Today (January 14, 2024) The New York Times shared a spectacular interactive article with information galore on where to go in 2024— “See New Zealand’s volcanic peaks by train or trek the world’s largest salt flat in Bolivia: No matter why you travel, this year’s list of 52 Places to Go offers inspiration.” We chose five that feature the Caribbean: Costa Rica; Dominica; Flamingo, Florida; Grenada; and the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Visit the NYT for detailed information.
El Camino de Costa Rica: A coast-to-coast trek with cloud forests, local chocolate and more
With new signage, the Camino de Costa Rica, a 174-mile cross-country hiking trail that connects the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, became easier to navigate last year. Organized into 16 sections, the trail knits together 25 rural communities and terrain that ranges from beaches to cloud forests. The full hike can take from 11 to 16 days, and along the way, travelers passing through Indigenous areas can hire members of the Cabécar community as guides. The trail also traverses national parks and sanctuaries that host dazzling birds like the resplendent quetzal.
Trekkers can camp, book hotels or stay overnight with families, sampling homegrown coffee and chocolate as well as dishes like gallo pinto (beans and rice prepared with coconut milk). Local outfitters offer custom itineraries, including accommodations and luggage transfers, and activities like rafting, horseback riding and canoeing — all ways to help support areas off the tourist track.
— Nora Walsh
Dominica, The Caribbean: A bird’s-eye view of rainforests, reefs and a boiling lake
A patchwork of volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls and hot springs has earned Dominica, a 290-square-mile independent nation in the West Indies, the nickname the Nature Island. Later this year, visitors will be able to get a bird’s-eye view of the wild landscape thanks to a $54 million, 4.1-mile cable car line that will whisk passengers from the lush Roseau Valley up to Boiling Lake, a roughly 200-foot-wide fumarole flooded with nearly 200-degree water, which currently requires a demanding hike to reach.
The island is also a playground for eco-adventurers: Hiking trails crisscross its three national parks, its crystal cascades make for ideal waterfall rappelling, pristine coral reefs offer some of the best diving in the world, and more than 20 species of whales and dolphins abound along the island’s west coast — including a resident population of sperm whales, which will get their own dedicated sanctuary this year.
— Nora Walsh
Flamingo, Florida: Rediscover a beloved lodge in the heart of the Everglades
The vast beauty of the Florida Everglades is perhaps best appreciated at night, when the national park is all constellations and creatures. But for those who don’t care to brave the elements (or the mosquitoes) while camping outside or in an R.V., it has been impossible to stay anywhere with air-conditioning since two hurricanes destroyed the park’s only hotel in 2005.
That changed in November with the reopening of the Flamingo Lodge, now elevated and made out of sturdy shipping containers. A renovated visitor center and restaurant have been built to better withstand sea level rise caused by climate change.
The return of the beloved facilities, along with glamping “eco-tents,” has given birders, stargazers and anglers a reason to reconnect with the outpost of Flamingo, on mainland Florida’s southernmost tip and less than two hours by car from Miami.
And if you’re lucky, you may spot flamingos in Florida Bay.
— Patricia Mazzei
Grenada, The Caribbean: White sands and underwater art on an island of timeless charm [see photo above]
More flights from JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada promise easier access to this Caribbean island nation, but you may never want to leave. Grenada’s verdant terrain, bountiful farms and uncrowded white-sand beaches entice with culinary delights, natural attractions and new luxury accommodations.
The 28-room Silversands Beach House will open in February on Portici Beach, and later this year, the Six Senses La Sagesse will offer 56 suites and 15 villas, each with a private pool. All the better to relax after a submarine visit to Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park, the first of its kind, where a recent upgrade includes 31 new pieces of art.
Grenada and its smaller islands, Petite Martinique and Carriacou, offer plenty of places to snorkel, fish, dive and sail, but don’t miss a tour of a rum distillery, chocolate company or spice garden: There’s good reason Grenada, which celebrates 50 years of independence this February, is known as the Spice Isle.
— Elisabeth Goodridge
Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico: A new train makes remote sites more accessible
The Maya Train, a new service that began partial operations in December, will connect popular destinations on the Yucatán Peninsula — including beachy Cancún, historical Mérida and the Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá — to more distant sites, like Calakmul, a once powerful and still relatively intact Maya city near the Guatemalan border, and Palenque, gateway to the famous archaeological park in Chiapas state.
While the estimated $20 billion project, which began in 2020, has been criticized for threatening water quality and wildlife habitat, it is hoped that the service will benefit less-touristy destinations like the gulf port town of Campeche, a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its 16th-century fortifications. Intended to bring jobs and investment and spread tourism beyond Mexico’s Caribbean beaches, the train will eventually ring the peninsula, traversing five states over nearly 1,000 miles of track and connecting directly with the new airport in Tulum.
— Elaine Glusac
For full interactive article, see https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/travel/places-to-travel-destinations-2024.
Today (January 14, 2024) The New York Times shared a spectacular interactive article with information galore on where to go in 2024— “See New Zealand’s volcanic peaks by train or trek the world’s largest salt flat in Bolivia: No matter why you travel, this year’s list of 52 Places to Go offers inspiration.” We chose
