Where's the action for spring break 2008? Get the skinny with this list of top spring break hot spots (if you prefer, know where you ain't going!). Cancun tops the list again, and new passport rules keep Puerto Rico (sunny beaches, a reasonable drinking age, and no passport needed) in the running; Lake Havasu -- still nowhere; Vegas: curfews, oldsters -- why bother? Europe: way in.
Keep reading for the 2008 spring break hot spots list, or hop to:
1. Cancun
Cancun is most of the way back after 2006's Hurricane Wilma -- get a passport, though! This little piece of Mexico is pure craziness during March and April: margarita madness and a massive influx of students doing the spring thing on drop-dead gorgeous beaches and in late-late-late night clubs. Hop the ferry to Cozumel or the bus to Playa del Carmen for slower-paced sandy paradises. Xel-Ha is fun for snorkeling, and Tulum is worth a visit (90 miles south; go early a.m.) -- great beach and unba ruins, but don't expect nightlife (the quiet nights -- generator-powered lights out by 10 -- are part of the charm).
2. Acapulco
© Kathleen Crislip
Acapulco's not Mexico's best beachside city (that might be Puerto Vallarta), but it's tried, true, and ready for you. Acapulco's turf war problems have little to do with you -- mind your Mexico manners and consider student travel safety tips, and you should be as safe as you would in any US city.
Acapulco beaches range from quiet hideaways, like Playa Pie de la Cuesta, to elbow-to-elbow humans, like La Condesa. Stay in a hotel on the Costera (main drag) -- drop by the small Puerto Marques village for an afternoon.
3. Florida - Panama City, Miami
Florida's Daytona Beach has definitively fallen out of the top spring break hot spots running and Panama City's top dog billing will again get some serious encroachment from Miami, including South Beach, this year. Panama City is a sure bet for the kind of foolish fun that makes a break memorable (or not!), while South Beach is a tres cool club scene (are you really ready?). Panama City: 27 miles of sugary sweet beach on the Gulf of Mexico (west coast of Florida). Temps in the 70's during the day and blessedly cool at night. As for Fort Lauderdale... you may want to read what they think about you before you make reservations.Do think about hopping a cheap flight to the islands while you're here -- pretty Puerto Rico, perhaps.
4. Rosarito Beach, Baja
© Kathleen Crislip
You don't need a passport to drive to Mexico this year, making Rosarito Beach once again a mega spring break 2008 hot spot. Parts of this oceanfront Baja town just south of San Diego (20 miles) and border city Tijuana can be charming, and but most is just good-time party central. Learn about what to do inside and out in Baja with some Rosarito Beach photos, like Rosarito Beach nightlife scoop, plus some Rosarito Beach hotel ideas:
- Rosarito Beach Photos
- Rosarito Beach Hotels
- Rosarito Beach Nightlife and Baja Events
- Rosarito Beach Travel Guide
5. North American Ski Resorts
© Whistler Blackcomb
Ski resorts are moving up on the list of cool spring break hot spots for 2008 -- check out a list of the top Colorado ski resorts welcoming you, plus some ideas for Whistler, Jackson Hole, Heavenly, a few quieter spots, and some places you may want to give a pass (snowboarding's still prohibited in some US resorts that are best left to your grandparents, anyway). I live in Rocky Mountain high country now, and have lived in, partied in or skied all but one of these top ten ski resorts -- and I promise it's all good. Get the whole skinny on how to get there, and where to stay and party.
6. Europe
© Kathleen Crislip
Europe (yep, the whole joint) gets its own spot on the list of spring break hot spots for 2008 -- Amsterdam, London and Paris will be the cities in which you'll see the most American students, with Rome a close fourth place followed by Florence, Frankfurt, Madrid and Berlin. Those are mostly chilly cities at this time of year, so the social scene will be indoors (your hostel's always the best bet for finding the party place), but the sights will be free of summer's mobs... great time to be in Europe. Learn more:
- Backpacking Europe 101 (links to the places you'll want to be, too)
- Free Things to Do in Fave European Cities
- European Hostels by Country
- STA Europe Spring Break Packages
7. Negril, Jamaica
The forecast for spring break 2008 in Negril, Jamaica, is sunny and the outlook is partly party, party, party with scattered water sport fun. And this year, expect major music action from Jamfest, a concert series slated for March Mondays, featuring folks like Shaggy and Bernie Man. If you go, remember that Jamaica is a developing nation; cheaper hotels may not have fully functioning amenities and parts of the island can be a walk on the wild side. Don't fear to adventure -- just be safe.
8. Puerto Vallarta
© Stephen Manente
We welcomed Puerto Vallarta to the list in 2007, and this pretty Pacific coast Mexican town will again have a lot of what you want for 2008 -- friendly folks, awesome nightlife, beautiful beaches and great all-inclusive hotel deals. All the action's not just at the beach, either -- this is one of those cool jungle-meets-mountains towns and you can parasail or mountain bike, or do a zipline tour. Hasta pronto!
9. South Padre Island
The US's Las Vegas and Havasu are off the supreme hot spots list (hopefully forever -- neither of 'em particularly want you), but South Padre Island, where vacations are biiiig Texas style, is still a fave for students this year, though we do sometimes wonder why (a bit) with more exotic locales easily available for cheap. South Padre's guaranteed fun, though; if you go, the sandy spit near Corpus Christi is windblown but sunny, and Padre Island proper has hundreds of miles of beach. The gang's all at South Padre, where you can find fresh shellfish and every conceivable kind of water sport. Surf's sometimes a little rough. Scooters are a great way to get around the whole island.10. The Runners Up - New York, Puerto Rico, Nassau
© Kathleen Crislip
New passport rules requiring one for air travel back from Mexico mean Puerto Rico will be lively again this year: the Puerto Rico drinking age is 18, though it's a US territory (no passport needed).
If you bite the Big Apple, as will many breakers this year, key is finding a good New York hostel -- then hit the streets. Nassau, Bahamas, with its not-so-friendly folks, will stay popular partly because it's close and easy. And its white beaches and blue blue water are bee-yootiful. Try Smiley's for the real deal food; rent a scooter to spend a morning at the Straw Market. Nassau is on New Providence Island; gambling is on nearby Paradise Island.
Enjoy spring break 2008!
Alternative Spring Break Ideas
Got a volunteer spring break planned? Want to learn more? Share tips or get some inspiration for alternative spring break ideas.
