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During the day on the first Saturday of the month, Rio’s nightlife nexus, Lapa, hosts the Feira do Lavradio. Wander the long aisles of flea-market and artisanal craft stalls, and with time and patience, you’re sure to find real treasures in the form of decorative items, accessories, and antiques. What’s more, Lavradio maintains Rio’s classic street-market vibe, complete with strolling musicians, banter from merchants, and maybe even a capoeira ring. Enjoy a great afternoon right in the midst of Rio’s buzziest restaurants and bars.

Rugged Monhegan, aka the Artists’ Island, lies about a dozen miles out to sea, and is reachable only by passenger ferries. About 60 hardy souls live here year-round, most making a living from the sea. If you get a sense of déjà vu when visiting Monhegan, it’s likely because so many of the island’s icons and vistas have been painted by American masters, including Robert Henri, Rockwell Kent, Jamie Wyeth, George Bellows, Edward Hopper, James Fitzgerald, Andrew Wyeth, Alice Kent Stoddard, Reuben Tam, and William Kienbusch. Artists and art lovers come in summer; bird-watchers flock here in spring and fall. Hiking trails access remote rocky beaches and craggy headlands. Go for the experience, the art, and the hiking, and don’t miss the museum at the lighthouse.

Visiting this cheese shop was like touring Costco during Christmas. Samples, my friends. Samples. I’ve never tried so many different cheeses in my entire life, and I’m certain I left this little shop lactose intolerant. And I would do it over in a heartbeat. Ireland‘s cheese scene really is something to behold, and this is the place to stock up your picnic basket prior to touring the Dingle Peninsula. I’m a fan of the heavy, funky stuff - the more mold the better - but I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your fancy under this roof. Don’t forget the bread.

This five-star beachfront hotel toes the line between being a hub of activity and a luxurious, only-in-Southern-California hideaway. For restoration, head to the sprawling spa for a customized wellness-oriented treatment or a meditation class. Mind cleared, make your way to the on-site outfitter Compass Sports—where staff will coordinate local mountain biking, paddleboarding, hiking, and surfing expeditions—or to the palm tree–lined, mosaic-tiled pool. Big ocean views and a light, airy design define the 250 rooms; for guests seeking extra solitude and space, there are bungalow suites, which are essentially private beach houses. At the hotel’s three eateries, it’s all seasonal all the time, from the fresh morning juices to evening cocktails. That ethos peaks at the fine-dining restaurant Studio, where executive chef Craig Strong creates elegantly plated French-meets-California dishes using locally sourced fish and meat, along with vegetables picked from the hotel’s 1,000-square-foot garden. Pro tip: In a setting this transporting, you almost want to break into song. Good news—the hotel will rent out mini guitars to guests for the duration of their stay.

Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Degas, where art thou? That’s a question the staff has been asking at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum since 1990, when thieves made off with 13 of the museum’s most valuable pieces, worth an estimated half a billion dollars. Rather than sulk, however, museum officials left empty frames on display both to educate visitors and to serve as hopeful placeholders awaiting the artworks’ eventual return. Meanwhile, you can visit the museum’s lovely courtyard and vast collection of historic and contemporary art at Fenway Court, built to resemble a Venetian palazzo and packed with paintings, sculpture, furniture, and textiles gathered by Gardner, an avid art collector and philanthropist, during her lifetime. Pro tip: Wear a Red Sox hat or shirt to get a $2 discount on admission—as stipulated by Gardner after her beloved Sox won the 1912 World Series (also, you get in free if your name is Isabella).

On most days in Prague, it feels like every tourist in town has gathered on the Charles Bridge. And for good reason — this 14th-century cobblestone span crosses the Vltava River, connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and providing picturesque views of both sides of the river, medieval churches, towers, and Prague Castle on the hill. King Charles IV commissioned the bridge in 1357. The bridge has 16 arches and protected by towers on either end: the Old Town Bridge Tower in Old Town and the Judith Tower and Lesser Town Bridge Tower on the Mala Strana side. The bridge is lined with 30 large statues of religious figures and luminaries, dating from the Baroque era to the present day The best time to go is at dawn, sunset or after dark after the crowds have thinned and romance is in the air.

Visitors often want to bring a souvenir from San Miguel back to the kids or friends at home...nothing too elaborate, but authentic nonetheless. Head to the three-block Mercado de Artesanías for a leisurely stroll amid the stalls. Start at the west end and work your way east to find silver, crafts, jewelry, pottery…if it fits in a suitcase, you can buy it here. To the east of the artisans’ market, visit the Mercado Ignacio Ramírez, where you’ll find head-high pyramids of fruits and vegetables, perfect for great photos; nightstand-worthy flowers; and food stalls offering everything from custom-made licuados—think smoothies, Mexican style—to peeled cactus leaves freshly prepared for a nopal salad. Good hunting!

