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Michoacan can claim only a small stretch of Pacific coastline in comparison with neighboring states, but what it has is lovely and blessedly lacking in tourist overdevelopment. Playa Maruata is the most beautiful of Michoacan’s beaches and the perfect place to get away from it all. Actually three beaches nestled between mountains and coves, the easternmost stretch of sand is perfect for snorkeling and wading and sunbathing. The beaches are located next to a small village where you can find a grocery store and a tiny restaurant or two. You can camp on the beach for a small fee, or you can spend the night in a rustic cabin for a bit more. If comfort is important to you, you can splurge on a room at the Centro Ecoturistico Maruata, situated on a hillside above the coast.

North Florida’s beaches hardly get the attention of those farther south or on the Gulf of Mexico. But there’s a lot to love about this laid-back surf community just north of St. Augustine’s busy historic district. The beach’s steep drop-off makes little waves jack up nicely, so Vilano is a favorite with surfers—especially on the incoming tide, when the waves are best. And Porpoise Point, on the southern end of the beach, is a great place to cast a line into the surf and fish. Facilities at the beach include parking, showers, pavilions that can be rented for gatherings, and picnic areas.

Hotel Bo is a so-called design concept hotel, and its particular concept is the unification of contemporary and traditional Chiapaneco architecture and design. (Chiapaneco means indigenous to the state of Chiapas, where San Cristobal de las Casas is located.) The four elements—wind, water, fire, and earth—are central to the hotel’s aesthetic, with different design details, such as fireplaces and candles, alluding to these elements. Rooms are decorated with some local crafts, and beds are dressed with colorful spreads. The hotel really is in the heart of San Cristobal, within easy walking distance of markets, restaurants, and the city’s main sights, many of which are architectural gems dating back to the colonial era.

Enjoy private candlelit dinner at Zamas

You can find Cuish brand mezcal in a few establishments in Oaxaca city, but head to their own tasting bar located on the outskirts of the city center to learn what this brand stands for. They offer mezcal that is artisanally produced from several different varieties of wild agave, including the one for which they’re named. This is a bohemian haven, and besides sampling the different mezcals, you may also enjoy an art exhibit or concert on the weekends. Diaz Ordaz 712, Centro Oaxaca (951) 516-8791

This small village just east of Mitla has a large sign declaring it the world capital of mezcal. Here you’ll be able to see the whole process of how mezcal is made from harvesting the agave plant to distillation. There’s a wide variety of producers—some are small family distilleries, others have larger-scale production—but they all use traditional techniques. But the best part of a visit to Matatlán is the opportunity to sample the wide variety of mezcals including reposado, añejo, espadín and tobalá, among others.

In 2013, adventure company Todos Aventura (now known as The Hub) opened 15 miles of amazing mountain bike trails over dunes and around cacti and through dreamlike landscapes. Nothing beats a few hours of this kind of kickin’ around right before dusk. And it makes that cerveza afterwards taste so good!

Reachable only by boat, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa has incredible views of virgin forest, mountains, and water. The Aysén region is one of the least accessible, less touristy areas of Chile, and it’s really worth going the extra mile. The hotel was created by businessman Eberhard Kossmann, who in 1986 sailed with his family through the fjords south of Puerto Montt. He fell in love with this spot and by a stroke of luck was offered to buy the plot of land a few years later—and so began his first venture into tourism.

Built from local wood, Puyuhuapi Lodge & Spa sits alongside the Termas de Puyuhuapi (Puyuhuapi Hot Springs), and all the hotel’s hot water and heating is sourced from the thermal waters. Guests spend days exploring this beautiful part of Chile on excursions that range from hiking and kayaking to bird-watching and trips to glaciers. Evenings are spent soaking in the hot springs and relaxing in this picture-perfect wooden lodge on the waterfront.

Chef Roberto Solís’ menu showcases the area’s fresh ingredients including fish, lobster, cooked in the flavors and spices that have driven Maya Caribbean for centuries. Located inside the Hotel Casasandra, the restaurant’s setting is as warm as the service. Pair dishes with some locally-produced wines or a mezcal margarita. Thanks to his colorful ingredients and artful plating, Chef Solís’s dishes tend to be as appealing to the eye as they are to the palate.

