Just like I did after we got home last year, I immediately began thinking about and researching where we might like to go on a tropical vacation next winter.
Here’s my shortlist of destinations (but not hotels – though I’ve started that list too!) so far:
1. Isla Mujeres
– both times we’ve gone there on day trips from Cancun, Isla Mujeres has been the highlight of our entire week. So why not stay there for the entire week? Plus Isla Mujeres is fairly touristy but still retains some rustic, rural, authentic charm that you’ll never get in Cancun or Playa del Carmen. It reminds me of one of our other absolute places on earth – if Cancun is Honolulu, Isla Mujeres is like Kauai (which is perhaps our favourite place we’ve ever been!)
2. Puerto Vallarta
We haven’t been to the Pacific coast since our first all-inclusive and never to Puerto Vallarta which many people we know rave about. In all honesty, going to the Pacific coast is probably a good way to save a bit of money as well since resorts on that side tend to be cheaper than Cancun/Mayan options.
3. Huatulco
A place I rarely heard of until recently but which is now a very popular destination. Everyone mentions how much hotter it is than other places in Mexico – maybe low 30’s instead of high 20’s on average?
4. Dominican Republic
We’ve only been once but it was one of our best trips/resorts ever so would be good to go back. We did the main area of Punta Cana but La Romana sounds interesting.
5. Cuba
Pretty much the same reason as the Dominican – we’ve only been twice but have enjoyed it both times (Shea says Iberostar Varadero was one of her top resorts of all-time). Trade-off is resorts in Cuba that tend to be just a bit “less” of everything due to lack of supplies and supply lines – food not quite as good, pools that may turn green if the resort runs out of chlorine, minimal wifi, stuff like that.
6.Mayan Riviera
We’ve really shied away from options in the Mayan with reports of horrible seaweed but there are lots of great resorts with all kinds of unique offerings that might convince us to return.
7. Playa Mujeres
I think this is also another relatively new area north of Cancun with only a few resorts so far. But might be worth a try for something new/different.
8. Jamaica
One of the few places you can get direct flights to from Regina (along with Mexico, Cuba and Dominican) but the only one of those four we’ve never been to at all.
9. Holbox Island
Another island near Cancun, this one is perhaps even less touristy than Isla Mujeres.
10. Cancun (again)
This is last on my list but given the variety of options, the price points available, proximity to the airport for the hotel zone and the overall decent beaches, I could see us ending up somewhere in Cancun again next year.
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