Where should I go for good beaches, snuba, and chartered fishing?

January 20, 2018 10:13 AM

I have the final week of February for vacation - where can I go with great relaxing beaches, chartered fishing, and interesting culture?

I was just told our company will be closed from Feb 23 - Mar 2 so I'm scrambling to come up with vacation ideas.

I've been wanting to go to Cuba, but mostly to explore Havana culturally. But for this particular trip I want to bring a friend and find a plce with warm weather, good beaches, tourism, fishing options, and Cuba didn't quite seem like the best match.

I've also kicked around Key West, although it seems expensive and the beaches look small?

I live in New York so flying out of JFK is simple enough. What's the ideal destination for a relaxing place where fishing is easy, maybe some snuba, and some decent non-cheesy places to go out at night?

posted by deern the headlice to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

Response by poster: (I've definitely been doing a lot of frantic googling and there are plenty of Caribbean options, for example, but I really enjoy hearing about people's personal experiences in a place, so thanks in advance!)
posted by deern the headlice at 10:16 AM on January 20, 2018

Best answer: The BVI are kind of empty and amazing right now as they open back up after Irma and Maria. Anegada, the low-lying “drowned island” NE of the the BVI, was actually least hit – I was just there on a sail charter – and you could check with the Anedaga Reef Hotel which does fishing charters.
posted by nicwolff at 11:03 AM on January 20, 2018

(The beaches and diving there are fantastic, and the nightlife is very authentic and local. The island is surrounded by a reef, no cruise ships or super yachts can get in.)
posted by nicwolff at 11:05 AM on January 20, 2018

just got back from La Paz in Baja which was great- interesting diving, beaches, and good mix of local culture while still being tourist friendly. We flew in via Cabo San Lucas which looked horrendous.
posted by genmonster at 11:10 AM on January 20, 2018

Manuel Antonio / Quepos in Costa Rica is pretty great (I was there over Christmas). The beach in Manuel Antonio national park is off the charts, and apparently the sport fishing is world class. Beautiful place all round.
posted by bifter at 1:08 PM on January 20, 2018 [1 favorite]