help! does our perfect vacation spot exist?
 

Help us find our perfect vacation spot. We are not into the mega all inclusivess as we like different restaurants/town with a local flair. We are looking for somewhere with great beaches, but also opportunities to hike and explore natural beauty--fairly easy to get to from Chicago--no 10 hr. connectioins, etc. We want luxury, but not the most $$$$ island. We are considering either the caribbean or Mexico. My husband is a golfer--not our #1 priority, but would be nice. Spring break 08 is our time frame.

that part about the town with flair is tough. i think playa del carman, mex might meeet all your perfect spot requirements though.
see http://www.playa.info/
and www.locogringo.com for loads of info on the area. mex is less expensive than many islands so you should get more lux for your bucks. and united and mexicana fly in under 4 hrs.

I second Playa del Carmen. It would meet all your requirements. It's a great town and there is so much to do outside the town.

I 'third' Playa del Carmen. I have been a number of times and love it there! Lots to do, 5th ave is great for shops and restaurants. You can hop on the ferry and go over to Cozumel. A trip to Tulum to see the Ruins on the sea, scuba in the cenotes...... the hotel I stayed at was very reasonable and quite lovely not AI, small and nice personal touch. If you want more information on that particular hotel there are various websites you can check out like virtualtourist.com the name of the hotel is Tropical Casablanca. I think they have their own website as well.

Its not the Carribean - but how about the SC coast - the nature is great as are the golf courses (I have heard(hate the sport)). We stayed in Beaufort - lots of local culture and good food. Beaches are beautiful.