Details: Huatalco, Mexico

Getting there: Sun Country flies nonstop to and from Huatulco seasonally on Saturdays only; other airlines that serve Huatulco include United and Delta. Prices for package deals vary depending upon the week you travel and the hotel you choose. Our two-person Sun Country Vacations package cost $2,522, including airfare and all-inclusive resort for a week.

The destination: Huatulco is not a town, but an area made up of nine Pacific Ocean bays spanning nearly 22 miles of coastline between the Coyula and Copalita rivers. The small towns of La Crucecita and Santa Cruz dot the coast. They are not heavily commercialized, with just a few stoplights to direct traffic.

Places to stay: Las Brisas is an expansive resort built into the hills with four beaches and 484 rooms spread among several buildings. Small shuttles zoom on narrow roadways to carry guests who prefer rides instead of steep walks to their rooms. It is one of the older resorts in Huatulco, but rooms have been updated to look modern. Though we could eat as much as we liked, the food was mediocre. The dress code is casual, and there is little competition for beach-side lounge chairs.

Tourist traps: To explore the bays accessible only by boat, we chose a snorkeling tour. It turned out to be a disappointing tourist trap with minimal snorkeling and a couple of hours spent stuck on a beach lined with hut-style restaurants. Vendors approached constantly trying to sell everything from marble dolphin figurines to desserts. "No, gracias," became our refrain.