19 best places to travel for the spring of 2019

(CNN) — Choosing between a world-class flower festival, Argentine wine harvest or trans-Africa road rally may be tough for travelers, but spring is calling and it’s time to make a choice.

Spring travel, tucked between the sky-high rates of the winter holidays and the crowds and heat of summer, is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

No longer a season reserved for retirees and backpackers, the world’s low-cost carriers, burgeoning tourism development budgets and dare we say, Instagram, have put never-before-considered spring break destinations on this year’s map. Here are 19 of our favorites, in alphabetical order.

1. Aegean Islands, Greece

Skip the crowds, the heat and the hot, dry Meltemi winds of summer when you cruise the Greek islands in spring. Many of the Aegean islands awake from hibernation in time to celebrate the Greek Orthodox Easter on April 28.

Up to 1,200 passengers aboard seven-night Idyllic Aegean cruises this spring call on Mykonos, Milos, Santorini, Heraklion (Crete) and Kusadasi (port of Ephesus, Turkey) before returning to Piraeus.

The idyllic part? In Mykonos and Santorini, you overnight in port so you can sip retsina and party as late as you want without missing the boat.

All-inclusive pricing of $1,419 covers onboard meals of local cuisine, a standard unlimited drinks package, select shore excursions with more available for a fee, plus entertainment, port fees and gratuities.

It may be too chilly for a bikini but Greece’s sunny climate, the turquoise sea and the blooming oleander on shore will sweep you away.

2. Barcelona, Spain

Spring is the best time to avoid the overtourism that spawned “Tourists Go Home” graffiti throughout Barcelona in 2018. It’s also prime season to stroll the Flower Market along the city’s central promenade, La Rambla.

3. Cancun, Mexico

Millions picture Cancun when they hear “spring break” thanks to “MTV Spring Break,” a show packed with skimpily clad spectators and good-natured debauchery that aired from 1986 through 2014.

Visitors may want to skip the cheap liquor implicated in several 2018 tourist accidents, of course, and stick to Mexico’s many fine beers. All-inclusive rates at the Grand Oasis drop to about $215 per night for a family of four after MTV wraps.

The supervised attraction comprises a zipline, bungee jumping, roller coaster, suspension bridges and more thrills right on the resort grounds. This five-star all-inclusive’s rates are competitive, too.

4. Grand Canyon, Arizona

America’s most renowned natural attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage site celebrated the 100-year anniversary of its national park designation on February 26.

Catch Native American cultural demonstrations each month at the Desert View Watchtower, the Earth Day festival April 20 plus many other special park service programs.

Moor your raft to hike to Nankoweap, explore Native American ruins and see ancient fossils.

Whitewater rafting trips for ages 12 and older start at $2,755 per person.

5. Keukenhof Gardens, Holland

On March 21, the latest designs using new floral breeds will inspire gardeners around the world. Forty gardeners work all year planting seven million bulbs, often in layers, so that fresh blooms will appear throughout the show’s eight-week run.

Additional pavilions feature a changing selection of 20 flower and plant shows — don’t miss the orchids and lilies — where blooms are in competition.

The 123-acre display is just a small part of an historic park dating to 1857. This year, there’s a focus on Tulpenmanie, the tulip mania craze that swept Europe in the 17th century.

During the world’s first speculative bubble, a single tulip bulb could fetch 10 times a craftsman’s annual salary or be traded for huge tracts of land before prices suddenly crashed.

Keukenhof — just 40 kilometers from Amsterdam — is easily reached via public transportation and private tours from all corners of Holland.

6. Lake Tahoe, California

Squaw Valley’s Aerial Tram, which has served skiers, snowboarders and sightseers since 1969, is an awesome ride. The average 300 days of sunshine each year make Instagrammable views of the lake and surrounding Sierra Nevada Range almost guaranteed.

Want the sunshine to yourself? Ski down to the new Gold Coast Beach Bar, opening April 5 outside the upper mountain Gold Coast Lodge and get stoked on barbecue, sunbathing among the evergreens and people watching.

Insiders avoid the crowds by making tracks to Ice Bar at sister resort Alpine Meadows, off the Pacific Crest South Bowls. Wherever you land, don’t forget the sunscreen.

7. Las Vegas

That singular piece of real estate will soon be undergoing a revolutionary change. The city has just green-lit Elon Musk’s The Boring Company to build an underground people mover using autonomous electric vehicles to connect downtown Vegas with the airport, convention center and resort corridor by 2021.

If you’re craving a selfie, race to book tickets to the Supercross FanFest and mingle with drivers on the big day.

