So wake up from hibernation early and plan a trip to one of Mexico's most popular warm-weather destinations. To help you choose a vacation spot best suited to your needs, we've highlighted five of Mexico's most popular destinations, including Puerto Vallarta, Oaxaca/Huatulco, Cancún, Acapulco, and Los Cabos.

Puerto Vallarta
If sun, sand, and freshly caught fish float your boat, then Puerto Vallarta might just be the place for you. It is home to more than 9,000 hotel rooms, 300,000 inhabitants, an abundance of white houses with red tiled roofs--and lots of sunshine. Visitors like to spend afternoons on the beach sipping pina coladas as vendors roam by selling their wares--popular items include silver jewelry, Mexican blankets, and light clothing.

Puerto Vallarta offers multiple opportunities to relax, seek adventure, and experience the winning combination of a historic downtown along with more modern surrounding areas. Aside from tourist services, clubs, restaurants, and resorts to dazzle any vacationer, the area surrounding "PV," (as the locals refer to it), offers some of Mexico's best fishing, water-skiing, parasailing, sailing, windsurfing, and even horseback-riding along its beautiful beaches.

Playa de los Muertos
Located just south of Rio Cual, this has long been the place to head for cheaper eats and accommodations. The Beach of the Dead was named after a battle that occurred there between pirates and the Indians who lived there. Another hotspot near PV, Punta Mita, dazzles tourists with its breathtaking views of both the Sierra Madre mountains and the entire Bahia de Banderas. Punta Mita's warm crystal blue water is perfect for swimming, surfing, and whalewatching in the winter months. Fishing is very popular and excursions are available for visitors. And, who knows, if you're lucky, maybe you'll be eating a freshly prepared dinner of Roosterfish, Yellowtail, Dorado, or Bowto.

Oaxaca and Huatulco
Situated on the coast in the center of Mexico, Oaxaca and Huatulco offer visitors 322 miles of coastline, complete with internationally renowned surf spots, national wildlife preserves, and a culturally diverse population. Spend long days enjoying the sun and sand at Puerto Escondido, an internationally recognized surf locale on the Pacific Ocean. Further south on the coast lies Puerto Angel, another beach community, now largely populated by the Navy.

If getting to know the people of Mexico excites you as much as the beaches do, be sure to visit the city for which the region is named: Oaxaca. The city bustles with a mixture of Mestizos and indigenous people who come from the nearby mountain villages to sell their goods at Oaxaca's large outdoor market. As you roam colonial streets, listen for Zapotec and Mixtec languages in addition to Spanish, the region's official language. In the city's main plaza, the Zócalo, tourists and locals alike spend afternoons relaxing, drinking a coffee, or soaking up the shade. As the evening rolls around, Mariachi and Marimba bands playing around town liven up the cool nighttime air.

Cancún
Does the image of 24 miles of beautiful beach appeal to you? How about scuba diving through some of the most spectacular reefs in the world, or climbing up the side of a Mayan pyramid and looking out above the jungle canopy? Welcome to Cancún, located off the eastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. This narrow 14-mile-long island is home to resorts, nightclubs, restaurants, and some of Mexico's most stunning white-sand beaches.

If you don't know why Cancún is the most popular destination in Mexico, you probably haven't been there yet. Simply spend time on the beach soaking up the sun and allowing the Caribbean breeze to blow through your hair--and you'll begin to understand Cancún's many charms. Adventurous sunbathers should drive south to one of the less populated beaches: Playa Toruygas, Chac Mool, Playa Ballenas, and Playa Delfinas represent a variety of beach towns that provide a wide-range of services and facilities. Some are developed for tourists, and offer restaurants and changing areas; others supply nothing more than endless expanses of white sand and breathtaking views.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are incredible in Cancún--plus, the divers' haven of the Caribbean, the island of Cozumel, is only a short boat ride away. Perhaps history and culture are what turn you on. If so, trade in the modern world for a taste of the Mayan civilization's ancient traditions, customs, and architecture. Cancún's proximity to the ruins of Tulum, Chichén Itzá, and Coba makes a visit to any one of these historic sites a perfect day trip.

Acapulco
If you need a break from the rat race to slow down and catch your breath, then Acapulco's the vacation spot for you. Get out your sunscreen, your favorite book, and head for the beach. Indeed, visitors come for the relaxing sun-and-sand-filled-days and the wild and popular nightlife. The city is packed with romantic restaurants, tons of discos, consistently warm weather, and enough hotels for everyone. Try your hand at one of the many water activities, ranging from parasailing to snorkeling, diving to water-skiing.

Other activities include walking around the downtown, stopping at the Mercado Municipal, the Zócalo, and the waterfront. It isn't hard to figure out Acapulco's easy rhythms: sunbathe and relax during the day, dine at one of its many restaurants, and "shake off the dust" during an evening of disco dancing by night. And, of course, no visit to Acapulco is complete without seeing the famous clavadistas dive off cliffs, gracefully plummeting into the warm blue water below.

Another place to check out if you have the time is an empty and beautiful stretch of beach called Pie de la Cuesta. (You can drive if you have a rental car, or splurge on the 25-minute cab ride.) Swim in the comfortable ocean water or walk to the nearby Coyca Lagoon known for its water-skiing, fresh-water fishing, and boat rides. Do whatever your heart desires--but do not leave without trying a local specialty, pescado a la talla (fish marinated in spices and grilled over hot coals) If you have wheels, head east to another long stretch of gorgeous and uncrowded beach called Barra Vieja, where you can sample local cuisine--and the BV version of pescado a la talla.

Los Cabos
Los Cabos was developed in the mid-'80s by the Mexican government, in an effort to create the ultimate tourist destination. The area stretches from the southern tip of Baja California in Cabo San Lucas north through an area called the Corridor to San José del Cabo. Together, they offer deluxe hotels, some of the best sport fishing in the world, championship golf courses, and incredible beaches.

Today, Los Cabos is emerging as the premier Mexican destination for active visitors. Kayaking is a popular activity and most hotels or outfitters offer equipment rentals or guided tours in the Sea of Cortez. If you travel before the end of March, you just may catch a glimpse of the whales migrating. Sport fishing around this region is phenomenal, and boats and cruises are almost as easy to come by as the fish themselves.

If it's the beach you've come for, Los Cabos will stun you with its numerous beaches, lagoons, and coves. Playa Hotelera, located in the picturesque town of San José del Cabo, is decorated with traditional white adobe houses with red roofs. Before you venture down to the east side of the beach, be sure to lather on bug repellent. The fresh water lagoon is home not only to beautiful tropical birds and plants but to lots of insects, as well. Playa Pamilla features a picture-postcard beach lined with fishing boats.

At the bottom tip of the entire Los Cabos region sits El Arco. This natural rock arch is one of the most sensational sights in the area. While El Arco is visible from some hotels and the beach, a trip to Cabo just isn't complete without a view from a boat sailing by it. The Light House of the False Cape (El Faro de Cabo Falso) is another classically Cabo part of the skyline that sits amidst sand dunes, just a bit past the glorious arch.

However you choose to shed the winter layers--Mexico has a destination for you. Enjoy the warm waters of the Pacific, the Caribbean, and the Sea of Cortez. Play some golf, climb a Mayan pyramid, shop at an outdoor market, or sit back on a chaise lounge and soak up the rays. With a little luck, you'll come back just in time to miss the rest of winter. •