Yes, we know. Some of you get all frothy and worked up over flying down those Black slopes like an Olympian and/or being helicoptered (then dropped) into serious bowls of snow in the hinterlands of Colorado and Utah. We get it. You claim you get tans there. We say, sort of. Unless you ski in a bikini, can you really call having a brownish face and white body a tan? Nevertheless, let’s just look at the features of these two situations objectively as we dive into the top 5 reasons a beach vacay beats a ski vacay.
(Melia Beach, Jamaica, photo by: one of our True Beach Lovers.)1. The warmth of sand vs. the frostbite of the snow. Digging your feet and toes into soft sand is intrinsically wonderful. Not wearing shoes is good for the soul. You are close to the earth, to nature. You can take part in Earthing (or Grounding) – walking barefoot on the ground - and exchanging electrons with the earth that we miss when we wear shoes. Walking on the sand is also a good form of exercise, good for the shins. Let’s consider the same exercise in the snow. Walking bare foot. We say, not good for the soul. Or anyone. Any time. Ever. We stand firm about this being #1 of the top 5 reasons a beach vacay beats a ski vacay.
(Isla Soana, Dominican Republic, photo by: instagram.com/ann_nais.)2. Beach wear vs. ski wear. Where do we start? With ski clothes, you probably spend more time getting dressed (all those sweaters and long johns), standing in line for your skis, standing in the lift line, then getting on the gondola/chair lift (and if you get stuck this adds more “wait” time) all for a few brief minutes of sailing down a slope, one upon which, you could fall and break your neck. At the beach, let’s see. One, maybe two pieces of lightweight clothing and a towel, maybe a beach bag, are all that’s required. You stay level. One flat surface. No risky inclines. Much less chance for toppling over and breaking a limb. Oh, and it’s warm. And there’s the perfectly-temperatured ocean at your disposal. Oh, and those cool fruity drinks in coconuts. Yeah. The beach…
(Cabana massage, Viva Wyndham Maya, Mexico.)3. Massages on the beach vs. massages on the slopes. Do you want to get naked on a slope covered in snow, only covered by a thin blanket? No more need be said. (However, we really liked writing the word "naked" in our top 5 reasons a beach vacay beats a ski vacay. So daring.)
(Strawberry daiquiris, Secrets The Vine, Mexico, photo by: instagram.com/christizzzzle.)4. Spilling a cool drink vs. spilling a hot drink. So let’s consider where we are. On the slopes, if we’re in an après ski spot, spilling a scalding hot cup of tea on your skin is probably not as pleasurable as being in the sun and spilling a cool, icy drink on your skin. Just guessing here.
(Kayaking in a Cenote, Mexico, photo by: instagram.com/nathanliemeier.)5. Activities on the beach vs. activities on the slopes. When you go skiing, you have a choice of downhill, snow boarding, and cross country. Probably can’t (and shouldn’t) ride a bike on the snow. Probably shouldn’t try to scuba or snorkel in the frigid bodies of water near the slopes. Finally, the only animals around that you might see are bears. Probably not a good idea to try to pet one.
At the beach, the fauna is prolific and best of all, mostly friendly. Think dolphins, sea turtles and toucans. You have a lot more freedom in terms of activities (biking, zipline, ATVs, walking/running without slipping on ice and cracking your elbow). The historical excursions are also interesting – lots of sailors and conquerors have visited this part of the world many centuries ago, giving it a far more exciting history than that of, say, a ski lodge built in the last fifty years.
We don’t think we need to continue to enumerate the many, many things about a ski vacation that pale (vastly) in comparison to a beach escape. Should you want one, we can help. (So glad you asked!)
Just call one of our very smart, very informed Beachologists at 1-800-915-3162 and they’ll set you up on a dream getaway that you’ll never forget. Or you can visit our site to see all the beautiful beach destinations we have for you. There’s nothing like the beach, the water and the cool ocean breezes to take you to that happy place we call (ironically, in light of this discussion) chilling. No one can get too much of that.
