My wife & I are planning to take a 10 day trip to following Christmas, just to get away. She's from Argentina (the sister country to 'Nam). But, since we only have 10 days for travel, we didn't want to burn 2 of them traveling all the way down there to visit family. So, we're looking at Spanish speaking destinations that would keep us at 7 hours or less, non-stop from DFW. Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, and Central Mexico (ex. San Miguel de Allende, Pátzcuaro, Cuetzalan, etc) have all piqued our interest. That doesn't mean we don't want to travel further than 7 hours. We just want to be in the country of our choosing within 7 hours. We can then head out to other locations (Galapagos, Cuenca, Medellin, etc on a subsequent day). I've already been to Costa Rica, so that option is out. We're not really looking for a relaxing beach vacation (though we're not opposed to mixing in a little beach time). We're really just wanting to get out & explore. We love colonial Spanish architecture, nature/the outdoors, good food, unique cultures, etc. Basically, places we're not like to see a McDonald's or Gap. Any suggestions or 1st hand experiences to share?
p.s. I have been to Cusco & hiked the Salkantay Trail all the way to Machu Piccu. But, we didn't have time to do any exploring outside of 1 day in Cusco, b/c of time constraints. Hence why I asked for feedback on Peru, rather than simply saying "I've been there".
p.p.s. My wife doesn't do long distance hiking. She likes looking at nature & casually walking through it. She doesn't much care for camping in it or sweating in it.
p.s. I have been to Cusco & hiked the Salkantay Trail all the way to Machu Piccu. But, we didn't have time to do any exploring outside of 1 day in Cusco, b/c of time constraints. Hence why I asked for feedback on Peru, rather than simply saying "I've been there".
p.p.s. My wife doesn't do long distance hiking. She likes looking at nature & casually walking through it. She doesn't much care for camping in it or sweating in it.
