Spring Break

A right of passage for many high school and college students is escaping away for a week of sun and fun during Spring Break. Typically a spring break vacation occurs during the middle of March each year. Most people would travel to Fort Lauderdale as a primary location, but over the last two decades, several cities both in the United States and in the Caribbean are evenly spread out as those considered to be the most popular destinations. Be sure to check out Mahalos Spring Break Packages for spring break deals.

The earliest acknowledged existence of Spring Break can be traced back to the mid 1930's, when the Colgate University men's swimming team traveled to Fort Lauderdale to take part in a combined swim meet and stayed in town for a week of practices. Then from the end of World War II until the 1980's, the popularity of Spring Break grew. One catalyst in the explosion of popularity of Spring Break was the annual coverage provided by MTV, which often featured the hottest stars of the day performing for those on location.

This popularity growth became a double-edged sword for Fort Lauderdale. On the one hand, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses thrived with the influx of visitors. The romanticism was further enhanced by the 1960 movie Where the Boys Are.

The down side was that, as Spring Break grew in size and numbers each year, couple with a growing drug epidemic during the late 1970's and early 1980's that sprang out of the nearby Miami Drug Wars, many local residents began to bemoan the increase in crime, particularly of driving under the influence incidents.

Additionally, the image of Fort Lauderdale as a safe haven for casual sexual encounters and underage drinking binges led the city to begin rejecting an image it helped create. As newer politicians came into office looking to curry favor by eliminating the growth of the 'Spring Break to south Florida' movement, other primary locations began to pop-up to fill the void.

Today, while many still travel to Fort Lauderdale, there are several cities in the United States that are popular destinations for those looking to have a good time. These cities include Panama City Beach, Fort Myers, and South Padre Island. Additionally, many have sought refuge in locations outside of the USA, such as Cancun, Cabo San Lucas, Jamaica and the Bahamas.