For the last ten years, Ive been in search of the perfect weekend paradise. My dream destination is hot during the New York winters, with a beautiful swimmable beach thats walking distance from town. There are cute local restaurants, fun beach clubs, and chic boutique hotels. Theres no need to rent a car or rely on taxis.

Of course, many such places exist in the world. As a travel writer willing to scour the far corners of the globe in the quest for paradise, I have happily endured 40-hour travel days for the chance to swim in a remote seaside lagoon and dine on fresh seafood in a thatched-roof hut. But visiting the Philippines for a long weekend isnt exactly feasible.

So, my perfect long weekend destination has to be a direct flight from New York City thats under five hours. From there, it has to be an easy (as in, only one form of transportationno car-to-puddle jumper-to-ferry) ride to the destination that takes two hours at the most. The Yucatn is one of my favorite places to visit, but due to the seaweed problem there, the beautiful swimmable beaches bit is not a guarantee. Other Caribbean locales Ive visited have checked mostbut never allof the boxes. Until I visited Las Terrenas.

The Salto de Limon waterfall located on the Saman peninsula near Las Terrenas.Photo: Getty Images

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