I want to go with my son during his winter break. Never been to any of these 2 but he really likes the beach so I’d like to take him to a proper tropical place this time.
Portugal or Spain?
Too cold during winter. Also beachy, but not tropical in my mind.
Fair enough. They’re in my next places to visit list.
Hawaii, because Florida.
Depends whether you want to just relax in the warm bathtub of the Gulf of Mexico, or be freezing in the water of the Pacific with its dramatic and beautiful waves.
Well, Florida got it pretty bad this hurricane season, so I guess it partly depends exactly what area of Florida you’re considering, plus basically whichever of the two states is generally in better shape after their recent disasters.
Either way, wherever you go, check the specific area you’re considering first.
I moved to Florida specifically so that I could live at the beach. Go to Hawaii.
Dec/Jan is the Florida high season, so everything is crowded and accommodations will be pricey. If your vacation truly is in Jan though, Hawaii will actually be quiet (end of December is super crowded tho).
If you do go to Florida, look at Naples up to Tampa on the gulf coast, or key west. The people are much nicer than Floridians on the east coast
People become nicer on the east coast of Florida as you go away from Miami.
I lived in Melbourne for a while and I’ve gotta disagree with you on that.
Hawaii is better than Florida in every way. I like Maui the most with Kuaii in a close second. Florida is packed and full of the dumbest people you’ll ever meet. Hawaiians are generally chill. The weather is better in Hawaii and the state is leagues of magnitude prettier. I’ve vacationed multiple times in both states and I would spend the extra to go to Hawaii everytime, both for political reasons and because it’s way better.
Hawaii. I used to live in Florida and while it has some pretty places and neat things, most of it is generic grubby little towns, trailer parks and lots and lots of rednecks. And most of isn’t very tropical.
Plus, Hawaii has volcanoes, which are always cool.
YMMV.
I grew up in Hawaii and used to visit Florida because my grandmother had a winter place there. I agree with your comment completely.
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Where will you be traveling from?
MA.
I’d consider Puerto Rico as well, it’s the best place to see bioluminescence and that seems worth the trip to me.
Thanks
It’s great, but expensive. Although I guess I only thought so because of the American dollar at the time (not American).
I mean… the alternative is Hawaii, which isn’t at all the bastion of ‘cheap vacations’.
Fair. Never been. Just was surprised at the cost back in the day when I wasn’t exactly sure what currency was used in Puerto Rico. Great place though. Should go back at some point.
Hawaii overall is nicer and more expensive than Florida, however Florida easily has the better beaches. Snorkeling is going to be better in Hawaii, but the beaches themselves are pretty rocky and kind of mid, to be honest. Florida knows its beaches are the money makers and goes the extra mile to make them nice. The sand is well groomed and it’s that powdery white sand that feels incredible.
Thanks. My son likes sunbathing / lounging on the beach, playing around / swimming in the water close to the shore the most; so the actual beach is really important.
Waimanalo Beach is what you want!
Thanks for the recommendation!
Black rock or old airport, nā maiki’loa kahakai 🙂
(For those playing along at home, those “best beaches” are on the Big Island, while my suggestion is on Oahu.)
Florida would be the better option imo. During that time frame it won’t be tourist season, so those beaches won’t be over crowded either. Florida beaches get kind of nuts at spring break time. The flipside of that is that not everywhere will be open. I visited Destin in Feb before and some of the more tourist spots, like Shed BBQ for example, were closed.
As far as im aware the native Hawaiians actually request tourists not to go because the island is being destroyed by tourism. Its getting so expensive from tourism natives have to leave. So id go somewhere else. Honestly Florida and Hawaii are both very over-done tourist wise imo. If i were you id consider just getting passports now if you dont have them yet and go somewhere in Mexico. Youll save money and probably have a better experience. Another option if you want like a warm American city on the beach is San Diego California, or somewhere along the gulf coast of southern texas like Corpus Christi.
Depends on which is closer. Also, only South Florida is truly tropical
Hear me out: Belize!
Puerto Rico.