The beautiful Koster Islands are Sweden’s most westerly populated islands with only around 300 year-round inhabitants and almost no car traffic. Sustainability and ecology are key values here and visitors flock to the islands’ sunny climate and natural attractions. The surrounding archipelago, with its seal colonies, skerries, and rocky isles, is a unique environmental treasure. The islands’ focus on sustainability and local traditions is especially evident at Koster Gardens on South Koster, operated by a collective of environmentalists dedicated to inspiring its visitors toward a more sustainable lifestyle. The prize-winning restaurant was built with materials such as straw and earth and is open year-round, serving lunch and fika (coffee break) from the best ingredients available from the garden and sea. Guided tours are arranged on foot, by bike, or kayak.

Little-known fact: New Orleans was the first place in North America to license pharmacists (starting in 1769, when the city was still under Spanish rule). After Louisiana became a territory, the U.S. governor extended the requirement, also decreeing that pharmacists take a three-hour licensing exam in order to practice. And no wonder illness got such attention—the city was arguably the least healthy place to live on the continent; it was riddled with yellow fever, malaria, and dysentery. This dark but fascinating history is explored in this atmospheric 1822 town house, which was once the home and shop of Louis J. Dufilho, the first licensed pharmacist in the city—and hence in the country. Exhibits include apothecary jars, tools of the trade, and leeches. (Yes. Leeches.)

The beaches of Bermuda are justifiably famous, but this strand in St. George’s owes its fame to its awesome expanse of sea glass. Sitting under the Alexandra Battery, a fort constructed in the 1860s, the entire stretch of coast is blanketed in weathered, colorful glass pieces. The mother lode of treasures is found in an adjacent cave, which is best accessed at low tide. Among the smoky fragments of amber, green, and white glass, there are scattered remnants of pottery and the occasional blue piece. There’s even more sea glass to be found snorkeling offshore; this area too is easiest to navigate at low tide.

Imagine an entire jungle, summarized in a park. That’s the essence of the city’s incredible botanical garden, a 345-acre marvel (136 acres have been gardened and manicured to a fault) where visitors brush up against 10,000 plants of 1,500 separate species. Since 1908, it has served Rio as a sort of tropical guardian where the city’s greatest treasure—its nature—is gathered, studied, and even reproduced. It’s a must-do, rain or shine, and at certain seasons, sections like the orchidarium or the Queen Victoria water-lily pond really come into their own. Near the entrance, a stately alley of imperial palms has become the garden’s emblematic signature.

This beautiful Parisian cemetery is on the Boulevard de Menilmontant and next to the Metro station Philippe August, in the 20th arrondissement. Upon entrance to the main gate, grab a map so not to get too lost. The art work on the memorials and the stories behind the names on the headstones inspire a mood of great tragedy and romance. The locals call it the la cite des morts (the city of the dead). The cemetery makes the ideal place to explore if you’ve seen a lot of Paris before and want to dig a bit deeper. Seek out the tombs of 1) Oscar Wilde (for all of those declarations and kisses left behind); 2) Georges Rodenbach, a Belgian writer and poet of the 19th century with a breathtaking tomb; 3) Victor Noir, who became more famous in death (by duel) than life. Seek the answer to the riddle of why his tomb is seen as good luck for fertility You’ll also see the gravesite of Gertrude Stein and Alice Toklas, buried side by side in a testament to their love. The list of the celebrity dead goes on and includes Gericault, Piaf, Chopin, Heloise and Abelard. Even Jim Morrison. An afternoon here is guaranteed to leave you grateful for the treasures you found but weren’t expecting.

Valley of Fire is the oldest state park in Nevada, and a great place to see 3,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs and explore the red sandstone formations created during the age of the dinosaurs. Bring your camera to photograph the landscape while hiking this rocky landscape formed over 150 million years ago. The red sandstone gives off an incredible light, which makes the grey rocks nearby appear turquoise. Great place to camp while watching incredible sunrises and sunsets! Photographers will go crazy for this place, especially in spring, when a variety of wild flowers bloom. Skip the Las Vegas strip and head straight to this magical place!

There isn’t a houseware buyer in the world who doesn’t whisper of the treasures that can be unearthed in this Aladdin’s cave of a store spread over several floors and houses in Dar el Bacha. Alas, these days Mustapha Blaoui is probably Marrakech’s worst-kept secret, but it’s no less magical for that. Whether your preference is for a fuchsia-colored juju hat (all the rage for giving a pop of color to a boring old wall), bone-handled cutlery, a silver teapot and engraved glasses, a chrome-plated art deco mirror, giant beaded heads from the Cameroon, or Syrian furniture inlaid with mother-of-pearl, chances are Mustapha has it. Even if it doesn’t, you can easily lose yourself in this labyrinth of rooms for several hours, swept up in the magic of the Orient.

Just southwest of Astoria, Fort Clatsop replicates the encampment built by Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery soon after they reached the Pacific. From December 1805 to March 1806, they hunted and gathered food, distilled salt, traded with the local tribes and documented their surroundings. The center includes the log fort (staffed by costumed rangers), an exhibit hall, a gift shop and films, plus trailheads for the Fort to Sea Trail and the Netul River Trail.