Help with tropical vacation spot

[Corbster98]

I live in Alaska- dark, cold and although beautiful and magical this time of year, I would like to plan a solo vacation away this February/March?  
Families here often flock to Hawaii during this time of year  and although I do like visiting Hawaii, I am yearning for somewhere different. Have a passport so out of the US is what I am aiming for. 

My wants are near/ on the beach preferably, being close to markets with fresh fruit/ veggies (which AK seriously lacks this time of year), quiet and not overly populated… maybe some hiking nearby or waterfalls. I don’t need or want big city amenities… just a beautiful, quaint place to relax, read some books, soak in some sun and just have some peaceful me time. 

suggestions please? I was initially thinking Costa Rica but wanted to get your input. 

 

ETA- timeframe is flexible. February/ March.....

Edited December 8, 2022 by Corbster98

[wintermom]

I'm going to Costa Rica for the first time this Feb. I've heard many great things about it, and I think it checks off all your boxes of things you'd like to do.

[TheReader]

My super duper favorite spot in the world (so far) is Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Beaches.  Fresh fruit. Waterfalls. Quaint historical little town. Peaceful. Lovely. Calm. Not overrun with tourists.  Not super "white sands" beachy, but calm, lovely, etc. 

If you want more jaw-dropping gorgeous beaches, also in Brazil, the island of Fernando de Noronha is incredible. Jaw-droppingly so. Harder to get to, but incredible. 

If you aren't thinking so far as Brazil....I've not been to Costa Rica, but my grandparents went for a wedding anniversary once and the photos were stunning. 

Isla de Mujeres is another spot.... Cozumel is lovely....lots of great options out there. 

[Corbster98]

11 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm going to Costa Rica for the first time this Feb. I've heard many great things about it, and I think it checks off all your boxes of things you'd like to do.

Can you tell me more about your trip? What area are you staying in? I agree that I thought Costa Rica checked many boxes too 🙂

[Corbster98]

12 minutes ago, TheReader said:

My super duper favorite spot in the world (so far) is Paraty, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Beaches.  Fresh fruit. Waterfalls. Quaint historical little town. Peaceful. Lovely. Calm. Not overrun with tourists.  Not super "white sands" beachy, but calm, lovely, etc. 

If you want more jaw-dropping gorgeous beaches, also in Brazil, the island of Fernando de Noronha is incredible. Jaw-droppingly so. Harder to get to, but incredible. 

If you aren't thinking so far as Brazil....I've not been to Costa Rica, but my grandparents went for a wedding anniversary once and the photos were stunning. 

Isla de Mujeres is another spot.... Cozumel is lovely....lots of great options out there. 

Your recommendation sounds perfectly lovely! I will look into it. What is your choice of lodging style while you are visiting? hotels are too busy for me so I am thinking more along the lines of Airbnb to keep that quiet calm I am seeking. 

 

[wintermom]

2 minutes ago, Corbster98 said:

Can you tell me more about your trip? What area are you staying in? I agree that I thought Costa Rica checked many boxes too 🙂

I'm actually going to visit a friend who moved there, so it's probably not a top tourist destination. It's a small town on the west coast. Dh and I are renting an Airbnb for a week. This town is a 3 hr drive from San Jose - 3 hrs because the roads aren't so great.

Other friends of ours are going to a resort near Liberia - one they've been to before and really enjoyed. There's an airport in Liberia, so less driving. 

[Corbster98]

4 minutes ago, wintermom said:

I'm actually going to visit a friend who moved there, so it's probably not a top tourist destination. It's a small town on the west coast. Dh and I are renting an Airbnb for a week. This town is a 3 hr drive from San Jose - 3 hrs because the roads aren't so great.

Other friends of ours are going to a resort near Liberia - one they've been to before and really enjoyed. There's an airport in Liberia, so less driving. 

I hope you have a wonderful time!! 

[TheReader]

4 minutes ago, Corbster98 said:

Your recommendation sounds perfectly lovely! I will look into it. What is your choice of lodging style while you are visiting? hotels are too busy for me so I am thinking more along the lines of Airbnb to keep that quiet calm I am seeking. 

 

In Brazil, we use what's called a pousada -- like a small B&B kind of thing. Simple, quaint, lovely.  This is the one we always stayed in, but there are tons out there (disclaimer: we left Brazil in 2013, and I've not visited Paraty since then....): 

https://www.praiaserena.com/   -- the website is in Portuguese, though, but you can get a feel for the accommodations that are typical from the photos. 

