Sunny Destinations, Enjoy the sun at the beach, Have fun at the beach, Party at the beach

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Punta del Este, Uruguay

At Another Hemisphere

By Yined Ramírez Location: Southeast of the state of Maldonado, about 87 miles from Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay. Famous for: Known as the Pearl of the Atlantic, its beaches with white sand, and their nightclubs filled with celebrities. Highlights: You can spend the day at Isla Gorroti, with water clear as crystal. Ask about excursions to Isla de Lobos, where you can find colonies of sea lions and you can embark on fishing excursions, to catch a shark. Don't miss the sunset ceremony over at Casapueblo, in Punta Ballena, a monumental architectonic creation.

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Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Argentina

Life is Funner at Pinamar

Location: At the Atlantic coast, part of the province of Buenos Aires. Famous for: Its pristine beaches and exquisite vegetation with pines, acacias and eucalyptus trees. Highlights: The beaches have hills and dunes for those who enjoy practicing sandboard and drive 4x4 vehicles. You can also practice surf, wakeboard, windsurf, jet ski and skiing. You can rent a bicycle to tour the city and ride a horse in the sand. The nightlife offers several restaurants, bars, pubs and discos.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Jost Van Dyke, British Virgin Islands

Take Along Your Yacht

Location: The smallest of the four main islands in the British Virgin Islands. Famous for: Their extravagant New Year's Eve party at the legendary Foxy's Bar in Great Harbor, their virgin beaches and eco-tourism. Highlights: You can practice scuba diving, snorkeling and, since the island is underdeveloped, there are many opportunities of taking hikes, and exploring the mangrove swamp and palms in the mountains. You can also reach this yacht-favorite destination by ferry, from Tortola and St. Thomas. Since many of the tourists stay at yachts or boats, housing is scarce.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Margarita Island

The Flower of Venezuela

Location: Paradise located 15 miles northwest of the Venezuelan coast. Famous for: Their beaches and shopping places. Highlights: European favorite destination. Their large coast line has infinite beaches, each different enough to practice windsurf, kitesurf or surf. Nightlife is quite varied, with many discos and bars. You can find gourmet restaurants as well as small places that serve regional food, and there are many recognizable boutiques everywhere, for some first class shopping.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Puerto Rico

Island of the Eternal Summer

Location: East of Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands, at the Caribbean. Famous for: Their beaches and topographic variety that enables several fun activities. Highlights: All the fun options of activities become more attractive by the nearness of the places, the use of U.S. currency and the fact that the majority of the inhabitants are English-speakers. The tiny island offers water activities, paradisiacal beaches, golf, first class resorts and enviable gastronomy. Fans of architecture will enjoy Old San Juan, where 16th century colonial buildings still stand.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Dominican Republic

Caribbean Escape

Location: It occupies two thirds of the western side of La Española Island, in the Archipelago of the Antilles. It borders on the west side with Haiti. Famous for: Their beaches and topographic variety that enables several fun activities. Highlights: The capital, Santo Domingo, has many archaeological sites from the Colonial era. A place called "El malecón" is considered the biggest disco in the world, and it's there where the famous Dominical Carnival is celebrated in February. On one end of the island is Punta Cana, place known for its white sand beaches.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Close to Home, Far Away from Everything

Location: Small destination in the south corner of Baja California. Famous for: Beaches, spas and wedding destination. Highlights: Even whales seek refuge in the warm waters of Cabo San Lucas during the winter. The weather, the spas, the first rate service and little crowds make this a celebrity hiding place. The landscapes are incomparable, such as El Arco, the famous rock formation. Twenty miles northeast is San José del Cabo, a colonial town still keeping alive the old fashion Mexican spirit, making it a very romantic destination.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

St. Barts (San Bartolomé)

Celebrity Rec Room

Location: Territory owned by France located in the Caribbean sea, about 110 miles north of the archipelago of Guadalupe. Famous for: Crystalline water, chic boutiques. Highlights: St. Barts is the playground of the rich and famous, which come to enjoy the pristine beaches, gourmet gastronomy, designer boutiques and privacy. The St. Barts Bucket is a famous sailboat race around the island. You can practice several water sports, as well as horseback riding, golf and tennis. The villas not only in front of the sea, but inside the island are an affordable option.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Saint Martin

Double the Fun

Location: About 150 miles east of Puerto Rico. Famous for: Water sports, gastronomy and nudist beaches. Highlights: Saint Martin is known as the Caribbean capital of gastronomy for its fusion of flavors in both small and luxurious restaurants. It's the ideal place for fans of intense emotions, because you can practice several water sports such as surfing, windsurfing, jet ski and water skiing, among many more. They speak French and Dutch, along some Caribbean dialects, but you can also hear some Spanish speaking locals.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Aruba

