Cartagena is great! You can take a quick boat ride out to some truly fantastic beaches and Cartagena the town is beautiful

Anonymous wrote:(but I’ve heard they don’t really speak Spanish on the Bay Islands-has anyone been?).

What language do you think they speak? Spanish is definitely spoken on Roatan…if you’re noting that due to tourism many people are bilingual, that’s true, but that’s the case in all these areas you’re considering.

We had a great time in Bocas del Toro recently. Cheap, and an adventure to get to. Paired with some time in Panama City (non stop from Dulles).

Anonymous wrote:Curaçao?

Op here-I know it’s amazing but they don’t speak Spanish there, right?

Curaçao?

Anonymous wrote:For beaches? Maybe Turks and Caicos, but if you’re finding the Riviera Maya expensive, T&C would be worse. Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize all have some good beaches although the overall tourism infrastructure isn’t great in those countries…

Op here, yeah we can’t afford T and C, and we’re trying to target Spanish speaking countries.

Isn’t Nicaragua basically collapsing right now? I don’t think Americans can travel there but will check. And I’ve heard Honduras is pretty unsafe these days, though I imagine the Bay Islands are fine (but I’ve heard they don’t really speak Spanish on the Bay Islands-has anyone been?).

I guess I need to do more research but appreciate these thoughts from everyone!!

Anonymous wrote:Mallorca/Menorca - sure, it’s touristy, it super safe and stunning and better beaches then in Mexico imho.

Op here. Thank you!! I’m assuming Spain beaches are only swimmable in summer, though? I’m targeting either CHRISTMAS or early February. I’ll
Keep this in mind for summer, though!!!

For beaches? Maybe Turks and Caicos, but if you’re finding the Riviera Maya expensive, T&C would be worse. Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua and Belize all have some good beaches although the overall tourism infrastructure isn’t great in those countries…

Mallorca/Menorca - sure, it’s touristy, it super safe and stunning and better beaches then in Mexico imho.

Anonymous wrote:CR is beautiful, but Don’t go to CR for the beaches, nothing special about them.

Gah! OP here. Ok so I’m back to the drawing board lol. Where should I go? Any ideas? Puerto Vallarta (beaches kinda meh though, right?)? Panama?

CR is beautiful, but Don’t go to CR for the beaches, nothing special about them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fact that you actually enjoyed it until now makes me think you would like Manuel Antonio, which to me is a full on tourist trap.

Op here. It was touristy for sure but the cenotes were cool and the beaches were nice.

Any other ideas besides Manuel Antonio?

Split it between Manuel Antonio and La Fortuna. Get the most touristy diverse options of Costa Rica.

Anonymous wrote:The fact that you actually enjoyed it until now makes me think you would like Manuel Antonio, which to me is a full on tourist trap.

Op here. It was touristy for sure but the cenotes were cool and the beaches were nice.

Any other ideas besides Manuel Antonio?

The fact that you actually enjoyed it until now makes me think you would like Manuel Antonio, which to me is a full on tourist trap.

I’ve been traveling to Cancun/Playa del Carmen/Akumal/Tulum area for the last 30 years. I love the beaches, ruins, food, etc.

Our last trip though, in 2021 was the first time we’d been since 2016, and it was super disappointing. The sargassum (even though it was winter, it popped up a couple of times), the crowds, the exploding prices, the scams, etc. It just felt like everything had changed in a bad way. Things that used to cost $5-10 (like admission to a cenote), were now $30-40 and crowded. Not to mention the security situation, which escalated in the days before our trip. All was fine and we felt safe, but I didn’t enjoy worrying about it and monitoring it.

I’ve never been to Costa Rica-would that be a good alternative? Or Cartagena, Columbia? I’m looking for beaches and cute colonial towns. Ideally Spanish speaking. I know CR has also exploded in popularity the last couple of years so worried it will have similar problems to Cancun/Riviera Maya. I’d love to go to Guatemala but the beaches there are meh and it’s hard to get around.

Thank you!!