Getaways without the kids

It is relatively easy to locate the more free-spirited adults-only resorts, mostly in the Caribbean; hedonistic and clothing-optional places abound. It's harder to find non-X-rated places that ban children.

To help navigate the child-free travel maze, you might need the help of a professional. Elena Mathis owns Child Free Travel, an agency that focuses exclusively on travel without kids.

"I am child-free myself," Mathis says, "and I completely relate to my clients. There are no judgments or questions, just the desire to plan the best 'child-free' vacation possible."

Not all of her clients are child-free. "There is no typical client," says Mathis. "I have planned trips for honeymooners, empty-nesters, child-free married couples, couples who are dating or living together. It runs the gamut." One client was a mother who was celebrating her 60th birthday and "just didn't want to deal with kids."

One thing her clients have in common is the desire for a quiet, relaxing vacation. Most are seeking luxury accommodations, often with a romantic setting. Phillip Gharabegian, who has been using Mathis's agency for almost three years, craves a respite from his busy life as a lawyer in Los Angeles.

"My girlfriend and I were looking for an escape to a tropical location," he says. "While we're at a resort, we want something that is free of young children." Most recently they stayed at Maroma, an adults-only resort near Cancún that does not allow children under age 12 from May 28 to Dec. 21. No one under 16 is allowed during the rest of the year.

"Nothing breaks your relaxation quicker than noise," says Gharabegian. "We tend not to stay at resorts that cater to the spring break crowd either."

Peggy Gavan, a writer from Warwick, N.Y., wants to avoid chaos when she travels. "There is nothing more annoying than getting splashed in the hotel pool by screaming kids, having to dodge little kids running around the lobby . . . especially when you pay thousands of dollars for a vacation," she says.

Many seeking child-free vacations work with children. Katie Andrews, an English teacher from Los Angeles, simply wants to get away from it all.