I found a piece of Utopia when I visited the Iberostar Paraíso Lindo in Mexico. I was blown away by the activities, food, beverages, cleanliness, and hospitality offered at such a reasonable price. The beautiful courtyards, the cobblestone walkways, the spectacular white-sand beaches, and the 32,000 square foot spa and shopping center offer richness and elegance. The only other all-inclusive resort that could possibly compare to the Iberostar Paraíso Lindo is the Royal Hideaway at over triple the cost.

With a wave pool, lazy river, swim-up bar, countless pools and restaurants, a fine, white- sand beach, jumping night life, kids’ club, Spanish lessons, dance lessons, aerobics, shooting, archery, basketball, cycling, beach volleyball, billiards, boccia, catamarans, football, gymnastics, kayaking, aqua gym, the scuba clinic, snorkeling, table tennis, tennis and windsurfing all without setting foot outside the hotel, I felt like everything I could ever need in life was at my finger tips.

While walking around the grounds of the resort, it felt like an aquatic paradise. The ocean was refreshing and never-ending; the pools filled the resort and appeared around every corner and the variety of water activities were impressive for any star resort.

My friend and I enjoyed an hour long kayak journey up and down the coast while the ocean life flourished below us. The fresh alcohol beverages that are made directly on the beach gave us liquid courage and we almost found ourselves swimming with the fishes without a snorkel and mask.

The waterfall cascading down the colonial-style structure leads to a wave pool for the young and the young at heart, and big surprise, but it is next to a bar and restaurant. Sometimes I wondered where the next, new restaurant was going to show up.

Even after a day of swimming, the pools were still in perfect condition and the chairs lined the area nicely. The maintenance/cleaning crew must be well paid because they certainly care about their work.

If a swim-up bar under a waterfall is what you’re after, you can find it centrally located near most of the main rooms and buildings. It was cool getting in first thing in the morning, but we were always sure they would have great drinks with little restrictions.

The lazy river is perfect for tubing with children. It’s safe and relaxing, unless you’ve had too much to drink; that’s when it’s good to have a friend on hand to hold your precious drinks as you maneuver into the tube obviously built for children.

I’m never one to return to an already-visited country and forget the same resort, but my next opportunity to travel south will include a stop at Iberostar Paraíso Lindo.