Arriba! Arriba! Mexican Vacations For Cheap

Last year at right about this time, I was in Cozumel. The sun was shining, and I was spending my day swimming in underground rivers (called cenotes), ATVing through the jungle, lounging on the beach and gorging on anything with pipian sauce (ground sunflower seeds, my favorite). It was, in a word, idyllic and the only fall-out I felt from the Mexican drug wars were the lower prices and lighter crowds on the beach. I was literally a thousand miles away from the troubled areas of Mexico where the violence was occurring and I felt perfectly safe. 

If I wasn't tethered to my computer with deadlines, I'd go back there tonight! But though I can't, there's no reason you shouldn't. There are extraordinary deals to the Cancun area in the coming weeks. Here are just a few:

• Flamingo Resort, Cancun: 6 nights' hotel and airfare from Miami: $477 including all taxes from Vacation Travel Mart (other gateways available for reasonable add on fares)
• Canto del Sol Resort, Puerto Vallarta: 3 nights hotels, all meals, most acitivities and airfare from New York City just $459 from BookIt (again, other gateways are available at a small uptick in price)
• Avalon Reef Club, Isla Mujeres: 6 nights and airfare from Dallas/Fort Worth fo $570 including all taxes from Expedia (again, other gateways are certainly available; and Isla Mujeres is a quiet little paradise, great for folks who really want to get away from it all)

Can you feel your skin tanning right now? I certainly can. Just a small taste of what's available for those who have the time to get away before Christmas. Prices will likely rise after the first of the year, so I'd suggest you go sooner rather than later.