“If you want the city, shopping, discos, and nightlife,” says Jackie Cannizzaro of Danzante Eco Resort in Baja California, “Danzante is the wrong place.” What it lacks in metropolitan indulgences, though, it compensates for with unparalleled natural beauty. This solar-powered resort just south of Loreto, Mexico, specializes in scuba trips in the soft-coral jungles of the Loreto National Marine Park in the Sea of Cortez. With 75 to 100 feet of visibility in 80-degree water, you’ll see giant mantas, whale sharks, parrot fish, and octopuses. Ask to visit the 130-foot shipwreck not far from Danzante. The wreck is home to tons of marine life. After a two-tank dive, you’ll be parched, hungry, and ready to head back to the resort for cocktails and appetizers. Relaxing in the hammock on the porch of your suite is the best way to watch the sun set over the sea.

Having a great time! “If you get the chance to dive with the hammerhead sharks, that’s the real rush,” says Mark Thomas of Ojai. “You’ll see 70 or 80 swirling around you.”

-Matt Bloom

SUITES RANGE FROM $180 PER PERSON PER NIGHT DURING LOW SEASON (MID-APR.–OCT.) TO $398 A NIGHT DURING HIGH SEASON (NOV.–MID-APR.). SCUBA TRIPS COST $80 PER TWO-TANK DIVE. 408-354-0042, DANZANTE.COM.