Spending spring break downing drinks, soaking in the sun, club hopping ‘til dawn, enduring a painful hangover and doing it all over again, may not be for everyone, but for some, it’s practically a rite of passage. If that’s what you’re looking for, these insanely wild spring break destinations are sure to fit the bill.
Key West, Florida
Just like going to New Orleans for Mardi Gras, Key West is the place for spring break. For those looking for a more tranquil experience, this is probably the last place you want to be from around mid-March to mid-April. Renowned for its colorful mix of free-spirited, eccentric types, things are taken up a notch in the spring. This southernmost spot in the U.S. offers a Caribbean-like feel without the need for a passport, and while it does have an open container law, during the high spring break season, it’s not enforced, according to its very own chief of police. Start the night off with mixed drink specials at Sloppy Joe’s, and after you’ve gotten your courage up a bit, head to the Garden of Eden. This clothing-optional bar provides an extremely interesting, insightful experience, to say the least. If you want to let loose without getting totally naked yourself, you might want to try the body paint station located in the back.
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Spring break debauchery is balanced with spectacular beaches and lots of unique activities in Punta Cana. This party-friendly destination is one of the most popular islands in the Caribbean for spring break. You’ll find idyllic weather and dozens of all-inclusive resorts, including everything from inexpensive dives to the utmost in luxury. Highlights typically include beachside games, contests, swim-up bars, and, of course, unlimited alcohol. Most of the resorts have clubs, casinos and pool bars, so that daiquiri or rum punch is just a short swim away. Dancing at Imagine provides a uniquely exciting experience, located in ancient underground caves, while booze-soaked catamaran tours are a must on just about every spring breaker’s to-do list.
Panama City, Florida
Panama City Beach pretty much exists because of spring break. It’s often been called the “Spring Break Capital of the World” and is Holiday Inn Sunspree’s unofficial spring break headquarters. Offering a beachfront location right on the Gulf, it’s filled with beautiful people competing to see who has the hottest bod, as well as the best chugging abilities. The city hosts nearly 500,000 co-eds each spring, keeping them entertained with magnificent sandy beaches, outdoor concerts, and bars with extended happy hours too. If that’s not enough, you’ll even find an amusement park. Just don’t guzzle too much before getting in line for that thrill ride.
New Orleans, Louisiana
Spring break isn’t always about the beach. Head to New Orleans and you’ll enjoy one of the nation’s biggest party cities – it’s not just wild during Mardi Gras. It happens all year long. You’ll find everything you need for an unforgettable escape — incredible music, fabulous cuisine and practically an endless amount of bars selling cheap drinks, along with some of the most lenient open-container laws in the U.S. The French Quarter is the place to go, with its streets lined with clubs and bars, including the legendary Pat O’Brien’s, where the Hurricane drink is said to have been created.
Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers ranks high on the list with college students as one of the best spots to head for spring break. If you’re looking for the wildest of the wild, Lani Kai is where you want to be. Every year this lively adult-only resort hosts thousands of spring breakers providing nonstop party action from dawn ‘til 2 a.m. It hosts hot bod, booty shaking and limbo contests, along with live performances by the world-renowned Cincinnati firemen, who’ve been coming here for more than a decade now. Of course, there are plenty of restaurants and bars on the property to ensure that you’ve always got a drink in your hand too.
*Check official resources, as Fort Myers Beach was significantly impacted by Hurricane Ian.
South Padre Island, Texas
Not surprisingly, in the state where everything is bigger, they do it up right on South Padre Island. With its beautiful beaches and fantastic clubs, you’ll enjoy a ton of sun, fun and drinks as well as what Rolling Stone magazine has called “the largest beach party in the world,” UME: Ultimate Music Experience, a three-day electronic dance music fest. Get up on your feet with some 50,000 of your closest friends, dancing to some of the greatest DJs in the nation flown in just for the event. If EDM and ragers aren’t your thing, Louie’s Backyard offers nightly bikini contests for cash prizes – or you can just enjoy sipping that exotic drink right on the sand, as South Padre is one of the few places where alcohol is legal on the beach.
Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza and wild, raucous parties are like peanut butter and jelly – they’re truly synonymous in this legendary place for party-goers across the globe. This is where you want to go if you don’t plan on sleeping for a week. No matter what time of day or night, weekend or weeknight, the clubs are always hopping at full capacity, while the beaches are well known as some of the hottest party spots on the planet. With mega clubs like Space and Pacha here since the house music boom began in the late ’80s, it’s also a mecca for hedonists and ravers from across Europe and far beyond. If you’re hoping to glimpse a celebrity, Marlin Ibiza has hosted the likes of Prince William and Leonardo DiCaprio, though you’ll have to be prepared to shell out quite a bit of cash and secure your reservation early if you hope to get a spot.
Ayia Napa, Cyprus
Ayia Napa, located at the far eastern end of the southern coast of Cyprus, is considered the party capital of the island, with an incredible array of bars and clubs as well as an abundance of hotels built along the sand. Here, DJs play all types of dance music, and you can also catch some amazing indie bands at the Live Lounge Venue. Nissi Beach is known as one of the hottest beach spots on Cyprus, hosting everything from bikini contests to foam parties. It’s become one of the most popular party destinations ever since it was featured on the BBC’s Radio 1 Roadshow. Get blasted with massive amounts of foam, enjoy drinking and dancing at all hours of the day and night – or, just sit back and watch the fascinating mix of people letting loose on the beach.
Las Vegas, Nevada
You won’t find any beaches in Sin City, but it definitely makes for an insanely wild spring break as the mecca of debauchery and decadence. Las Vegas has plenty for spring breakers, including incredible pool parties for some fun in the sun or wild nightclubs where you can dance the night away. For those who are on a tight budget, spring specials at the Hard Rock Hotel often include rooms for under $50 a night, and guests can enjoy a wild pool scene at Rehab that even includes swim-up blackjack. The Hard Rock is one of Vegas’ most unapologetically hedonistic hotels, with big-name bands playing regularly in its recently renovated Joint venue. If you’ve got the cash, the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino is one of the premier hotels in Vegas. Its trendy Tao nightclub is renowned as one of the hippest party spots on the Strip.
Cancun, Mexico
Cancun is one of Mexico’s most famous spring break hot spots, widely regarded as the most insane destination for spring breakers. You’ll find plenty of all-inclusive resorts and nightclubs filled with people who party like there’s no tomorrow. Grand Oasis Cancun is a popular choice, with the pool and beach hopping with daytime dance parties. Senor Frogs is legendary for attracting tons of college kids who are often found dancing on top of the bars, and at Pat O’Brien’s, you can enjoy Mardi Gras south of the border, complete with beads and hurricanes.
Nassau, Bahamas
It may not be a traditional spring break mecca, but the capital of the Bahamas has been heating up in recent years, with DJs and live music jamming in the clubs, along with throngs of partiers out on the dance floor. The party scene gets started a little later here, so you can enjoy your days soaking in the sun or getting adventurous by doing a little parasailing, snorkeling, diving and swimming with dolphins or rays. Check into hotels like the all-inclusive Breezes Bahama and join in on the Mardi Gras parties at Cocktails & Dreams. You’ll even find the legendary Mexican chain Senor Frogs here if that’s your thing.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Much to the dismay of locals, Myrtle Beach has become increasingly popular for spring breakers. This South Carolina city was even included on COED’s trashiest spring break list, based on its bevy of things to do and the fact that the bars close earlier than the strip clubs, forcing dedicated party-goers to frequent both. South Myrtle is where everyone goes, which is split into three separate areas: the beach, the strip clubs and Broadway on the beach. Revelers spend their days on the beach getting hammered, followed by taking a trip to the Boardwalk and drinking fishbowls at Fat Tuesdays. When the bars shut down at 2 a.m., partiers take a walk to their favorite strip club, which continues to serve through the wee hours of the morning.
