Vacation suggestions needed

check out curacao. you could also hit bonaire on the same trip. curacao is a great vacation spot not many americans know about. look up viajandoconvero on youtube she did a great series on curacao and bonaire just the other day. its in spanish but you can get a good idea on what its about. whole island is safe and has some great beaches and snorkeling spots. great food and nightlife scene. one end of the island caters to the dutch and is real nice but you can travel around and hit so many cool beach spots to get some different scenery and snorkeling.

Roatan is another good spot and I just got back from Puerto Rico which also was real cool and alot of fun. Out of those 3 I would recommend Curacao. some pluses about curacao outside of the scenery are that it basically never gets hit by hurricanes and the tradwinds blow over the island so while it is hot, the tradewinds help.

There’s some great all inclusives in Costa Rica. Definitely check average rainfall, etc., for the month you want to go.

I’m flexible, but leaning towards May-august (I know, hurricane season).
We usually go on a ski trip during the winter, so I like to space the vacations out.

There's probably a little more to do on Mujeres. Most of Holbox is a bird sanctuary and it is off limits (or was when I was there a few years ago). Both have nice beaches though Playa Norte on Mujeres is really nice. Isla Mujeres also has some water parks. Garrafon being the most well-known.

Aruba has it all. Beautiful beaches and water, good food, can be as relaxing and adventurous as you want to be.

ETA: And out of the hurricane belt

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There’s some great all inclusives in Costa Rica. Definitely check average rainfall, etc., for the month you want to go.

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Yes, summer is the rainy season, but it really wasn't a problem. The showers would come and go and we just wore raincoats or did whatever in the rain. It was fine.

I would not recommend an all inclusive in Costa Rica. The actual culture there is too good to be stuck in a resort and there are so many great places to stay.

As activities go, there are a really lot. There's hiking, wildlife exploration (check out Proyecto Asis), waterfalls, zip lines, white water rafting, rope bridges, surfing...there is SOOOO much to do. I'd recommend staying 2 different places, like La Fortuna (jungle activites) and Manuel Antonio or Tamarindo (depending on what airport you fly out of) for beach activities.

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I've considered Eleuthera or swimming with the whale sharks (Holbox, Isla Mujeras), but have not researched either yet.

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I've done both. Swimming with the whale sharks (out of Isla Mujeres) was a top-tier bucket list item for me. I will do it again eventually -- it was an amazing experience. I had my 18 yr, 14 yr old and 11 yr old and they all had a blast.

I've also made 5 or 6 trips to Eleuthera -- we will be there for 2 weeks next month. For laid back, raw tropical location, Eleuthera just does it for us. Fantastic beaches, water, fishing, snorkeling and diving. And truly friendly people. We usually VRBO on Winding Bay. Just south of Winding Bay is Half Sound. There is a man-made canal/cut that connects the two. There's also a nice flat that is perfect for beginner bone fishing (guaranteed to catch some fish). Take the kayaks to Half Sound -- you'll see more sea turtles and catch more fish than you can imagine. Make sure to work the tides so that when you're going home, you aren't fighting the current through the canal going out on low tide. If you hang out on the far side of the mouth of half sound during the incoming tide, you'll see an amazing shark feeding frenzy. There's truly too much to keep listing. We keep going back to Eleuthera and we keep finding new things to see and do.

For a little something different, take the family to Small Hope Bay Lodge on Andros. It's a small island lodge with only 12 or 13 cabins. Fantastic dive facilities with top-tier dive masters. Let your kids try out scuba -- we got started diving there with the DS course and now my kids are all advanced open water certified. The lodge itself is different than any other place you're going to find. It's almost like a vacation at your house. The staff treat you like family. The other guests all treat each other like long-time friends and/or family. It's a fantastic place to get away, relax, unplug and see raw Bahamas. Kayak in the mangroves. Flats, reef, deep sea fishing -- all spectacular. Diving and snorkeling are fantastic, although they are still trying to revitalize the reefs. The lodge is completely all-inclusive food and bar. And you'll never be disappointed in the food choices. It is consistently voted one ot the best vacation spots in the Bahamas. A short video on the resort. Two things highly recommended, 1: the shark dive (we see a shark or two on almost every dive, but the shark dive is amazing, even if you're just into snorkeling) 2: the coral reef nursery is a great way to teach your kids about trying to save the reefs and our oceans.

ETA: We prefer low-key places with very few people. We don't like huge resorts, water parks, theme parks, waiting in line, or crowds. So our vacations typically cater to those criteria. The whale shark experience was worth staying in a large resort though.

Some great replies from all, thanks for the recs.

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ETA: We prefer low-key places with very few people. We don't like huge resorts, water parks, theme parks, waiting in line, or crowds. So are vacations typically cater to those criteria. The whale shark experience was worth staying in a large resort though.

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This describes me and my family. Thanks for the reply.