Adult Swim - Spring Break for Grown-ups

Signs that the claws of winter are finally loosening their grip are plentiful: buds opening anew, windows flung open to receive cool breezes, college kids rolling onto the beach like so many drunken locusts. Yes, it's time for Spring Break, and all the swimsuit-swapping, tequila-slamming, MTV-televising madness that comes with it. But wait a minute: Haven't you also survived the cruel winter? Where's your spring break, your chance to baste in the sun and rock that bikini? Don't get stuck at home planting azaleas: For every beach hot spot luring the college kids with booze cruises and booty-shaking contests, we've found a sophisticated, adult version nearby. Sure, you might have to share the plane with a bunch of overstimulated adolescents, but that's why we grown-ups have first-class upgrades

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO

What the kids do: Hang upside down from ankle bracelets while drinking tequila shooters at the Giggling Marlin bar in downtown Cabo. Hurl soon thereafter.

What you'll do: Skip Cabo San Lucas and head to Los Cabos, 15 miles away, where the Sea of Cortez licks the mountainous desert. You'll be crashing at the One&Only Palmilla, a 172-room enclave with an Old Mexico look—iron-studded doors, custom-painted tiles, whitewashed walls, an old bell tower—and luxurious trappings, such as 24-hour personal butler service, beds on swings for lounging by the sea (pictured), and an aromatherapy turndown menu. Jack Nicklaus designed the golf course; at the decadent spa, you can order the Aztec Aromatic Ritual ($270), a warm body wrap that uses ginger and cloves. At the restaurant, C, Charlie Trotter has created dishes such as quail breast with truffle butter and triple-seared bison tenderloin with a garlic flan. It's not easy to leave this lap of luxury, but adventures beckon on the lower Baja Peninsula: Deep-sea fishermen can chase enormous marlin (Palmilla will set up eight-hour excursions starting at $980), or you can head into the desert—via horseback or Hummer H3—and follow dry arroyos to a swimming area with natural springs and waterfalls. And yes, you can still hit Cabo San Lucas, but we recommend putting on your dancing shoes for a Champagne party at the hip and expensive nightclub Nikki Beach—definitely not the kind of place known for its upside-down shots.

SOUTH FLORIDA

What the kids do: Cruise the beach in Daytona in hip-hop-blaring SUVs by day; throw down red rum drinks at the open-air, reggae-playing Ocean Deck by night.

What you'll do: Go to the place where Spring Break got its start: Fort Lauderdale. From the 1960 movie Where the Boys Are to its heyday in the mid-'80s when nearly 400,000 students rolled in, the town was breakers' Ground Zero. Today, this is the place for you: The kids are long gone. The big trend here is in luxury condo/hotel projects such as the St. Regis (opening in September), but you'll marinate just fine at Starwood's year-old Atlantic. In a town that's not always a paradigm of refinement, these rooms are tasteful and restrained, featuring cream-colored sofas, espresso-hued furniture, granite countertops, and marble baths. Take advantage of the 7,000-square-foot Spa Atlantic, which specializes in facials; the staff analyzes your skin type and advises on the best type of treatment, whether it's vitamin C, seaweed, or aloe ($126). Just don't tell the therapist you're heading out to the fifth-floor pool, which can only encourage more sun damage. But if you're going to catch some rays, you may as well do it from a yacht; Fort Lauderdale, after all, is a boating capital. Water Fantaseas will rent you anything from a 41-foot sport yacht ($2,750 a day) to a 72-foot luxury model for $8,500. Yeah, like the kids know how to have a wild time.

HARBOUR ISLAND, BAHAMAS

What the kids do: Lose next year's tuition at the slots on Paradise Island; get smashed at Nassau's massive, multibar Zoo Club and Café.

What you'll do: Not much. That's the beauty of this flat speck in the sea—just 50 miles and a universe away from Nassau's cruise port and megaresorts. Okay, scratch that: There's plenty to do, including horseback riding, scuba diving, snorkeling, boating, and cycling. But you'll probably spend your time getting up close and personal with the island's famous pink sand. And with Pink Sands, the legendary 20-acre property popular with music, fashion, and Hollywood tastemakers ("Would you like an umbrella in that drink, Mr. De Niro?"). The 25 cottages are pastel-colored and decorated in a breezy Indonesian–Caribbean style, and the number of local birds perched about adds to the quiet, low-key vibe. Don't worry: It's no monastery. Folks here know how to enjoy the occasional rum-filled Bahama Mama or Goombay Smash. Just not in the same way those kids at the Zoo do.

Hopefully, the above three destinations have provided a little "end-of semester" inspiration for you. For the lowdown on our last three Spring Break hot spots, plus accomodation recommendations well away from the shooter bars and adolescent fraternity pranks, head now to concierge.com . Take a look at Negril in Jamaica, where you'll hide out at The Caves, an intimate, ten-room resort that sits 500 feet along the seaside cliffs, where the candlelit dining room and hot tub are actually carved into the grottoes. Then there's Mexico's Riviera Maya, the place to enroll in Bikini Boot Camp – not a B grade David Arquette vehicle, but rather a program for men and women of power-walking, body-sculpting, and yoga-practicing held at Amansala, a 16-villa resort in Tulum. Finally, we'll make a run for the Dominican Republic, where we recommend you stay at the Ian Schrager-esque Casa Colonial Beach & Spa resort in Puerto Plata, and try the papaya and pineapple exfoliation, followed by the mango body cocooning for good measure.

Hey, leave the 24/7 partying to the kids who don't know any better and get on with some serious R & R. One thing's for certain, your head will thank you in the morning!

What's your favourite beach side destination?

*Be sure to enter the Gather Travel Writing Contest  to win a dream cruise judged by Concierge.com editor in chief Peter Frank.