Exploring The Caribbean Coast Of Mexico And Central America
The Mexican Caribbean coast along Riviera Maya is the place to explore ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen-Itza and Tulum, let the kids practice their Spanish and get in some serious beach time. Tulum is a fun waterfront site that’s easily accessible from many resorts, or the place to find a low-key bungalow colony. Iberostar and RIU Hotels, among Playa del Carmen resorts, offer all-inclusive options.
Nicaragua, Panama and Honduras are good bets for families who want to add adventure to their beach time. Hiking, watersports, horseback riding, beach combing, practicing a language, trying new fruits and foods – all are easily found at good prices. Opt for day hikes at an eco-resort like Morgan’s Rock and try to spot monkeys, wild birds, sloth, and other wild animals that their naturalists can teach you more about. Explore the rain forest at The Gamboa Resort in Panama, or snorkel at Anthony’s Key on Roatan off Honduras.
Volunteer Vacations
The website Together for Good lists over 90 places that families can give back — even just for a day — on a land-based vacation or cruise in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. Passports with Purpose enlists travel bloggers to support various volunteer vacation options. Other non-profit organizations can place your teen or find a family volunteer opportunity; or you can stick close to home in a cause like hurricane Sandy relief, and do good.
Majestic Mountain Towns
In luxurious Deer Valley, Utah, mountain bikers, hikers and outdoors enthusiasts who come for the crisp mountain air can also enjoy the Deer Valley Music Festival. Hotel values abound; the Stein Eriksen Lodge Alpine Awakening B&B package (valid May 31- September 28, 2013), for example, provides a one-bedroom suite with its own deck and hot tub from $395/night. Allow for down time at Utah’s only Forbes Five-Star Spa or biking on the rail trails, or keep teens busy at the zip line and alpine coaster rides at Park City Mountain Resort.
Hop aboard their free shuttle to Historic Main Street Park City for museums, more family-friendly dining and the weekly Park Silly Sunday Market, a free eco-friendly outdoor festival on Lower Main Street filled with live music, costumed performers and artists. Other ski towns like Aspen and Telluride tout festivals all summer long; Aspen’s Food & Wine Classic is a repeat-treat for thousands of foodie families. Sunday River, Maine rolls outs everything from mountain biking to their famous wife-carrying challenge, golf, disc golf and White Mountain hikes.
Beach. Photo courtesy of afterwards.
Jessica Festa is the editor of the travel sites Jessie on a Journey (http://jessieonajourney.com) and Epicure & Culture (http://epicureandculture.com). Along with blogging at We Blog The World, her byline has appeared in publications like Huffington Post, Gadling, Fodor’s, Travel + Escape, Matador, Viator, The Culture-Ist and many others. After getting her BA/MA in Communication from the State University of New York at Albany, she realized she wasn’t really to stop backpacking and made travel her full time job. Some of her most memorable experiences include studying abroad in Sydney, teaching English in Thailand, doing orphanage work in Ghana, hiking her way through South America and traveling solo through Europe. She has a passion for backpacking, adventure, hiking, wine and getting off the beaten path.