Right on Key West’s famous Sunset Pier and next to Mallory Square, Ocean Key is at the center of the action, proven by the flocks of tourists who descend on the pier every evening at sundown. Inside the resort, the contemporary rooms are decorated in tropical colors like bright lime and turquoise, and have bathrooms with rainfall showers and whirlpool tubs and private balconies with views of the Gulf of Mexico or buzzy Duval Street. The angular pool is surrounded by cabanas and day beds; grab a ringside seat for the daily fashion show at Liquid, the kicking poolside bar. Prefer a quieter experience? The spa has a full range of treatments and packages that lean heavily on Asian traditions and ingredients, from Balinese massage to a Javanese rice-and-turmeric body scrub.

If you associate the phrase all-inclusive with the bracelet-wearing, tropical drink–swilling masses, then Marquis Los Cabos will make you do a double take. The adults-only resort offers unique amenities—open-air yoga classes, a 13,000-square-foot spa, tequila tastings, salsa-dancing lessons—plus an architecturally stunning property with nary a cheesy palm-tree motif in sight. The views begin in the alfresco lobby, where a stone arch draws your attention to the horizon, and continue through two curvaceous infinity pools overlooking the Sea of Cortez. The 235 rooms, outfitted with marble baths and works by Latin American artists, are just as inspiring thanks to private balconies that offer views of whales and dolphins in the distance.

Built into the side of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Capella Ixtapa is a luxurious resort hotel with 59 rooms, all suites with ocean-facing views. As might be expected, accommodations are generous in size, with each guestroom featuring a master bedroom, a living room, and a private terrace with its own plunge pool. Decor features tiled floors, dark wood furniture, and local handwoven crafts as accents. Included in the room fee is a range of personal services and amenities, from standards like Wi-Fi and nightly turndown service to more coveted benefits such as a personal assistant who provides individualized concierge services. There are lots of common spaces in the hotel for guests to enjoy, among them an open-air lobby and a library, where drinks and snacks are served nightly. Two pools, an award-winning spa, and three restaurants round out what’s on offer here.

There are at least two kinds of luxury when it comes to hotels. The first is overtly lavish: suited staff, hardwood floors, heavy furniture, and spare-no-expense design details and amenities. The second is understated, even simple, with effort and expense invested in doing just a handful of things really well. Coqui Coqui falls into the second category. Rooms are spare but by no means spartan; everything guests need is here, while everything extraneous has been left out. High, thatched ceilings and gauzy mosquito nets surrounding the beds give a tropical air. The idea here is to unplug, relax, and recharge. Guests who feel intoxicated by the exotic scents wafting throughout the hotel can purchase some to take home from the on-site perfumery. Tobacco, orange blossom, and coconut are just a few of the locally inspired aromas.

Chef/owner Aaron Silverman’s farmhouse restaurant, in the heart of Barracks Row, serves creative (and Michelin-starred) cooking inspired by his travels and culinary training in the American South, Mexico, the Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia. Pork sausage and lychee salad is a menu mainstay; most other dishes are rotated out frequently to make way for “new stuff,” anything from grilled cucumber with coconut and anchovy to jumbo lump crab with squash blossom. Groups of six to 12 can make online reservations, all others should be prepared to wait a while. Line up before the 5 p.m. opening time to snag a seat at the counter facing the open kitchen and wood-burning stove.

Los Baúles de Juana Cata is a must-stop for anyone interested in high quality textiles. The boutique is run by Remigio Mestas Revilla, who is devoted to reviving and preserving lost or disappearing textile techniques. He works directly with artisans in various communities who produce very fine pieces. The boutique offers blouses, dresses, embroidered huipiles, and rebozos (shawls) and other traditional garments. Many of the pieces are exquisite, and they are priced accordingly. The shop is located in the same building as Oro de Monte Alban jewelry store and Los Danzantes restaurant.