Where to Travel for Spring Break: Direct Flight Destinations from Denver

Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) _ Tommy Lundberg

If you still haven’t planned your spring break travel, don’t fear, there are a number of destinations that are just a direct flight away from Denver. Flying non-stop from the Mile High City is actually easier than ever these days with new routes starting up all the time. Grand Cayman is one such destination with Cayman Airways flying direct from DIA twice per week in season. Here are our top choices for where to travel this spring. 

Kimpton Seafire Resort

Grand Cayman

Getting from Denver to most of the Caribbean has long been a hassle that just isn’t worth the time involved, especially for a short vacation. Most Caribbean destinations involve taking a red-eye flight to Miami or New York City and then catching a flight to the islands. Because of the time change and the short duration of the flight, red-eyes to the East Coast are inevitably painful and even if you fly first class leave you with just 3 hours of sleeping time. 

So when Cayman Airways introduced a round-trip flight from the Mile High City directly to Grand Cayman it became a game changer. At just 4.5-hours it is doable for even just a  4-night trip. The airline offers flights on Wednesday and Saturdays until April 15 and then on Saturdays only through the end of May before resuming the twice a weekly schedule through August. Check their website for more info as schedules can change. 

On the island, check out the Kimpton Seafire Resort and Spa. Located on beautiful Seven Mile Beach the property is Grand Cayman’s first lifestyle resort. We love the open air design throughout this property as well as the interior decorating style, which is elegant contemporary with just enough opulence to not feel overdone. Book one of the beachfront bungalows if you’re traveling with the family. They are roomy and many come with full kitchens that can be stocked for your stay. 

Becca Blond

Cabo San Lucas

Another easy and affordable flight from Denver is Cabo San Lucas at the far southern end of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula. We love this destination for its absolutely unique geography. It kind of resembles that old country music song Ocean Front Property by George Strait (more recently covered by Kenny Chesney) about buying “beachfront property in Arizona.” Here giant Cardon cacti meet the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. 

Colorful Cabo San Lucas is the main town and where you’ll find a marina and lots of shops, bars and restaurants. There are hotels and resorts in the town itself but most are found in the surrounding region, which is known as Los Cabos with many concentrated at the far southern end near Lands End, which is where the area’s famous natural rock arch is also located. 

If you looking for a second home, Cabo may be a good investment. The new 834-acre Rancho San Lucas resort community development here is anchored by the Grand Solmar Rancho San Lucas resort and a Greg Norman golf course. It includes 32 luxe estate homes and 36 condos that were created in a collaboration with Hall-of-Fame golfer and entrepreneur Greg Norman. This is Norman’s first real estate venture in Mexico, and touring the Norman Estate Homes we were impressed by the Mexican Hacienda style design with interior courtyards and outdoor living spaces. Book a room at the Grand Solmar resort, which has top quality restaurants, a lovely salt water lagoon big enough to kayak around and all-inclusive pricing options, to see if this is your vacation style before considering a purchase. The only downer here is that while there is a long gold sand beach, the ocean is too rough to swim in. This is the case for most of Cabo however with a few exceptions. 

Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) _ Tor Johnson

Maui, Hawaii

United Airlines now flies direct from Denver to Maui. The flight takes around 7 hours and 40 minutes so this destination is definitely better suited for a week to 10 day vacations especially since there is a time change involved as well — Maui is three hours behind Denver. 

Once on Maui there are a number of different accommodation options depending on who you are traveling with and your budget. Most of Maui’s resorts are on the West Coast around Kaanapali and in the south around ritzy Wailea. There are a few more high end resorts around Kapalua in the northwest. 

The Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is a family friendly favorite luxury property with an art collection worthy of a museum. Right on the beach at Kaanapali, the new Westin Nanea Ocean Villas is another family friendly property with a lagoon-style swimming pool among other amenities. 

Flickr_DruBloomfield

Scottsdale, Arizona

Phoenix is a short and easy direct flight that is usually quite affordable from Denver with multiple flights per day on a number of airlines. Once at the airport pick up a rental car (the Phoenix metro area is huge and this is a destination a car really works well for) and head out to Scottsdale for some sunshine and desert R&R. 

Rockies MLB fans can even catch their team in action during spring training, which is held at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale throughout March. Pay a visit to the Colorado Rockies website here for more info on tickets and schedules. 

Scottsdale is also a fabulous spa and golf destination with a number of high profile resorts. The Old Town is charming to wander with numerous boutiques, art galleries, chef-driven restaurants and swanky bars. If you’re looking for a romantic dinner spot downtown check out The Mission. A well-loved favorite it serves delicious “modern Latin” fare by candlelight in laidback luxe environs.