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Perhaps it’s more interested in diner loyalty than in snagging prizes, but chef Elena Reygadas’s original Mexico City restaurant is still beloved—and busier than ever. So while a few greatest hits linger season to season, there’s always something new to try, inspired by food of the Mediterranean (or the Middle East, or Paris) but supported by the just-picked ingredients only Mexico knows. It invites repeat visits where patrons count on impeccable breads and pastas, delicate greens, and sauces that never cloy or overwhelm, plus some of the freshest fish and tenderest viands to be had in the city. The setting—a venerable town-house patio and parlors, decorated in florid, provincial filigree and anchored by lovely vintage furnishings—is one of the city’s most romantic.

If you’ve never eaten a taco in Mexico, then perhaps you think, “Well, a taco is a taco is a taco.” Not so, as you’ll find out if you swing by Tacos Joven for an order of their tacos en canasta (“tacos in a basket”). Since 1971, this fast-food spot has been turning out what many folks believe are the best tacos in Mexico City. Though a bit more expensive than comparable spots with the same fare, these tacos are stuffed until chubby with either potatoes, beans, shredded beef, or chicharron (fried pork rinds), and their size is outmatched by their flavor. You have to stop by early, as business ends at 4:30 pm each day, and a bit earlier on Sundays.

Years ago when Mexico City’s southern neighborhoods were in fact small, independent cities, the quarter known as San Ángel Inn was a sylvan getaway for well-heeled urbanites. No longer an inn, the area’s namesake—a former Carmelite convent from the eighteenth century—persists as an iconic, country-club-style restaurant and lounge. Its venerable walls, gardens, and fountains call up colonial gentility and ward away the urban chaos just outside the door; strolling mariachis are the sole “disruption.” Sip what many believe is the city’s best margarita amid an impeccable, songbird-serenaded garden.

This used to be a hacienda, but it was turned into a restaurant almost 50 years ago. The food is phenomenal and the margaritas are famous—in fact, they’re my favorite thing on the menu. There is always a band or a pianist playing.

Beginning right at the entrance to downtown Cancún (kilometer 0, where the median is also home to a spacious outdoor gym) and tracing the Hotel Zone’s entire northern stretch, this wide, red-paved path is a favorite for runners, in-line skaters, and cyclists in search of outdoor exercise with a merciful bit of shade (the path along Boulevard Kukulcan is lined with jungle flora, palm trees, tropical plants, and a smattering of hotel entrances). Locals especially love working out on the Ciclopista early in the morning and in the evening, when temperatures are cooler.

Enjoy these stunning oceanview and beachside cabanas at The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort, a seaside resort in Cancun, Mexico. Enjoy the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean, a sweet haven for the sun-seekers. A perfect place to soak under the sun, swim or people-watch. $400/night.

Mexico City is often depicted—and not incorrectly—as a capital city teeming with buildings, people, and cars. It also, though, has a surprising number of green spaces and parks, the most expansive of which is Bosque de Chapultepec, right on the edge of Polanco. It’s easy to while away a good bit of time in Chapultepec; the park has a zoo, a lake where you can rent pedal boats, street performers making music and magic, and the Castillo de Chapultepec—Chapultepec Castle—which houses the National History Museum. If you’re hungry, you’ll find plenty of vendors peddling everything from roasted corn on the cob to cotton candy.

Three friends who found themselves thrown together in the New York of the 1990s—artist Gabriel Orozco, who has been featured at MoMA, the Pompidou Center, and the Tate Modern; Mónica Manzutto, who worked at the Marian Goodman Gallery; and José Kuri, who was completing an M.A. at Columbia—originally came up with the idea for what is now arguably Mexico’s most influential gallery. Kurimanzutto began with some ephemeral Colonia Roma events, often in nontraditional spaces. Today the gallery occupies a structure commissioned from renowned architect Alberto Kalach; its stable of artists includes Mexican creators of international stature like Dr. Lakra, Miguel Calderón, Carlos Amorales, and Damián Ortega, as well as global talents like Akram Zaatari, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Anri Sala, Danh Vo, Jimmie Durham, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Monika Sosnowska. Kurimanzutto’s shows—not to mention the openings—mark the pulse of the Mexico City arts scene.

Its massive size, centrality to daily life in the capital, and easy accessibility (a Metro station opens up right onto the plaza) makes the Zócalo an ideal place for large-scale temporary exhibits. The government hosts occasional exhibits and makes entry free for residents and visitors alike. Past exhibits have included Gregory Colbert’s “Ashes and Snow,” a show of large-format photos of animals and people, and Willy Souza’s “Mexico en tus sentidos” (“Mexico in your senses”), lush, vivid photos of people and places around Mexico. To see if a show is planned during the time you’ll be visiting, check the website of the Secretary of Tourism.

