Help, can anyone guide me on which holiday would work best. We are wanting to go somewhere a bit warmer in December leaving from LA and have looked at Caribbean (NO CRUISING) or Costa Rica so far. We like hiking, swimming, snorkeling, adventure activities on land mostly but love a bit of water. I heard you have to be careful where you go in Caribbean and also that some of the places have been wiped out with a hurricane a couple of years ago so not sure if St. Thomas would be an option or not?
Please tell me your opinion on this or Costa Rica open to ideas. Thanks in advance.

Since you like hiking and adventure activities, I would suggest Costa Rica. Great hiking, zip lines, decent snorkeling, etc.

I would look at Belize as well. Lots of adventures inland (caves, canoeing, Mayan ruins, etc) and the barrier reef offshore.

Thanks Belize sounds fun too I'll look into it.

If you love water, snorkeling, etc. Belize is a good fit. We loved staying on Ambergris. There's wonderful snorkeling at Hol Chan. Costa Rica is great for hiking and wildlife. St. Thomas is very developed and felt pretty Americanized to us; we preferred some of the quieter islands like St. John.

Thanks for the information. You sound like you've been to St. John recently, was it o.k. in terms of thehurricanes it had a few years ago?

K, we haven't been that recently, so hopefully someone else can give you the latest updates.

Doesn't sound as if St. John has bounced back. I agree, have a look at Belize if you're okay with going off of a boat.

https://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/p...john-usvi.html

If you want some adventure, go to Costa Rica. It is abundant in nature and you can either relax and enjoy it or go hiking and enjoy it. Many available activities to engage in.

Jumping in with a vote for Costa Rica as far as adventure. Plus it’s really easy from LA. St. Thomas is kind of a pain from the West Coast. If you are really into snorkling, Roatan is wonderful, world class snorkling right off the beach at West Bay. Not as many adventure type things as CR. December will be high season in CR so May be more expensive.