Winter Escapes: Now Departing For...

Cancun
JetBlue 771 //
Four hours, 30 minutes

Gone is Cancun's Girls Gone Wild heyday. After 2005's Hurricane Wilma, a rebuilding boom brought upscale hotels—with even more-upscale spas—here in droves. Last year the airport added a new runway and the sleek 12-gate, $100 million Terminal 3.

Take off
Leave Logan at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday. Sunday's Flight 772 returns to Boston just after 5 p.m. 800-538-2583, jetblue.com.

Stay
The Ritz-Carlton Cancun recovered from Wilma with a $15 million facelift and a new culinary center. Doubles from $519; 800-241-3333, ritzcarlton.com.

Eat
The award-winning Gustino's serves Caribbean-influenced Mediterranean fare, such as a Parmesan-crusted grouper in hibiscus sauce. 52-998-848-9600.

Marvel
The mammoth ruins at Chichen Itza, which date back to around 600 A.D. and include numerous still-standing Mayan temples, make for a memorable day trip. inah.gob.mx.

Pack
Comfortable shoes. Many attractions are best explored by foot.

Cayman Islands
US Airways 1735 // Four hours

Leave your rudimentary Spanish or French behind: The three-island territory is British through and through. Its largest landmass, Grand Cayman, is 22 miles long and almost completely tourism dependent, so be prepared for never-ending drinking, dining, and water-sporting.

Take off
Fly from Boston at 8 a.m. on Saturday; return Flight 1734 leaves the island at 1 p.m. the same day. 800-622-1015, usairways.com.

Stay
The public, and pet-friendly, Seven Mile Beach is bordered by high-end hotels, among them the renovated 343-room Westin Casuarina and its modernized Hibiscus Spa. Doubles from $423; 345-945-3800, westin.com.

Eat
The Cracked Conch serves its somewhat chewy namesake in chowder or as fritters, alongside more-traditional Cayman dishes. 345-945-5217, crackedconch.com.ky.

Swim (with stingrays)
At the North Sound marina Stingray City, tourists swim or snorkel around with this genial species. 877-733-7245, redsailcayman.com.

Pack
Goggles. Some of Grand Cayman's coolest sights are underwater.

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