The best spring break, for every type of traveler

If every person were to create a textbook definition of the phrase “spring break,” you would end up with many different variations indeed. Some of us think of it as a time for unwinding, others consider it a time for revelry while others consider it an ideal week for family bonding. No matter where you fall on the spring break spectrum, we have the perfect getaway for you. Here are 8 ideal spring break vacations for every type of traveler.

Also: 7 things you can only do in the Yucatan.

Flamenco Beach

If all you care about is the postcard perfect beach…

If we say the words ‘spring break’ and the first thing you picture in your mind is a sun-drenched strip of powder white sand, ringed with palm trees and facing turquoise blue waters, then get yourself to gorgeous Flamenco Beach in Culebra, a tiny island that is part of Puerto Rico. Set in a horseshoe-shaped bay stretching for a full mile, this gorgeous beach is good for swimming, diving and even camping. It’s also amenity rich including lifeguard stations and kiosks selling food, clothing and beach gear. And if you’ve never spent time in lovely Puerto Rico, you don’t know what you’re missing.

New Orleans

If you’re on a budget…

Even affordable getaways like coastal Florida and Myrtle Beach know that spring break is primo time for jacking up hotel rates. But if it’s an affordable getaway you’re looking for and can sacrifice beach time consider New Orleans. Perhaps the most unique city in all of North America, NOLA in March offers balmy temps, affordable hotel rates and is absent the crush of party goers who takeover Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras. But if it’s a spring break vibe you seek, consider that the booze flows freely 24/7, the food is amazing and there are pools aplenty for working on tan lines.

Palm Springs

If you’re looking to get away from the crowds…

The trouble with finding true privacy is that one usually has to fly to some remote island in the South Pacific to do so, but not so in convenient and approachable sunny Palm Springs, a desert retreat a mere 90 miles east of Los Angeles. It’s not that Palm Springs is empty this time of year—quite the opposite in fact—it’s that this desert oasis has always put an emphasis on privacy. Indeed, teensy and intimate low-key resorts are the norm and the most frenzied visitors to this inland paradise get is the occasional stroll down charming Palm Canyon Drive or an early game of morning golf.

Cancun

If what thrills you the most are beer bongs and wet t-shirt contests…

If your biggest goal in life is to get crazy at a beachfront foam party at Señor Frog’s, oh boy do we have the perfect vacation destination for you! Although many spring break cities are popular with the collegiate set, Cancun, Mexico continues to be a coed paradise thanks to its promise of cheap vacation packages, endless  sunny days and a legal drinking age of just 18. Pool parties, nightclubs, beach bumming and beer bongs await in this sun-drenched paradise, just remember that when shedding inhibitions, try to have the good sense not to shed your keen judgement, as well.

Lanai

If you want to live the luxe life…

If your idea of a spring fling means getting away from it all and spending a week being pampered by doting hotel staff, getting massaged under the stars, dining with ocean waves lapping at your feat and being handed a cocktail every time your glass reaches empty, then get yourself to Lanai, the least populated of the inhabited Hawaiian islands. So exclusive is this former pineapple exporter that accommodations are few and far between but the island does boast both a palm tree-studded Four Seasons oceanfront resort and also the luxurious and inland Four Seasons Lodge at Koele.

Destin

If you want to spend quality time with the kids…

Don’t let the raucous tomfoolery of Panama City fool you into thinking the Florida panhandle has been handed over entirely to the millennial generation. Instead, drive another 60 miles west to Destin, the crown jewel of the Emerald Coast and home to a dozen sugary white sand beaches,  cheap and cheerful seafood shacks and family-friendly attractions galore including Big Kahuna’s water theme park, Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park and go-kart paradise the Track among others. Just remember, the Florida panhandle is cool in winter so if it’s beach time you seek wait until at least mid-March.

South Beach

If you want to sip the best tropical drinks in the world…

There’s not a spring break destination on earth that doesn’t dole out margaritas, pina coladas and rum punches by the bucketful, but for the cocktail connoisseur insistent upon a warm weather getaway that also delivers the highest quality libations one simply must get to South Beach. An upscale beach destination since its revitalization in the 90s, there is no dearth of high-end hotels and bars in which to imbibe perfection including sainted places like the Drawing Room and Regent Cocktail Club to places like the Vagabond Pool Bar where a cocktail is best consumed in a bikini or swim trunks.

Whistler

If you’re an adrenaline junkie…

Who says all spring breaks have to be about withering under the tropical sun with a trashy novel in one hand and a margarita in the other? If its thrills you seek then pack your winter sports gear and hit the slopes while the snow is still plentiful. Whistler, British Columbia boasts two mountains and more than 8,000 acres of land where thrill seekers can strap on their skis or jump on a snowboard. But that’s not all, this celebrated nature getaway and home to the 2010 Winter Olympics also boasts extreme activities such as advanced back country snowmobile expeditions, heli-skiing and para-sledding.

Tagged: California, Family time, Florida, Hawaii, Hotels, Mexico