Latin America & The Caribbean

Central America

South America

The Caribbean

We have done many trips to Central America, South America, and to the Caribbean in the past 30 years, many of them were to relax, swim, snorkel or dive. When we lived in Montreal, these trips were our way to escape (even if only for a week or two) from Montreal’s cold winters. Escaping the cold is no longer a priority since we’ve move to Florida where the weather is much more to our liking. Although, we now try to escape the scorching heat of July and August. It’s funny how priorities change!

‪Most of our past trips to this part of the world were at all-inclusive resorts in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Much of our time was spent in the water exploring the reef and its inhabitants as well as relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Now, when we go to a sunny and hot destination, it’s for scuba diving, an activity we both love. Also, the warm clear water of the Caribbean is inviting and makes the experience even more enjoyable.

See our post: 22 Tips for Choosing the Right Resort

We also did quite a few cruises in the Caribbean as well as in Central and South America. Cruising was an easy way to visit some of the places that were more difficult to get to and lacked the convenience of a direct flight. Some of these small islands were ideal for a single day visit and would not be destinations we would normally choose for a week-long vacation, so cruising was a nice way to see them. We often think of cruising as a way of sampling many locations in a short time, if we really like a place, we can decide to go back for a longer stay.

Cruise Ideas:

An expedition trip to Ecuador and the Galapagos was one of our most memorable travel experiences. Be aware that if you want to relax or rest during your trip, this isn’t the right trip for you. Early wake-ups, hiking and snorkeling were all part of our daily routine. You certainly don’t want to miss a minute! The Galapagos Islands are such a wonderful place to discover with each island being unique with its own creatures. If we have the chance, we would return to this exiting and fascinating place in an instant!

Not only can you find sand and sun at these destinations, many ancient civilizations’ vestiges (Mayan, Incan and Aztec) are scattered throughout Central and South America and some are fairly easy to get to. Teotihuacan is only an hour’s drive from Mexico City and well-worth the drive.

Resorts along the Riviera Maya in the Yucatán Peninsula offer regular excursions to the Mayan’s sites of Chichen Itza, Coba and Tulum.

During our last visit to Peru we visited Northern Peru. It was quite an adventure and we saw lots of beautiful and interesting places, but it was a different experience than our trip to the land of the Incas. I’ll never forget seeing Machu Picchu for the first time. Even with all the expectations, when you finally hike up over that last hill to see it, it takes your breath away. Pictures don’t do it justice… you just have to go!

Another dream trip we did in South America was to Iguazu Falls. The falls are one of the world’s must-see natural wonders and we are delighted to have had the chance to see them. During this trip we also visited two of the greatest cities in South America: Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.

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