beachlovers

We are looking for a beautiful Caribbean beach location that has a lot of activies and other teenagers to keep things fun for our two boys (15 and 17 yrs old.) We plan on going for 10 days in late July. We love T&C and Anguilla but these may be a bit quiet for the kids now they are getting older and have also been to San Juan, Grand Caymen, Bahamas . We are entertaining Beaches in T&C but some of the reviews on Trip Advisor of lots of crying kids and meltdowns have us a bit concerned that this may not be the paradise we are hoping for or used to. I would love any comments/insights regarding this Beaches property. We went on the Royal Caribbean cruise last summer and the boys loved the teen club but we missed the great beaches and would love to find few places with great teen programs/activities. As for us, we love great restaurants, beautiful beaches, clear blue water and perhaps a nice spa. We are willing to come down a notch from a 4/5 star property if it has lots of activities for the kids who like to snorkel, sail, boogie board, etc. I am also looking at Caribbean cruises but sometimes you don't get much beach time or access to the best beaches. Can anyone provide us any insight? Any ideas would be appreciated!

virginia

maya riviera will satisfy everyone i think. good beaches with snorkeling & tons of to do's - kayaking in sian ka'an biosphere, ziplines, horseback on the beach, atv jungle rides, mayan ruins, cenotes to explore & more.
i might look into the numerous all inclusives. many offer teen clubs. some (i think riu & maybe iberostar) have several clubs & allow you to use facilities at all, thus expanding dining & entertainment options.
locogringo.com is an excellent site for all your planning needs.

schmerl

I also was thinking of Mexico's Rivier Maya. Look into the Iberostar resorts and Barcelo resorts. Lots of activities throughout the day.

beachlovers

Thank you for the recommendations, we have already an Iberostar resort in the Riviera Maya which was nice and did have a lot of amenities for kids. However,we found the wading water full of big white rocks that we couldn't see until we cracked our toes on them. We have already been to Cancun and Los Cabos too. Any other suggestions?

lorijv

I know this is outside the realm of your query but, if your boys are adventurous, I would highly recommend Costa Rica. It is a beautiful locale with very friendly natives and an inexhaustable list of things to do. You would also have the option of staying on either the Caribbean coast or the Pacific coast(or both!)

Our family went 4 years ago and it remains, alongside Switzerland, our favorite vacation ever! We rented a jeep, which gave us a lot of exploring freedom.

We ziplined, white-water rafted, hiked in various national parks, snorkeled, did a jet ski excursion on the Pacific coast...saw loggerhead turtles! We were fortunate enough to see Arenal, a volcano, venting and oozing lava. We had an amazing horseback ride at the Villablanca cloud forest resort. At the time, it cost $22 usd for a rambling ride around a gorgeous estate. We hiked the Los Angeles Cloud forest.

During all these adventures/excursions we saw tons of wildlife....monkeys, toucans, parrots, etc.

Finally, the land costs were unbelievably inexpensive. Food was a bargain, as were tropical beverages and beer.

I know this is not like a vacation on a Caribbean island, but it would give everyone the adventure of a lifetime!

KVR

I would suggest the Riviera Maya also. We've been there many times over the past 12 years and still haven't seen and done everything that they have to offer. I'm sure you can find a better hotel with a better beach area. There are so many to choose from.

The suggestion for Costa Rica is an excellant choice also. Spend time in Poas, Arenal, Manuel Antonio, etc. At least 3 or 4 different areas.

blamona

Atlantis