Garie Beach

Which Latin American country should I visit?

I've been to Costa Rica and Mexico. In CR I visited Tamarindo, San Jose, and Arenal area. In Mexico I visited Cancun. Cancun by far had the most beautiful beaches and although I had a great trip and that I am Mexican I love Costa Rica by far. I think its because I want to experience culture and be surrounded by Spanish speaking people. In Cancun it was very touristy and locals did not mingle so much with tourists. In Costa Rica locals and tourists would go to the same night club and eat in the same restaurants. I'm not saying that nobody did the same in Cancun but just the atmosphere was completely different. I enjoyed going to a club in CR and listening to both English and Spanish music. Maybe Cancun wasn't the place for me. Sooooo what I am looking for is another latin country I can visit where I am able to experience another culture, but at the same time enjoy the beaches, night life, entertainment (shows, sports), dancing, nature. Where its not so many resorts. Any help? Reply: I don't mind exploring and finding things on my own. When I went to costa rica I didnt have any hotels reservations and I took a local bus with my friend (7 hours in the middle of no where). I only knew spanish

Public Comments

1. My friend has lived all over the world. He says Peru is the best place to visit.
2. Sounds like you're looking for fun in the sun while being able to mingle with the locals... something you just can't do in Cancun. I would suggest Brazil... especially Rio de Janeiro.... but they speak Portuguese there. the beaches in Northern Chile (from La Serena all the way to Arica)... although they are in a very arid climate, you get some amazing views... and not too far away you have cool, beautiful mountains... plus travelling within Chile is super safe, For a tropical experience: Try the Dominican Republic... rich culture, but u might be confined to a lot of resorts.... and it's a bit more dangerous. Now, are you Mexican, or Mexican-American? If you're Mexican... try out Cuba.... there's resorts, but with your Spanish you'll be able to navigate the streets easily. If you're American, forget about this option. #1 choice for me would be Dominican Republic.
3. If beach is mandatory, I would suggest Panama, Colombia, and Peru. Panama in Panama, San Andres Island in Colombia, and anywhere up or down the coast of Peru.
4. Guatemala. Specifically, check out Antigua. It has old monasteries, convents, and churches you can tour during the day, not to mention the rest of the town is worth seeing. During the night, it has an equal number of nightclubs and bars to visit. There are numerous Spanish language schools there and its a very popular stop in Latin America. You'll meet people from all over the world. Holy week is coming up at the end of March (last week) and beginning of April (first week) and the town of Antigua is filled with processions and ceremonies, rituals and such. The town is small considering the number of sites and places you can visit and transportation is just a took-took away (mopeds with enclosed seating on the back). The beach is about 3 hours away and you can catch a bus from Antigua to and from. So it's worth checking out.
5. definately colombia