By Jason Heidemann for the Orbitz Travel Blog
If every person were to create a textbook definition of the phrase 'spring break' it would yield many variations indeed. Some of us thing of it as a time for unwinding, others consider it a time for revelry while others consider it an ideal week for family bonding. No matter where you fall on the spring break spectrum, we have the perfect getaway for you. Here are 8 ideal spring break vacations for every type of traveler.
Flamenco Beach
If all you care about is the postcard perfect beach...
If we say the words 'spring break' and the first thing you picture in your mind is a sun-drenched strip of powder white sand, ringed with palm trees and facing turquoise blue waters, then get yourself to gorgeous Flamenco Beach in Culebra, a tiny island that is part of Puerto Rico. Set in a horseshoe-shaped bay stretching for a full mile, this gorgeous beach is good for swimming, diving and even camping. It's also amenity rich including lifeguard stations and kiosks selling food, clothing and beach gear. And if you've never spent time in lovely Puerto Rico, you don't know what you're missing.
New Orleans
If you're on a budget...
Even affordable getaways like coastal Florida and Myrtle Beach know that spring break is primo time for jacking up hotel rates. But if it's an affordable getaway you're looking for and can sacrifice beach time consider New Orleans. Perhaps the most unique city in all of North America, NOLA in March offers balmy temps, affordable hotel rates and is absent the crush of party goers who takeover Bourbon Street for Mardi Gras. But if it's a spring break vibe you seek, consider that the booze flows freely 24/7, the food is amazing and there are pools aplenty for working on tan lines.
Palm Springs
If you're looking to get away from the crowds...
The trouble with finding true privacy is that one usually has to fly to some remote island in the South Pacific to do so, but not so in convenient and approachable sunny Palm Springs, a desert retreat a mere 90 miles east of Los Angeles. It's not that Palm Springs is empty this time of year--quite the opposite in fact--it's that this desert oasis has always put an emphasis on privacy. Indeed, teensy and intimate low-key resorts are the norm and the most frenzied visitors to this inland paradise get is the occasional stroll down charming Palm Canyon Drive or an early game of morning golf.
Cancun
If what thrills you the most are beer bongs and wet t-shirt contests...
If your biggest goal in life is to blackout at a beachfront foam party at Senor Frog's, oh boy do we have the perfect vacation destination for you! Although many spring break cities are popular with the collegiate set, Cancun, Mexico continues to be a coed paradise thanks to its promise of cheap vacation packages, endless sunny days and a legal drinking age of just 18. Pool parties, nightclubs, beach bumming and beer bongs await in this sun-drenched paradise, just remember that when shedding inhibitions try to have the good sense not to shed your clothing and keen judgement as well.