It’s that time of year. Time to have fun. Time to let your hair down. That’s right, it’s Spring break.
While everyone in the world loves this wonderful vacation, it is even more special for boat owners. Sure, you can have a time on your home water, but you can trailer your boat and take your good times on the road. What follows is our guide to doing just that. This breakdown of Spring Break Destinations on Your Boat includes freshwater and saltwater and places that are known for their lots of fun alongside a couple that are a bit more low-key.
Lake Havasu, Arizona
If you are going to talk about Spring Break destinations, Arizona’s Lake Havasu is likely on your list. Billed as “The Center of the Spring Break World,” Lake Havasu’s lineup includes DJs, beach parties, paddle board rentals, locally guided ATV adventures, and more.
The festivities center around London Bridge Resort (yes, it actually overlooks a replica of the famous London Bridge) and the Kokomo Beach Club.
Lake Havasu offers natural beauty and pleasant weather. If you’re planning a trip, Lake Havasu is about three hours from Phoenix or a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Las Vegas.
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Key West, Florida
The lower Keys boast an incredible array of boating and Spring Break experiences. If you’re looking for a big crowd, head to Duval Street and you’ll find plenty of like-minded revelers. If you’re looking for good food and cold drinks, there are plenty of those, too. If you’d like to incorporate some peace and quiet into your boating on Spring Break plans, Key West offers that in spades. You can head across to Florida Bay or into the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing opportunities range from trout, redfish, snook, permit, and tarpon inshore to sailfish, wahoo, and mahi mahi offshore.
You can also snorkel on patch reefs or spend the day on the sandbar hanging out with old friends, while making plenty of new ones. That’s what Spring Break is all about.
If you have the boat for it, and the weather is good, you can head to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. About a 90-mile trip, you can also take a ferry to the island. It’s a beautiful place that is surrounded by bottom fishing that is as good as you’ll find.
Home to a unique way of living, history, and culture (everything from Hemingway’s house and his six-toed cats to the Cuban influence), Key West really has it all. Spring Break is a great excuse to visit.
Charleston, South Carolina
There’s an awful lot to like about Charleston—during Spring Break or any other time of year. The city offers an incredible charm and is as welcoming as any place you’ll find.
Charleston’s restaurant lineup and food scene are good enough to rival any place in the South. The city’s culture is as charming as its waterfront. If you’re into history, there’s as much of that here as there are palm trees.
For the Spring Break boater, there’s plenty more to like. You can chase redfish in Charleston Harbor or in any of the Low Country’s extended network of bays. The speckled trout and black drum fishing can be solid inshore as well. Spring Break is a bit early in the year to head offshore, but Charleston is also a sneaky good blue marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi destination from late spring through early to mid-fall.
While Charleston’s Spring Break festivities are perhaps less raucous and wild than other places, it’s a great family destination. You can find plenty to do on Folly Beach and the nightlife and restaurant line is really well rounded.
Port Aransas, Texas
Located on the middle coast of Texas, Port Aransas is a great Spring Break destination. Sitting on the northern extent of Mustang Island, Port Aransas has access to great bay fishing and plenty of boating opportunities that are protected from the weather. You can spend a week on the sandbar or chase speckled trout, redfish, and flounder on the flats or in channels across the bay.
Port Aransas attracts Spring Breakers from across the county. In this part of the world, there’s always a good time to be had, and the ability to drive on the beach opens a number of exciting possibilities. Beachfront tailgate? Grill lots and lots of food, while hanging out on the beach? It’s here.
Add to this a well-rounded tourist experience—Virginia’s On the Bay is a staple of waterfront dining, and you begin to see why so many people have been visiting this part of the world for so many years. Originally known as Tarpon, Texas—the tarpon fishing in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s was good enough to have attracted U.S. presidents and dignitaries of all ilk. You can be part of this history by staying at the Tarpon Inn (its walls are covered in signed and dated tarpon scales…. It’s a sight to see).