 

[livetoread]

Maybe St. Lucia, St. John's, BVI, or the Exumas would fit the bill. Lovely beaches and while they all have touristy parts, I'm sure there are quiet ones, too. I've been to several parts of Costa Rica but more interior and the one beach part we went to in the northwest (Tamarindo) was busy. I've read that both east and west sides of CR can have beautiful, more remote beaches, but the ones to the north are dryer while the ones to the south are more lush.

ETA time of year matters in CR because they have a rainy season

Edited December 8, 2022 by livetoread

[Corbster98]

6 minutes ago, livetoread said:

ETA time of year matters in CR because they have a rainy season

Yes I was just reading that about CR. I have flexibility in my schedule so can adjust accordingly. Thanks for the heads up!

[Bootsie]

I noticed that you mentioned February--I don't have any great locations to suggest, but that time of year I would make sure that my vacation did not coincide with Carnival/Mardi Gras if I were going to any place where that would be a big celebration (Mardi Gras is Feb 21) in 2023.

[Harriet Vane]

It has been many years, so research to confirm, but we absolutely love the British Virgin Islands. They're less populous than the American ones. We avoided the main island (Tortola) and enjoyed Virgin Gorda, which is smaller but still with plenty to do. Unique snorkeling at The Baths, nifty restaurants, gorgeous hiking, gorgeous beaches. 

[Beth S]

25 minutes ago, Harriet Vane said:

It has been many years, so research to confirm, but we absolutely love the British Virgin Islands. They're less populous than the American ones. We avoided the main island (Tortola) and enjoyed Virgin Gorda, which is smaller but still with plenty to do. Unique snorkeling at The Baths, nifty restaurants, gorgeous hiking, gorgeous beaches. 

We honeymooned on Peter Island (BVI) many years ago.
Sadly 2 hurricanes in 2017 devastated the cabins.
(I would highly highly recommend the BVIs, though!)
The American Virgin Islands are busier, but likely easy to find an affordable resort.

[TheReader]

1 hour ago, Bootsie said:

I noticed that you mentioned February--I don't have any great locations to suggest, but that time of year I would make sure that my vacation did not coincide with Carnival/Mardi Gras if I were going to any place where that would be a big celebration (Mardi Gras is Feb 21) in 2023.

oh - that's a very good point! Yes, check that out if you decide on Brazil. I think Paraty gets more at New Years than at Carnaval, but still.....

[J-rap]

We used to spend about 4 months/year in Costa Rica, and loved it.  I think Feb-March is a great time to be there.

[Miss Tick]

54 minutes ago, J-rap said:

We used to spend about 4 months/year in Costa Rica, and loved it.  I think Feb-March is a great time to be there.

That sounds lovely! Did you have a job that sent you there? Could you choose when you went?

[Corbster98]

40 minutes ago, Miss Tick said:

That sounds lovely! Did you have a job that sent you there? Could you choose when you went?

Yes I would love to know how that worked too !

[Jaybee]

Many years ago, we spent our anniversary in Punta Leona, Costa Rica. It was so gorgeous. I can't really give you any up-to-date info on it, though. We were living in CR at the time (for a few months), and everyone kept talking about how beautiful this area was. We arrived late in the afternoon, and make a quick walk to the beach. It was okay, but I was not amazed or anything. The next morning when we went down to the beach, we noticed that everybody was walking over this rise between the trees. So we followed, and wow! There was this gorgeous private beach area with water so clear you could see your feet.

[whitestavern]

I planned a trip to Portugal, including the Azores, last year, but we ended up going to France instead. A trip to the Azores sounds like it might fit the bill. Though I didn't go, I’m hopeful for the future!

 

[popmom]

Can y'all post some pics? I'm just here to live vicariously through you all. 🙂 

One day I'd like to go to St John USVI or Culebra. There's really nothing to do in Culebra which sounds lovely to me. 

[TheReader]

Just now, popmom said:

Can y'all post some pics? I'm just here to live vicariously through you all. 🙂 

One day I'd like to go to St John USVI or Culebra. There's really nothing to do in Culebra which sounds lovely to me. 

Here are my blog posts from our many trips to Paraty -- (please ignore the fact that our real names are in some of those posts...) 

Here are the ones from our one & only trip to Fernando de Noronha

Feel free to click around the side bars where I have other travel posts around Brazil grouped by location; I don't blog anymore, but do love having the record of our Brazil time still around somewhere!  (blog is not monetized or anything like that)