Nestled on beautiful Playa Dorado in Puerto Plata, this elegant hotel features 50 stylish suites, complete with neutral decor, flowering orchids, and private furnished balconies. Some suites can be connected, but for even more space book the penthouse, which includes three bedrooms, a large living room, and a freestanding outdoor tub. In addition to a pristine beach, Casa Colonial boasts a sleek rooftop pool, a restaurant that serves fine French-Caribbean cuisine, and a spa with a treatment gazebo above a tropical pond. When staying here, don’t miss the chance to explore Puerto Plata and its charming main square surrounded by Spanish colonial and Victorian buildings, as well as the more-than-500-year-old remains of Fort San Felipe. Fifteen minutes from the resort, you can also swim in freshwater lagoons in El Choco National Park.

When I first found this store, I was overwhelmed. This place holds so many treasures, you’ll need several trips to look through everything. Franky’s is one of the most popular thrift/vintage stores in Puerto Rico, and likely only one of a few. The proprietor provides a lot of his items as props for movies being filmed in PR—like the recent Rum Diaries movie. If you like vintage, then you’ll love shopping here. It’s on the corner of San Francisco Street, right behind the little plaza as you enter Old San Juan.

El Moro has been turning out churros and creamy hot chocolate 24 hours a day since 1935. You can have your churros three ways—with sugar, with sugar and cinnamon, or with cajeta, a creamy caramel—and your hot chocolate one of four ways—Mexican, French, Spanish, or Swiss-style. Though some regulars have complained that the quality and cleanliness of this spot have declined in recent years, a late-night pass by El Moro is a longstanding tradition in Mexico City.

A handsome pueblo revival adobe building with a peaceful garden and courtyard, the New Mexico Museum of Art mounts small, rotating exhibits from its impressive 20,000-piece permanent collection. It includes well-known artists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Gustave Baumann, and members of the Taos Society of Artists (Ernest L. Blumenschein, Bert G. Phillips, Joseph H. Sharp), and noted 20th-century Southwest photographers like Ansel Adams. Don’t miss the special exhibits or the free Friday evenings (5–8 p.m.). The adjoining gift shop is a great place to pick up books, postcards, and jewelry.

An hour boat ride along Usumacinta River on the Guatemala border can take you to Yaxchilan, Palenque’s less visited cousin in the tropics of Chiapas, Mexico. Twelve-thousand-year old architecture brings many questions to mind. But at this moment, I wondered what life was like for these two gardeners, who spend many days working in the shadows of this ancient civilization. http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mexico/tabasco-and-chiapas/yaxchilan

Hernán Cortés built a summer home here on top of the ruins of a pyramid. Over the next few centuries, Mexico City‘s political and economic elite and movie stars--and even the Shah of Iran--took up residence in this town. Cuernavaca--with its stately mansions and haciendas and blooming gardens--became known as Mexico City’s more glamorous and beautiful sister. Nowadays, an ever-increasing population means Cuernavaca has lost some of the mystique from its heyday, but its lovely gardens and Spring-like climate (and the fact that it is only an hour south of Mexico City) still make it a perfect getaway from that bustling megalopolis. Be sure to check out the Palacio de Cortés and Jardin Borda while you’re there. The former is Cortés’ old digs, and it now houses the Museo Regional Cuauhnáhuac, which, over two floors covers Mexican history from pre-Columbian times to present. The latter is a grand Versailles-inspired mansion and garden which will give you a wonderful view into how Mexico’s aristocracy lived in the 18th century.

The story behind the founding of the Museo del Juguete Antiguo México (Museum of the Antique Mexican Toy) is almost as charming and intriguing as the collection of toys itself. Roberto Shimizu, Sr., who founded the museum with his son, Roberto Shimizu, Jr., began collecting toys when he was a child and in the decades since, has amassed a collection of literally millions of toys. He decided it was important for the collection to be accessible and visible to the public, partly to document the history of toy-making in Mexico and the world. The space occupied by the museum covers several floors, but it’s barely large enough to showcase all of Shimizu’s treasures, which he has catalogued carefully in numerous notebooks and binders. That may be hard to believe, given the fact that the museum is crammed wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling with toys of every type: from plastic soldiers to board games and Barbies to model trains. The museum is a cabinet of curiosities for the kid in all of us.