about Costa Rica or Belize but not sure I want to commit that kind of travel yet.

Thanks for all the ideas - anyone with specific resort feedback or recommendarions is welcomed as well.