Mykonos Island, Greece
Mykonos, known as one of the most cosmopolitan and expensive of the Greek islands, is world-renowned as a top party spot with its reputation for sexy revelers, lots of exposed flesh and party shenanigans of mythical proportions. Clothing is usually optional on the golden sand beaches and in the strikingly azure waters. Paradise Beach, once known as a gay beach but expanding to become one of the most well-known party beaches, is a place that draws all sorts of celebs and fashionistas who party all day and all night and get up and do it all over again.
Miami, Florida
In Miami, clubs and bars line the streets and encourage partiers to stay out until the wee hours of the morning, while the city’s beautiful beaches make for a perfect place to mingle and perfect your tan during the day. As Will Smith once rapped, “Ain’t no city in the world like this,” and countless spring breakers head here to find out if it’s true. Of course, MTV even relocated its rowdy party crew, the cast of “Jersey Shore,” here, exemplifying the reason Miami was also included on a “trashy” spring break list. Catalina Hotel in South Beach is popular with the 20-something crowd who want to rage ‘til 4 a.m. It’s moderately priced, in the heart of the trendy bar scene and right across from the beach.
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Cabo, considered the party capital of southern Baja, offers a high-end spring break experience, popular with trust fund kids and west coast university students who prefer something more upscale. Spectacular beaches like Playa Medano appeal to just about anyone who wants some R&R, though you’ll find plenty of lively nightlife hot spots like Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina cranking up the party scene through the wee hours. ME Cabo by Melia is a beachfront property for the over-21 crowd only – you might recognize it as the favorite for the crowd from MTV’s “The Hills.”
Negril, Jamaica
Though it’s one of the more chill spring break destinations, Jamaica has been a popular getaway for spring breakers for years, boasting a ton of aquatic activities during the day and an abundance of low-key venues for nighttime partying. In Negril, Jamaica Tamboo offers a combination hotel/club with dance parties and bikini contests to keep you up on your feet, while DJs spin tunes at Travellers Beach Resort alongside the pool, which features a swim-up bar and in-water tables for sipping frozen drinks. Don’t miss taking a ride on the rope swing at the waterfalls or tubing down the Great River during the day.
Lake Havasu, Arizona
Lake Havasu is another great spring break spot that proves you don’t need the ocean to enjoy an amazing escape. It offers a unique and inexpensive destination with giant flotillas of party boats dropping anchor and partying hard. Those videos you’ve seen of drunk females dancing, or even stripping, on a boat we’re probably filmed here. You’re practically guaranteed to see an array of crazy things going on here in addition to the chance to take part in all types of water activities like jet skiing, water skiing, parasailing – and, spending your nights aboard a boat. If you aren’t into a floating hotel, the London Bridge Resort is a popular, affordable alternative.
Pag Island, Croatia
Sometimes referred to as the “Croatian Ibiza,” Zrce Beach on Pag Island is known for some of the best parties in the country. It’s become increasingly popular with the spring break crowd, throwing a four-day party that includes DJs and plenty of debauchery. This pebble beach is so magnificently clean and clear that it was awarded a Blue Flag in 2003, a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education for a beach that meets its strict standards. There are a number of all-hours nightclubs and beach bars, regularly featuring internationally renowned house and trance DJs too. And, the party scene goes on at all hours of the day and night, not stopping for anything, even sleep.
Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
One of the world’s most iconic beaches, Copacabana throws some of the wildest parties on the planet. This is the place to go if you want to ogle women, and men, in teeny tiny bathing suits, listen to loud music and join in on all sorts of party activities. Some of the most gorgeous people on earth can be found here, with sexy smiles and golden tans, dancing to samba beats and soaking up the sun. The beach is also surrounded by breathtaking mountains and a bustling city with an abundance of live music venues and discotheques – many open until dawn.
