There are more than 40 beaches lining its shores, along with about 60 diving spots, where visitors can see more than 600 species of fish in one of the Caribbean's healthiest marine environments. The streets of capital Willemstad are lined with Dutch colonial architecture swathed in palm trees: Imagine an Amsterdam bursting with tropical Miami Beach colors.
If you're fleeing the elections, the locals completely empathize. They just held the first of their own in October as a newly autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, so they'll understand how you feel right now.
Costa Rica
Costa Rica offers mountains, jungles and two coasts of beaches, on the Atlantic and Pacific.
Jersey Shore native and former travel book publishing industry executive Megan Kennedy moved here and teaches English at Universidad Nacional Costa Rica in Nicoya and lives nearby in Playa Sámara, on the Pacific. Kennedy said she follows U.S. elections with "a little distance from the noise, but I'm still concerned about democracy and the direction my country is headed."
Her new home is "an incredibly beautiful spot, with a gorgeous beach, zip-lining, horseback riding, howler monkeys, cows and horses roaming the street."
Her community also has tourist amenities, "but we're not overrun with chain restaurants and American-ized ideals of vacation. There's a mix of tourists from around the world, plus locals, which allows for interesting discussions!"
