A traveler-to-traveler planning guide for March. What to book first, what to leave loose, where to base, and which mistakes we have personally made so you do not have to.
Book in this order
1. The flight, before the accommodation
Airfare to summer destinations in March swings more than accommodation pricing. Lock the route first. Be flexible about which beach you end up on, not which week you travel.
2. Internal transport, before the hotel
Ferries, internal flights, and rental cars run thin or expensive in many of our March destinations. Confirm these before the accommodation, not after. We have lost three days to a missed ferry that was not bookable on the morning we needed it.
3. The first three nights only
Book the first three nights firm, then leave the rest of the trip loose. The single biggest cause of mediocre travel is over-booking. You arrive, you find a town you love, you cannot stay because you have a non-refundable booking two hours away. Three firm nights, then improvise.
Where to base
Tulum has shifted upmarket but the beach road still works if you book early. Akumal and Soliman Bay are quieter alternatives with the same warm water. Las Terrenas on Samana has French and Italian-run small hotels that beat the big chains for atmosphere. Sri Lankan boutique villas around Talalla and Dickwella are at the right price-to-quality ratio. Vietnam's An Bang Beach has a strip of family-owned homestays at half the cost of Da Nang's resorts.
Money and budget
March pricing varies wildly across our destinations. The same week can cost double in one country and half in another. Build your shortlist with a budget filter early. The cheapest destinations in March are often the most authentic ones, and the most expensive ones are often the most over-marketed.
What to skip
- All-day organized tours from city hotels. You will spend more time in transit than on the beach.
- Resort buffets when the local restaurant scene is good. You came for the place, not the buffet.
- Multi-island hopping in less than 10 days. The journey eats the holiday.
- Booking the most famous beach. The second-most-famous beach is usually better and emptier.
Daily rhythm
Punta Cana and the Dominican north coast around Las Terrenas have warm, calm Atlantic water at this point in the year. The Caribbean side of the Riviera Maya, especially Tulum, Akumal, and Soliman Bay, is reef-protected and ideal for snorkeling. Sri Lankan south coast has small surf at Weligama and a calmer swim at Mirissa cove. The cenotes inland from Tulum stay a refreshing 24 C all year and balance hot beach afternoons.
The March rhythm tends to be the same across our recommended destinations. Early swim, late breakfast, mid-morning activity, long lunch, quiet hour, second swim, sunset. Resist the urge to over-program. The point of these places is exactly this rhythm, and any travel that breaks it is travel you will regret.
Final advice
March is a planner's month. The weather windows are clean if you pick the right coast on the right week.
Avoid spring break weeks in the Riviera Maya unless you actively want the energy. Mid-March to early April is peak. Sri Lanka's south coast surf school season ends around early April. Book lessons in the first half of the month. Vietnam's Hoi An is best as a base. Da Nang for beach, Hoi An for old town, then back to the sand. Dominican Republic resorts vary wildly. Read recent reviews. The country is huge and one-coast advice doesn't transfer.
