Destination Ideas: can we avoid spring breakers in March?
 

Hello wise fodorites! I'm looking for destination suggestions. Here's what we're looking for:

--My husband and I will be traveling with our 2 yr. old, so we're looking for something...appropriate...for a toddler.
--Warm, sunny, beachy.
--We are going in March, and we definitely want to avoid the whole Spring Break thing.
--Reasonably-priced. We'll be flying out from the Midwest.

Thank you in advance for your help! :)

Just wanted to add that we've already been to USVI and Aruba.

I think USVI and Aruba would already be on the spring break hot list, along with Cancun, Jamaica, Puerto Rico.

How about T&C, Cayman Islands, St. Kitts Marriott, Oalie Beach on Nevis?

I've looked (briefly) into T/C and Cayman. Both look very nice, and seem to be what we're looking for in terms of the pace being a little slower, but I'm worried that they might be too expensive.
I hadn't thought of St. Kitts/Nevis. From what I've read, it seems perfect! Thank you for the suggestions!

Any other suggestions out there? :)

Puerto Rico isn't really a spring break destination. It will be more crowded at that time but not with college Spring Breakers partying it up.

Well, we're not sure what to do. It may come down to getting the most for our money. We're now considering St. Kitts/Nevis or San Diego. In the past, we've saved money by booking through a travel agent, so we'll see what kinds of deals we can get (if any).

Thoughts? :)

We always take a spring break vacation. In the past few years, we have gone to Aruba, San Francisco, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. We visited Grand Cayman in June of last year and loved it. We are a family of four (my kids are now teens)

If you want a beach vacation, Grand Cayman will give you a very nice one. I doubt there will be spring breakers there. It is a very quiet island with good food. There is access to grocery stores for things for your toddler. That would be my pick.

As far as reasonably priced, I doubt anything is reasonably priced anymore. Good luck!

Girlonthego:
I think you're right. "Reasonably priced" is probably asking too much!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Reasonably priced and family friendly- have you considered Culebra?

PS About Culebra- just avoid Easter week- not spring breakers but lots of locals on holiday make the beaches busier- it is normally very laid back and quiet, I believe. We were there in February of last year and loved it.

You might want to consider Puerto Morelos. It's really easy to get to, only 20 minutes from the Cancun airport. The town has great restaurants and draws primarily families and retirees. The beach is gorgeous, white sand and very safe for small children. The snorkeling is awesome too.

Regarding Culebra: If it were just my husband and I going on the trip, this would be great. I'm just a bit nervous about taking a 2 yr. old on a ferry or an extra flight. I'll look into this some more...

As for Puerto Morelos, I'm cautious about venturing too close to Cancun in March.

I'm going to talk to a travel agent on Monday. Once I get a more realistic view of the price, I think I'll be able to make a decision.

Thank you again for the suggestions! :)

We did not take the ferry to Culebra since the Flamenco Air from isla Grande was like 20 minutes so I cannot speak for the ferry. I have been to Puerto Morelos and it was a nice little place; however, if you are considering that then also take a good look at Isla Mujeres. Again, if you avoid Holy Week (which I believe is in April in 2009 unless I am mistaken) you should be fine! It is NOT a college spring break kind of place- too laid back. Isla is very family friendly and easy to get around0 you can walk almost anywhere- you do NOT need a rental car (although you might want a golf cart for a day just to sightsee and your baby will be safe I would think at Isla pace). We stayed at a very economical, clean and comfortable place there that I would recommend to others on a budget called Posada del Mar- take a look at the website and for others about Isla- just a cab ride from the Cancun airport and about a 20 minute enclosed (large, modern) ferry ride to Isla. Unrortunately (they grow up too fast), my "baby" is grown but I think I would definitely recommend Isla over Culebra or Puerto Morelos for a calm and wide beach for a toddler. If you like Mexican food-especially fresh seafood- then the local fare is good and reasonable to cheap.

For a little shopping before you see the travel agent, look at www.isla-mujeres.net and www.posadadelmar.com- we had a room in the "newer" part on the 2nd floor that had a very nice view of the water- the beach was just across the street (not a busy one by any means- plenty of restaurants, bars, markets and shops in walking distance just around the corner. There are finer places to stay there but I think this one worked fine for us and there is a baby pool.

This is great info! Thank you!

Siena,
I looked back to check the exact name and the website I found lots of advice/help on for Isla was www.islamujeres.info and there is a listing on the left side of the main page for the "Q and A Board" that has tourist forums and advice. Hope this helps! I think there are (used to be) some good photos there as well or I can send you some representative ones of mine if you like.

Siena1, my favorite island is St. John but it's reasonably priced in March. Have you looked at Bonaire? My wife & I went there once and really enjoyed ourselves. Most of the resorts are reasonably priced, come with kitchens and offer meal plans. There are around 73 dive/snorkel spots all marked with a yellow rock. Food for thought.

Oualie Beach is reasonably priced and Nevis is quiet and lovely. You can easily take a ferry to St. Kitts for the day. The flight might be the sticking point, coming from the midwest. You would have to stop in Miami or San Juan with another flight, possibly from St. Martin if you do stop in Miami. That might be a bit with a toddler.
St. Kitts Marriott offers a variety of rooms and deals as well, but again, the flight time may be more than you want to deal with. Good luck!

Thanks to all of you for the suggestions.

Pulley: I did look into Bonaire...looks wonderful, but I think the flight(s) might be a problem with a little one. We would have to make 2-3 stops and the flights seem a bit pricey compared with other Caribbean destinations. We'll keep this one in mind for the future!

Travel agent is looking into Hawaii (MAYBE we can get a great deal, who knows), Turks/Caicos, and various Mayan Riviera destinations. I'll keep you updated!