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Bar Hidalgo 56 is probably one of my top three pintxo bars in the entire city. With a bar stacked full of equally delicious pintxos, a menu of hot pintxos that is incredibly varied and delicious, and an attention to product that you simply don’t find in other bars, Hidalgo 56 is worth a visit. Try the volcano of morcilla.

Most visitors never cross the river from the Old Part, and the vast majority overlook what has to be one of the most beautiful hikes from here to California. At the edge of Gros, a trail heads up some stairs (at the end of Calle San Francisco) and continues for hours, all the way to the neighboring village of Pasaia. It’s a family-friendly trail in terms of difficulty, and the views are breathtaking. A must-hike.

Bar Diz is nothing more and nothing less than a great neighborhood pintxo bar. Open at just the right times, with friendly service and a range of hot pintxos as well as larger portions and sandwiches, it hits the spot. They also have one of Gros’s best pintxo potes, which take place on Thursday nights from 7-10. A drink and a pintxo is two euros. It’s a madhouse.

Montes + Mugica is a furniture studio and clothing store that devotes itself to good, clean taste. It’s been in the family for generations, but each generation has brought a new style to the shop. The young brothers José and Javier bring a distinct affinity for all things Nordic, resulting in a gorgeous, hip aesthetic and real treasures for sale. Don’t miss their monthly pop up market in their other building, Espacio La Central.

Loreak Mendian is the epitome of youthful Basque couture for the people. Carefully designed, shying away from trends and focusing on classic cuts and prints with a bit of ‘edge’, their clothing walks a lovely line between wearable art and utilitarian. The boutique also has a winsome collection of carefully curated shoes and accessories. Worth a visit to pick up a catalog and check out the shop window display alone.

Bideluze hits all the right notes. There’s nothing artisan or hoity-toity about it. Just a good, comfortable Irish pub style vibe, with pintxos that are big enough to qualify as sandwiches and a kitchen open all day long. Mornings in Bideluze are the best. The buzzy, warm ambience is the best to enjoy a big cup of Colacao, Spanish hot chocolate, which they make the RIGHT way here. The interior of the mug is coated with the paste before being filled with hot milk and served with four Maria cookies. Perfection.

The menú del día is a uniquely Spanish tradition. Who in the rest of the world has time to sit for two hours and drink wine, consume multiple courses, all in the normal workday? If you want to experience a traditional menú del día, food that is not glamorous but is nothing if not fresh and made by hand, Politena is your spot. Centrally located and very fairly priced, it’s a perfect example of a great, classic menú del día. Down to the ‘mi casa’ ambience.

Café de La Concha is a perfectly satisfactory café for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. However, what it does really well is sit smack dab in the middle of La Concha Beach. This means there is no place more picturesque to take a morning coffee than its terrace, which has views of the bay and the surrounding mountains. If you are in town for Semana Grande, it’s the spot to be for fireworks watching, just make sure to reserve a spot for dinner.

Restaurante Celele in Cartagena’s hip Getsemaní quarter sits right at the cutting edge of contemporary Colombian cuisine. Chefs Jaime Rodríguez and Sebastián Pinzón see research as part of their endeavor and have dedicated years to exploring the region’s flavors, especially in indigenous communities. The bottom line is a well-thought-out menu, beautiful presentation and a celebration of the local in a warm, welcoming ambience.

A 19th-century private estate just outside San Sebastián’s city center, Villa Soro was commissioned by a wealthy businessman as a wedding gift for his daughter; it was designed by the same architect who built the iconic Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra, which towers over the La Concha waterfront at the city center. In contrast to that classic belle epoque building, the villa takes its inspiration from English architecture—complete with peaked roofs and faux-Tudor beaming—that was in vogue at the time, while the manicured gardens were designed by renowned Romantic landscape designer Pierre Ducasse.

Now an intimate, 25-room boutique hotel, Villa Soro maintains the same relaxed, cozy atmosphere one might expect to find at a friend’s estate, complete with two elegant drawing rooms outfitted with armchairs that beg to be curled up in with a book. The dark-wood-and-leather bar room (complete with a fireplace, of course) beckons visitors with vermouth and txakoli. Rooms are homey and classically elegant, spread between the main house and the restored carriage house, and they make for a romantic retreat within walking distance of the city’s sights and Michelin-starred restaurants.

A belle epoque grande dame presiding over San Sebastián’s iconic La Concha Beach, the Hotel de Londres y de Inglaterra has been a palace, casino, hospital, and of course hotel since its construction in 1865. Before and after World War I, it was the kind of place where well-to-do Europeans went on seaside holidays for months at a time, enjoying direct beach access, the city’s renowned seafood, and the hotel’s elegant design. Nowadays, the society consists of a somewhat less star-studded lineup—once Toulouse-Lautrec, Archduchess Elizabeth of Austria, and Mata Hari were all guests—but the unobstructed Bahía de la Concha views, lovely rooms (all with private balconies), and pride of place at the heart of the city remain. The window-lined brasserie takes its cue from classic French bistros—it’s not hard to imagine that the well-dressed gentlemen at the next table are French aristocrats-in-exile—and its tables along the beachfront promenade are the perfect place to while away a few hours over pintxos, txakoli (a sparkling white wine from Basque Country), and people watching. If you were to spend a few months in a seaside town, this would be the way to do it.

“What are all those people doing?” This is probably the most common reaction upon stumbling onto the botellón. People of all ages (but tending towards under 40) gather in a public space, toting plastic bags bearing substantial weight. They contain bocadillos (sandwiches) wrapped in foil and litros (liter-sized plastic soft drink bottles) whose contents have been replaced at least in part by hard liquor. In San Sebastián, the seats lining the port are the most popular spot for the botellón. In a botellón there are (almost) no rules...just have something to drink and a friend, or two, or ten. And let the night begin.

Rekondo is a little hidden treasure of a restaurant, started by an aficionado of wine. A real aficionado. His varied collection means the restaurant has a wine list of hundreds of pages. These are wines critics dream about, at prices that are a fraction of the cost in other parts of the world. They are so well-priced, in fact, that the restaurant only allows bottles to be taken off the premises if they are opened. On the outskirts of town, it is rarely completely booked and has a spacious terrace that is absolutely perfect for having a bottle of wine at sunset.

If you come to Genoa in late winter, you will have to deal with many cool and rainy days. BUT, you will get the privilege of shopping the amazing (i.e. 40/50% off) sales. So it’s a toss-up! If you are looking for women’s clothing, Lo Spaventarasseri has beautiful, artisan options in a lovely calm environment - perfect for trying clothing on after the holidays of overeating!

I think the most appealing aspect of Old San Juan is the architecture and design of the city. Residential apartment buildings have been converted to designer boutiques or little B&Bs, and interior courtyards invite hungry guests to relax and unwind in the shade.... I’ve been to this area multiple times and still I manage to find a street I’ve never wandered down. Some are more popular than others, in particular Calle San Sebastian, which hosts eateries, bars, and shops, and Calle San Francisco. At the corner of this street is my particular favorite, Franky’s antiques. It’s in a four-story building, loaded with vintage goodies. There’s so much to see, one trip is not enough. If you want to shop, consider wandering all morning and into the early afternoon. You’ll be delighted by all the unique shops. Then, take a break at my favorite restaurant, Triana, for Spanish-style tapas and their famous sangria. It’s a must-stop place any time I’m in the old city. You don’t need a car to get around. Just park at one of the garages and explore by foot. There’s lots to see and do in Old San Juan.