MexicoIn August the peso was at 10 to the dollar. Now it's at nearly 13 That's a discount of more than 25 percent in a country that was already a deal. The resort areas of Cancún and Los Cabos are no bargains, though. To find the best values, visit the historic colonial cities and beach areas where Americans don't outnumber the locals and there's no Señor Frog's in sight. Think Puerto Escondido not Playa del Carmen, Mérida not Mazatlán.
Sample deals: a three-course lunch at a market stand in Guanajuato for $4; Hotel Maison Lafitte (maisonlafitte.com.mx/ing/ml_ eng.htm, Calle 60 No. 472, 011-52-999-928-1243), an evocative hotel in the center of Mérida, charges $63 a night for a double with breakfast and Wi-Fi; a round of Negra Modelos for five at nearly any bar, including gratis snacks, for $10.
HondurasVisitors can find fabulous deals on scuba diving packages on Roatan Island. This Caribbean island sits next to the second-longest coral reef in the world, and every hotel seems to offer package plans no matter the season. The mainland is a bird-watcher's paradise and is home to Copán, one of the key Mayan sites in the Americas.
Sample deals: a half day of white-water rafting on the Cangrejal River for $35 through Jungle Lodge (www.jungleriverlodge.com/rafting.html, 011-504-440-1268), including transportation; a weeklong learn-to-dive package with room, breakfast, and transfers for $535 per person at Bananarama (www.bananaramadive.com, West Bay Beach, 504-445-5005); a cold coconut with a straw for 40 cents; and admission to the Copán archeological park for $10.
GuatemalaThis is only a shade farther to fly than Mexico, but it is a truly exotic destination. The descendants of the Mayans still dress in traditional clothing in the villages surrounding stunning Lake Atitlán. The Spanish colonial buildings in the city of Antigua are older than anything left standing in our historic city districts. The sprawling archeological park of Tikal contains a dramatic set of Mayan ruins.