Among Cacti and Discos

Location: Part of the Dutch Antilles, south of the Caribbean Sea, 17 miles from Paraguaná peninsula, Venezuela. Famous for: Dry weather, far away from hurricanes, which pretty much guarantees hot, sunny days all year long. Highlights: Aruba offers the ideal conditions to practice infinity of water sports, as well as walks through the dunes and drives on a 4x4 through the rocky parts. You can ride a horse on the beach, play tennis and gold. Nightlife is very active, with several bars and nightclubs.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Costa Rica

In Synch with Nature

Location: Country in Central America, between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Famous for: Opportunities to surf and practice eco-tourism. Highlights: This tiny country is pioneer on the preservation of the environment and a popular eco-friendly destination: lots of reserves filled with all kinds of flora and fauna, active volcanoes, rainforests you can cross hanging from a wire, thermal waters, virgin beaches for great surfing and rivers to canoe in. The Cahuita National Park is a delight for fans of scuba diving and snorkeling.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Barbados

For Lovers of Everything Good

Location: Part of the Minor Antilles, Barbados is situated east of the Caribbean Sea. The island is 166 square miles long, and it's completely hurricane free. Famous for: The South and west parts are made of white sands and crystalline water. Surfing is ideal on the eastern end. Highlights: World renowned hotel chains and tax free shopping on designer boutiques and first class jewelry. Great nightlife, particularly in St. Lawrence Gap. There are reserves of fauna and flora, with cave exploration. You can practice scuba diving, cricket, polo and golf, as well as enjoying a helicopter ride and festivals all year long.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Mexican Caribbean

Where Legend and Luxury Go Hand by Hand

Location: Southeast end of Mexico, bathed by the Caribbean Sea on the states of Quintana Roo, Yucatan and Campeche. Famous for: Turquoise water and Mayan archaeological zones. Highlights: Quite popular among History and Archaeology enthusiasts, with many Mayan zones scattered throughout the zone. It's a must for cruise lines touring the Caribbean. You can find either luxury resorts to rustic cabins. Cancún, which was surrounded by jungle not many decades ago, is now the most popular destination spot in Mexico. Along the Mayan coast you can find the second largest coral reef in the world, making it the perfect spot for snorkeling and scuba diving. Be sure to visit the islands of Cozumel and Isla Mujeres, ideal for fishing, kayaking and many more activities.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Isle of Nevis

Caribbean Hideout

Location: Along San Cristobal Island, it constitutes the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, part of the islands of Barlovento. Famous for: Its 13 inactive volcanoes, and extreme privacy. Highlights: Abundant nature offers the chance to explore the island through a wide variety of scenery, including some ruins who date back to the 18th century. All the beaches are public and noted by their white sand. It's also a very popular wedding destination.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Panama

Pearl of the Pacific

Location: Last country in Central America, some consider it the nation connecting the northern and southern parts of America. It borders with Costa Rica in the northeast; with Colombia on the southeast; the Caribbean Sea up north and the Pacific Ocean on the south. Famous for: The impressive Panama canal, which you can visit on guided tours either by land or sea, through ferries and cruises. Highlights: Several museums who explain the history of the city and national parks offer the chance to practice eco-tourism. There's also a wide variety of nightlife, with many places to enjoy dancing and live orchestras.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Fernando de Noronha Island, Brazil

Away from Luxury

Location: Volcanic archipelago at the Atlantic Ocean, around 340 miles from Recife, 442 miles from Fortaleza and 225 miles from Natal. Famous for: Only the largest island is inhabited. The rest was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its magnificent rain forest vegetation, where scientific research is made. Highlights: Remote and isolated destination, considered to be one of the best places to scuba dive in Brazil. This isn't a place filled with resorts, shopping malls and clubs, since they have rather basic touristy infrastructure and strict norms to preserve the place.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Turks and Caicos Islands

If You Could Only Live Underwater

Location: Territory dependent of the United Kingdom, right between the Caribbean Sea. Famous for: Popular destination among sports fishing and for exploring its coral reefs. Highlights: Between December and April, the islands witness thousands of whales on their migratory phase towards warmer water. JoJo is a dolphin who lives in their tranquil waters since 1980 and declared a national treasure. The playful animal constantly interacts with humans. The Islands have magnificent spas and golf courses.

Forget Winter with These Sunny Destinations

Saint Tropez

A Celebrity's Life

Location: French coast by the Var region, near Provenza-Alps-Costa Azul. Famous for: Known as the Marbella of France, it's renowned for its multimillionaire residents and tourists. There are claims that the thong was invented there. Highlights: Amazing blue water and nightlife. Also, they have many outdoor cafes where you can spot celebrities and millionaires. The marinas hold the most luxurious yachts and there are the most exclusive boutiques and stores. With so many beaches, ranging from those with fashion runways on the sand to the most relaxing ones, it's extremely hard to stay on budget.