The atmosphere beyond the pier

The picture painted on television — clad with string bikinis, frozen drinks, and catchy 90s songs that echo its namesake — doesn’t quite do Miami justice. Sure, South Beach still radiates the colorful electricity of a gorgeous and multicultural beach not found elsewhere in the United States, but there’s so much more to uncover of Miami’s diverse identity.

If you go beyond the expected in Cozumel, you’ll find thriving ecotourism efforts, unspoiled whitesand beaches, and a coast lined with the miles-long Meso-American Barrier Reef — home to some of the most stunning coral reef formations and sea creatures in the Caribbean. 

But the added luxury lies in Cozumel’s close proximity to Playa del Carmen and Tulum.  Arriving here comes with a wealth of options and opportunity. Deciding where you want to be, what you want to see, and who you want to be can change with the Caribbean wind. And so can your plans.

It isn’t just the impossibly neon turquoise water, or the seemingly unperturbed beaches that coyly dance with the waves that make Bimini so enticing. Sitting on the westernmost part of the Bahamian Islands, Bimini is the far less-visited port home to a decidedly more intimate and visceral heartbeat. 

Beyond the quiet beach moments or the adrenaline-inducing shark dives, the three islands that unite to make Bimini are drenched in rich cultural history — where the conch is so fresh you taste the path from which you came, natural watering holes are rumored to have the power to heal, and nights end next to bonfires under star-kissed skies.