We picked some top spring break destinations that are just a few hours’ flight away from major North American airports and are sure to change the color of those winter blues. Thaw out in warm-weather Costa Rica or sunbathe among the stars in LA. Or, if something off-beat is more your style, we have some beer-bong-optional picks. Spring is the perfect time to night-kayak through a bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico, practice your sea lion roar in Baja California, or get hopped-up in Asheville, North Carolina.
Ah, Costa Rica. With a flight time of just 2.5 hours from Miami, this tropical land of chill in Central America has all the right ingredients for a potent spring break cocktail. Firstly there’s the friendly hammock-swinging, surf-chasing, beach-loving locals, who swear by their ‘pura vida’ (‘pure life’). Then there’s Costa Rica’s petite size, which makes it a breeze to whizz between the golden arc of sand at happening Tamarindo (the country’s premier party destination) and an array of jaunts inland. No surprise, then, that it’s a firm favorite with adventurous students, who could be ziplining above the rainforest canopy in Monteverde one day, soaking off a hangover on white-water rapids the next and climbing Arenal Volcano the day after. What’s not to love?
It’s surprising how often Puerto Rico gets passed over for the pumping spring break Punta Cana parties in Dominican Republic. Thankfully, that just makes this American Caribbean territory even more alluring: prices are cheaper, you don’t need a passport to get here and in the night-owl colonial capital San Juan you’ll find plenty of places to party til dawn. By day San Juan has some of the best sands this side of Rio de Janeiro: base yourself at the glitzy beach suburbs of Isla Verde or Condado for the best of both worlds. For a truly trippy experience, don’t miss night-kayaking the Bioluminescent Bay at Vieques, where those school biology lessons will come to life as phosphorescence sets the sea aglow with psychedelic bright-green sparkles.
Sun, sand and surf (three of the four spring break essential s’s) can be found in abundance in Los Angeles. Famous beaches such as Santa Monica and Venice offer as much in the way of people-watching/partying as they do the chance to laze and sunbathe. Other spots like Hermosa and Manhattan beaches are less known by tourists but are just as popular with locals – especially surfers. For a much quieter (read: hungover) day at the beach head for Malibu and Belmont Shore.
Away from the tourist resorts of Los Cabos, Baja California Sur has plenty of options for a more back-to-nature spring break experience. The weather is Goldilocks at this time of year, and the beautiful coastline offers the chance to swim with sea lions, kayak through turquoise waters, go whale watching (the season ends in March) and even help with turtle conservation, all of which will allow you to return home with ecological bragging rights rather than a hangover and a strange, how-did-I-get-that bruise. Red Sustainable Travel (redtravelmexico.com) is based in Baja and has a variety of tours available.
For many, spring break 2015 will involve one simple act: jumping in the nearest plane, train or snowmobile and getting as far south as is humanly possible without a passport. For the most determined, Key West will be waiting, with a fruity cocktail, even fruitier locals, plenty of white sand and average highs in the low 80s. This is America's most eccentric and joyful frontier and a raucous year-round party. Join jugglers, acrobats and fire-eaters at the nightly Mallory Square sunset celebration, before letting loose in the tacky bars of Duval Street. By day, plunge your aching head under the water for an eyeful of curly pink coral and tropical fish, or take an overnight trip to the Dry Tortugas National Park for even sparklier water and incredible star-gazing. Getting there is also half the fun. The Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys is a classic drive: hop from tropical island to tropical, bar-studded island with the windows down and ocean on either side.
For downtime that’s more about hops and hiking (over beach and bikinis), Asheville could be the perfect place. One of the gateway towns of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Asheville also famously boasts more breweries per capita than any other US city. The beer scene here is truly unparalleled for such a small town, with microbreweries, tap rooms and small-batch brewers serving up hundreds of different tastes in any one day. Take a tour with Asheville Brews Cruise (ashevillebrewscruise.com), or create your own sudsy itinerary at ashevillealetrail.com. The misty peaks of the Smokies are just a short drive away and offer superb hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, where you might just spot an American black bear, elk or white-tailed deer. To up the rustic factor even further, Campfire Lodgings offers the chance to sleep in a luxury yurt on a wooded hill just ten minutes from downtown Asheville.
As one of South America’s premier beach destinations, Rio de Janeiro has something to offer every type of spring breaker – stunning panoramas, fantastic food and a variety of outdoor adventures await to make yours a spring break to remember. You’ll catch some of Brazil’s best rays on the sunny shores of the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City): pick a post on Ipanema Beach to see and be seen, or join the ranks of other tourists on Copacabana’s hotel-lined oceanfront. Take the cable car up to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) or bask in the colossal shadow of Cristo Redentor atop Corcovado by day, and then hit the bar scene in Botafogo or party to the sounds of samba in the clubs of Lapa by night.
Love the idea of spending spring break on an island but loathe the partying masses? The Galápagos Islands are the answer for nature-loving, adventure-seeking travelers. This otherworldly archipelago lies 563 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean and is home to some of the earth’s most rare and unique flora and fauna. The human footprint on the Galápagos is minimal and its biodiversity is unmatched – endemic species such as giant tortoises, marine iguanas and blue-footed boobies roam the islands at ranges close enough for interaction with them. There are cruises, ecolodges and plenty of feel-good ways to get involved with conservation and social development initiatives around the islands. Programs like IOI Galapagos (ioi.ec/the-galapagos-islands) offer opportunities to earn class credits through university partnerships while giving back to the community. Go surfing, kayaking, biking or scuba diving near the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristóbal, or snorkel alongside stingrays, turtles and the occasional shark at Devil’s Crown, one of the most outstanding marine sites of the Galápagos.
Right in the middle of the Arizona desert lies shimmering Lake Havasu. Come March and April this man-made reservoir's 60 miles of waterways becomes the region’s spring break capital and contains the right ingredients for a why-did-I-do-that cocktail. Boats strung together to make massive party flotillas, beer-pong and flip-cup tournaments on floating tables, and plenty of sun to go around – this is as classically spring break as it gets. At night disembark from the boat and head to Lake Havasu City’s Kokomo, a multi-story haven for spring breakers, DJs and frozen drinks. The following morning walk off that hangover with a stroll along London Bridge Beach, named after the famous English structure sitting nearby.
For something a little less bronzed and boozed, head to the Coast Mountain resort town of Whistler, BC. By March the peak season has begun to die down, and the resorts offer up great deals to keep the winter momentum going. Longer days, clear skies and a good snowpack make a spring in Whistler the perfect choice for skiers and snowboarders. For 360 degree views of this alpine Arcadia, take a ride in the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, a 4.4km feat of engineering that connects the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. At lower elevations, hike through conifer forests to spot the area’s black bears as they emerge from hibernation.
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