Spring Break Inspirations
Tahiti
The beaches are soft, pink sand. Fields of vanilla grow tranquilly in the tropical sun. Dirt roads wend through coconut palm groves. Lobster and fresh fish are prepared with French flair and served up mere hours after being caught. Divers gather black pearls from placid lagoons. Rare, colorful sea creatures live amidst untouched coral reefs. Islands are populated by only a few hundred locals, who speak in a lilting French dialect and welcome guests with genuine warmth.
It may sound like a South Sea fantasy, but it's actually Tahiti -- a very real destination located only 8 hours away from West Coast hubs. Comprised of 118 islands in five archipelagos surrounded by coral reef systems, Tahiti is a diving paradise that combines the best of French and Polynesian culture. It's a designated French overseas country, which accounts for the language and the culinary style. Many of the world's largest luxury resort brands, including Le Meridien and Sheraton, have outposts here. However, the islands operate on Polynesian time. Nothing's regimented, everyone's laid-back, and you choose your own adventure -- sting ray feeding, pearl farming, lobster fishing -- as you go along.
When arriving, you have to fly into Papeete on the island of Tahiti. From there, most people usually go to Bora Bora or Moorea, both of which are located in the same archipelago as Tahiti. Divers often venture off into the Tuamotu Archipelago. The low-lying atolls of the archipelago are mostly populated, but with only a few hundred residents. Most have one or two hotels. Rangiroa, the most populated, has about 3000 residents. Tikehau is famed for its pink sand beaches. Further afield are the mysterious Marquesas, where Polynesian culture and tradition still prevail.
Cozumel
A jungle island where Mayan ruins slumber beneath the sun, where exotic tropical birds call out from the trees, where fishing skiffs and dive boats bob peacefully. Further out, massive cruise ships gleam in the sun like pearlescent floating skyscrapers. This is Cozumel, Cancun's island counterpart. This is Cozumel, the yin to Cancun's yang. Though it's only an hour drive and a quick ferry trip away from its high-profile neighbor, Isla Cozumel is really a world unto itself. It was a religious pilgrimage site, sacred to the moon goddess, in the pre-Columbian days. Though Spaniards first discovered it in the early 1500s, it escaped becoming a commercial or trading hub, and even up to today, the island remains 85% undeveloped. In recent times, effort has been made to preserve its precious ecology, both on land and in the surrounding sea.
Recently, Cozumel has become known as a kite boarding destination because of its consistent winds and vast stretches of secluded, soft sand beach. Kiteboarding is one of the newer surf/waterski hybrids -- similar to wakeboarding, except that you rely on a kite rather than a power boat to tow you through the water. Prime Cozumel kiteboarding spots are the Lagoon and Wave Ranch. As far as land-based activities go, ATV tours, horseback riding, jeep tours and other adventures depart from the southern and northern portions of the island. Cozumel Country Club is an eco-friendly golf course and designated environmental sanctuary; they even employ a staff biologist.
