Where to go for New Year's?

[Venter]

HI is out because of it mainly being rainy. Mexico, St Kits, St Thomas, Aruba, or Costa Rica. Flying from Denver.
Would like to relax with some days doing stuff.

Thanks.

 

[dioxide45]

They important thing is, where is there availability?

 

[davidvel]

Cabo is awesome over Christmas.

 

[Venter]

They important thing is, where is there availability?

True. I will be booking for 2025. Me, my wife and two kids(daughter 19 and son 16).

 

[Venter]

Cabo is awesome over Christmas.

Is the weather and the water nice. Are there tours to ruins, Ziplining etc?

 

[davidvel]

Is the weather and the water nice. Are there tours to ruins, Ziplining etc?

Weather is usually good, water is swimmable and much more calm than summer, low 70s. There are various tours but not sure about ruins.

 

[dioxide45]

True. I will be booking for 2025. Me, my wife and two kids(daughter 19 and son 16).

I was starting to think you had a serious lack of planning and were looking for something for 2024.

 

[Passepartout]

Is the weather and the water nice. Are there tours to ruins, Ziplining etc?

There really aren't riuns anywhere near Cabo. Maybe water sports- whale watching, zip-lines, ocean fishing, beach activities, visiting small villages.

 

[TolmiePeak]

There really aren't riuns anywhere near Cabo.

Well when I'm there, there are.

 

[Passepartout]

Well when I'm there, there are.

Not anywhere near the magnitude of Yucatan- like at Cancun.

 

[Hindsite]

St Kitts, the MVC resort is on the same site as a Marriott resort hotel so there is a great range of facilities available.
The Island is not overdeveloped compared to some others.
There is a mix of touring to do to see sites and visit beaches, you can do a day tour of Nevis as well.
The weather will be good and the sea warm.
Its one of the few places we didn't bother with a hire car but got a driver to take us out and about, which was very reasonably priced.

 

[pedro47]

I suggest St Kitts, the weather is nice and the island is still underdeveloped.

 

[ljmiii]

HI is out because of it mainly being rainy....

Rainy?!? I'll lay you 10 to 1 odds that it doesn't rain at Waikoloa on Christmas. Waiohai and Waikiki are a pretty safe bet as well.

While it is always a good time to go to Hawaii, you may want to change where you stay and what you do depending on the season. Most Hawaiian Islands have leeward and windward areas and you just have to plan accordingly. For example, you can't swim on Oahu's North Shore in winter but in summer we often swim/snorkel there.

That said (and if you don't want to visit Hawaii for other reasons)...

Our MVC order for the Caribbean is St John, St Kitts or RCC St Thomas (tie), Frenchman's Cove St Thomas, Aruba, and Bermuda. But if your primary concern is that there be no rain, Aruba.

 

[easyrider]

Is the weather and the water nice. Are there tours to ruins, Ziplining etc?

Cabo is mild in December. Warm days and cool nights. There are only a few safe places to swim in the Sea of Cortez and none really on the Pacific side. Cabo Adventures has the best tours, imo. Chileno Beach And Santa Maria Beach are the best snorkel area. Cabo Adventures has one of the longest zip lines. It's really a fun to be flying over the trees like a big bird.

Bill

 

[davidvel]

Cabo is mild in December. Warm days and cool nights. There are only a few safe places to swim in the Sea of Cortez and none really on the Pacific side. Cabo Adventures has the best tours, imo. Chileno Beach And Santa Maria Beach are the best snorkel area. Cabo Adventures has one of the longest zip lines. It's really a fun to be flying over the trees like a big bird.

Bill

Medano beach is 100% swimmable in winter by anyone that can tread water. It is completely protected from typical north swells by the cape. Only in rare circumstances like a southern hemisphere cyclone will there be any meaningful swell. Our kids swam in the waveless waters multiple times when they were under 9 years old.

 

[easyrider]

Medano beach is 100% swimmable in winter by anyone that can tread water. It is completely protected from typical north swells by the cape. Only in rare circumstances like a southern hemisphere cyclone will there be any meaningful swell. Our kids swam in the waveless waters multiple times when they were under 9 years old.

We swim Medano Beach. There is the one wave and steep approach to deal with when getting out. I've seen many people loose their swim suits, glasses or gear while trying to get out. This includes me. Medano is not nearly as calm as Chileno or Santa Maria.

Bill

 

[m61376]

It’s a hard week to get, especially if looking for a 2 BR, so whether looking for a trade in II or reserving with DC points I’d try to get something and then you can always retrade/change reservation if available.
The Marriott Aruba weeks will likely be the hardest since people rent out the week for the 10k area, especially given that New Years is a Thursday next year, making it the more desirable vacation week. And since there are none in the Trust, the only weeks available for DC reservations are weeks owners give up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sponger76]

We swim Medano Beach. There is the one wave and steep approach to deal with when getting out. I've seen many people loose their swim suits, glasses or gear while trying to get out. This includes me. Medano is not nearly as calm as Chileno or Santa Maria.

Bill

I have yet to visit but I've heard good things about Chileno. Between there and Santa Maria, which do you prefer and why?

 

[Big Matt]

Orlando?

 

[easyrider]

I have yet to visit but I've heard good things about Chileno. Between there and Santa Maria, which do you prefer and why?

I like Chileno Beach the best because it has an improved paved parking lot, restrooms with shower , composite board walk to the beach, beach vendors renting chairs / umbrellas, calm water in the bay but most of all the abundant sea life. The snorkeling is pretty good as soon as you enter the water. If you go out into the south side of the bay there are schools of baby fish in all sizes. One of the schools I swam with were small no more than foot long Marlin. Parrot fish and many other tropical fish are in this area.

Santa Maria is a nice place too. Larger fish come into this small bay. It kind of freaked me out to see large needle fish in groups swimming near me. I also saw some random huge Manta Reys in Santa Maria.

Both bays are being developed so it will soon be buildings all around is what it looked like last winter. Neither bay had any food concessionaires last winter so we brought our ice chests. Our group was large so most of the group used Uber. The newer Fresko grocery store in-between Cabo and Chileno has cheap snorkel gear and deli food.

Bill

 

[ljmiii]

Both bays are being developed so it will soon be buildings all around is what it looked like last winter. Neither bay had any food concessionaires last winter so we brought our ice chests. Our group was large so most of the group used Uber.

Did you call the Uber from the beach(es)? Or did you prearrange the return trip with your driver? (We're headed to Cabo early next year and trying to figure out transportation).

 

[easyrider]

Did you call the Uber from the beach(es)? Or did you prearrange the return trip with your driver? (We're headed to Cabo early next year and trying to figure out transportation).

We were staying Vista Encantada for a couple of weeks and this resort only allows Uber at the main gate along the highway. They had a golf cart to take our guests to the gate and back. When we returned the guests used the Uber app for a ride back to the resort. We also had a rental car.

Bill