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In Maui, visitors are spoiled for choice when it comes to hotels. The island is home to everything from plantation-style B&Bs to sprawling beach resorts with floating restaurants, offering something for every type of traveler, whether they care most about spacious rooms, outdoor pools, or ocean views. Find family-friendly elegance at the Fairmont Kea Lani; an artsy, boho-chic vibe at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort; or utter luxury at Four Seasons Hotel Lanai, a sanctuary on a nearby island that was once home to the world’s largest pineapple plantation.

A once-impenetrable country reveals itself to writer Matt Gross one meal at a time.

On the North Shore of O‘ahu, Turtle Bay Resort is the only hotel of its caliber on this less developed part of the island. Set on a 1,300-acre property—half of which has been set aside permanently for conservation—the 408 rooms and suites all have ocean views and a neutral/blue palette inspired by the surrounding area. The resort’s commitment to environmental sustainability is palpable: Meals are prepared with leafy greens, beets, and other crops from the resort’s own Kuilima Farm, a plot of land five minutes from the hotel with a farm stand and “you-pick” self-harvesting days for locals. Meanwhile, the 18-hole golf course is maintained with gray water treated by the resort’s own plant.


The resort doubles as a wildlife sanctuary. A birding experience via electric golf cart led by Captain Scott Sundby, who runs Shaka Kayaks and has lived on the North Shore for 20 years, offers a glimpse at some of the wild residents. They include the ‘alae ‘ula, or Hawaiian common gallinule, which according to Hawaiian legend got its fiery red forehead from the gods, and Hawaiian monk seals, one of the world’s most endangered seal species. The coastline here is set within the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, extending more than 1,200 nautical square miles; in the winter, it’s the site of humpback breeding, calving, and nursing.

There’s no better way to kick off the day than with comfort food and an ocean breeze. Some of the best seasonal California cuisine restaurants in LA are by the beach and they all seem to specialize in brunch, each with their own creatively tasting twists.

With ocean at every turn, Fort Myers and Sanibel offer plenty of options for waterfront dining. Your only problem will be deciding whether you want marina views, Gulf of Mexico vistas, or a little bit of both.

Beyond the beach, the billboards, and the freeways, there’s a city of neighborhoods waiting to be explored.

Lima lures visitors with its location by the sea and burgeoning art and food scenes. Art lovers should base themselves in the hip Barranco neighborhood. Peru’s famed sculptor, Victor Delfin, once lived in Second Home guesthouse. Nearby, Hotel B feels more like an art gallery with rooms. Some of the city’s best ocean views can be had from the rooftop pool of the luxe Belmond Miraflores Park hotel. For great cocktails, stop by Insitu Bar at the Westin Lima.

Taiwan has a truly unique natural beauty. The subtropical volcanic island is more than 70% towering, jagged mountains that in some places rise nearly straight out of the Pacific Ocean. Volcanic activity has created numerous hot springs and cavernous lava rock coastlines on Taiwan. Sandstone protrusions on the northern and southern tips have been whipped by the wind into beautiful and surreal landscapes. Taiwan is home to many natural spectacles that can’t be found together anywhere else.

Only steps away from any accommodation in Honolulu are numerous must-do Hawaiian experiences that introduce visitors to the aloha spirit of Oahu. These must-do Honolulu experiences include learning hula, lei making, discovering the past, and playing in the ocean waves, and offer visitors the opportunity to create Honolulu-style tropical memories to take home with them.

From coastal retreats overlooking the ocean, to large and luxurious properties surrounded by some of California’s best wineries and vineyards, these are the best luxury hotels to check into while exploring California’s central coast (ranging from Santa Barbara to Monterey).

Antigua (pronounced An-tee’ga) encompasses 108 square miles of coastline and 365 white sand beaches between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. For an uncommon, all-inclusive Caribbean holiday, stay at The Galley Bay Resort and Spa. In and around the property are ruins of forts hundreds of years old, wrecks for snorkeling, a spa with tree houses for treatment rooms, plenty of authentic dining options, and even world-class sailing opportunities.

Nantucket is a perennial favorite summer destination, with Atlantic Ocean beaches, picturesque harbors, and iconic lighthouses. Accommodations on the island range from cozy bed-and-breakfast rooms to marina-side cottages to penthouse loft apartments. Water views and beach shuttles are in-demand amenities, and most hotels can arrange boat rides and lobster bakes for a quintessential New England vacation.

The scenery in the northwest of Ireland is wild, rugged and unlike anything in the rest of the country. Explore the dramatic headlands of Donegal, which stretch into the turbulent Atlantic Ocean, hike through Glenveagh National Park to spot eagles or red deer, or spend time in County Sligo, with its iconic mountain backdrops, lakes and waterfalls. This part of Ireland’s northwest inspired the poet William Butler Yeats, who spent much of his childhood in the area.

The beaches and inland regions of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province are known not only for their jaw-dropping natural beauty and wildlife, but also for their delicious eats, laid-back nightlife, myriad outdoor adventures, and surprisingly good shopping. Here are some of the many reasons this stretch along the Pacific Ocean is known as the Gold Coast.

El Salvador is Central America’s only country without a Caribbean coastline, so head westward, where you’ll find miles and miles of Pacific shore. Don’t pine too much for the calm Caribbean, especially if you’re a surfer or water sports enthusiast: There are lots of breaks and wild water here. But if you’re not into the sportier sider of the ocean, no matter, you can still throw down a towel and relax on one of these beaches.