8. Ledbury, United Kingdom

Destination weddings and hunting parties can book Eastnor’s four rental homes. The eclectic collection of armor, tapestries and medieval art in the manor is open for group tours and filming. And, like other Downton Abbey-worthy homes, seasonal special events help fund operations.

9. Malta

Explore the beautiful coastline, lavish churches, forts and historic sites of Malta before charter loads of beach-goers arrive. Spring may bring more sun and less rainfall (by May you can swim in the sea), but you’re here for figolli, a special Easter dessert.

Figolli are almond cakes flavored with orange blossom water and marzipan filling. Typically coated in vanilla royal icing, some are blinged out with a foil-wrapped chocolate egg for the holiday. While they’re mostly shaped like rabbits, butterflies or Easter eggs; food bloggers should watch for ones shaped like men or women.

10. Marrakech, Morocco

Note that some businesses and restaurants curtail hours and services during the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan, between May 5 and June 4 this year.

11. Mendoza to Patagonia, Argentina

Pluck the last of the grapes in Mendoza and mountain bike, kayak or horseback ride in Patagonia this spring.

France’s Malbec grape thrives in the distinct climate and soil at the foot of the snow-capped Andes. Just an hour’s flight from Buenos Aires, the safest way to sample the distinct wines of Mendoza’s Central, Valley de Uco and Southern vineyards and bodegas (wine cellars) is by hop-on hop-off Bus Vinividicola.

12. Munich, Germany

Surf’s up in Munich! Dive in and get amped with local surfers on Munich’s 1.2-mile Eisbach, a manmade tributary of the Isar River designed with waves and a thundering waterfall.

Eisbach’s three-foot wave is only conquered by experienced surfers, so you’ll want to join spectators on the shoreline.

13. Naoshima Island, Japan

Be reborn with a transformative journey to the Inland Seto Sea, where fishing villages shelter priceless contemporary art and architecture by modern masters.

International artists have been commissioned to install projects in abandoned teak homes. There’s also a stunning gallery at Benesse House, the all-white luxury hotel where guests can commune with their own unique artwork overnight.

14. Orlando, Florida

This spring, topiary artists are using a wider variety of plant materials to represent Disney characters’ facial features in boxwood and verdant hues. If you’ve never seen a green Snow White, she’s standing near the Germany pavilion with the Seven Dwarfs.

Home gardeners appreciate the expert-led gardening seminars, which are included in the regular Epcot admission along with the daily Garden Rocks concert series; Outdoor Kitchens for sampling; and children’s play gardens illustrating nutrition and wellness.

15. Penang, Malaysia

Designed to be minimally disruptive, 4×4 vehicles and cable cars transport visitors up to the dense jungle. Everyone from thrill-seekers to elders finds their comfort zone on a nature trail, treetop walk or Aerial Trail to watch as Asian Fairy Bluebirds, Racquet-tailed Drongos, Brahminy Kites and other exotic species fly by.

It took a visionary government to protect this prehistoric ecosystem in 1910, when only the colonial-era ruins of a British Hill Station remained. A century later, the local Cockrell family began developing an eco-tourism attraction on land adjacent to the Government Hill Permanent Forest Reserve.

Scientists estimate the Malaysian rainforest hosts 20 percent of the world’s animal species and uncountable plant species. The Habitat’s canopy walk, home to Langurs or Dusky Leaf monkeys, provides access to rare wildlife and stunning views of valleys, headlands, the city of Georgetown and the glittering Andaman Sea beyond.

16. Puerto Rico

After a painful recovery from 2017’s Hurricane Maria and attention to the island by “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, the island came in fifth on an Allianz Global Assistance survey of top International Spring Break destinations.

Now more relaxed and local in style, Taino-inspired rugs and bed throws, neutral tones and discreet private plunge pools let the surrounding turquoise sea and golden sand take center stage.

17. Queenstown, New Zealand

While it’s true that New Zealand is still grieving a terrorist attack at a Christchurch mosque on the country’s South Island, visitors are still welcome to enjoy this remarkable country. Take advantage of the southern hemisphere’s reverse seasonality to celebrate the fall harvest with food and entertainment.

18. St. Louis Zoo, Missouri

19. Washington, DC

America’s friendship with Japan dates to 1912, when Tokyo Mayor Yukio Ozaki gifted Yoshino cherry trees to the country’s capital.

Adults can toast the arrival of spring during the nightly Japanese Cherry Blossom Happy Hour, a Japanese whisky tasting with appetizer pairing at the Capital Hilton’s Statler Lounge.

This article originally appeared here