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  • Cerritos Beach, Baja California Sur, Mexico
    The most rugged, sketchy roads always seem to lead to the best surf breaks. This photo captures the early morning drive over the hill to Cerritos beach in Baja Mexico. Down below I discovered perfect, glassy rights and only a few early risers in the water. In the distance at the point is Hacienda Cerritos, a boutique hotel from which you can stumble out of bed and down to the surf. Mario Beceril, a Baja native, runs a great surf school from the beach for anyone who needs a lesson. mariosurfschool.com
  • La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
    The one-hour drive from Cabo San Lucas to Todos Santos is dotted with tempting detours. Chief among them is Playa Cerritos, one of the few Pacific-side beaches safe for swimming. Of course, it’s not the swimming conditions that attract legions of surfers each year, but the wonderful swells and breaks, which invariably make for an excellent outing on the waves. You can rent a board or sign up for lessons at Mario Surf School, and otherwise there’s plenty to support a day at the beach. Grab a bite at the Cerritos Beach Club, pick up a trinket or two from one of the local artisans, and treat yourself to a shoreline horseback ride or an oceanfront massage.
  • Santo Tomás Jalieza, Oaxaca, Mexico
    The weavers in Teotitlan del Valle may be more renowned, but the backstrap loom weavers of Santo Tomás Jalieza are practicing the art in a way that dates back to very ancient times. The local market is set up in the main square and every day you can see weavers at work and browse the products of their labor, but Fridays are particularly busy. They sell belts, handbags, change purses, table runners and place mats at reasonable prices. This small community is located 15 miles south of Oaxaca city and can easily be combined with a day trip to Ocotlan.
  • 64/66 Via di Santo Spirito
    This busy, buzzy Oltrarno restaurant continues to be a personal favorite for its lively atmosphere and dependable cooking at reasonable prices. The menu offers ever-present favorites such as pasta with sweet tropea onions and cherry tomatoes as well as seasonal specialties like honey-glazed lamb shank with ratatouille. Desserts are well worth leaving room for, and the well-priced wine list always has something interesting on offer. Lunch is more casual and the prices are lower.
  • Piazza Santo Spirito, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
    Florence’s most lively square is dominated by the blank, unfinished facade of Brunelleschi’s last church. Lined with trees and centered around a pretty fountain, the piazza plays host to a small daily market (where local ladies do their shopping) and a buzzy night-time bar and restaurant scene. In the evenings, during the long, hot summer, café and restaurant tables spill onto the square, the place fills with revelers, and the action plays out well into the wee hours.
  • Isla del Espiritu Santo, Baja California Sur, Mexico
    This archipelago off the coast of La Paz (which takes the name of the main island) is a protected UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. While the islands are uninhabited by humans save for a small fishing camp made of temporary structures, they’re home to a great variety of flora and fauna. In addition to dolphins, frigate birds, and ring-tailed cats, you’ll find the only known black jackrabbit population in the world. Celebrated eco-friendly activities company Cabo Expeditions leads daylong archipelago tours that include exploring the mesmerizing volcanic landscape, a ceviche lunch, and an opportunity to swim on Ensenada Grande Beach—often cited as one of the world’s most beautiful—plus guided snorkeling with the incredibly playful pups at the Los Islotes sea lion colony.
  • Calle de Zurbano, 36, Madrid
    If it’s paparazzi and scenesters you’re seeking, look elsewhere. This 19th-century ducal palace has seen its fair share of rich and famous faces over its years first as the Duke of Santo Mauro’s residence, then as the Canadian embassy, and now as an Autograph Collection hotel, but it also knows how to be discreet. Tucked away in the exclusive Chamberi area—a leafy, scenic neighborhood where Madrid’s 19th-century aristocracy built their private mansions—the AC Santo Mauro hides its secluded gardens, wrought iron balconies, and ornate sitting rooms behind carved stone walls.

    Those who cross the threshold are treated to a haven of contemporary luxury: the hotel is still a palace, complete with acclaimed dining in the wood-paneled library, a decadent spa with a 1920s-inspired indoor pool, and the same original architectural features commissioned by the Duke himself. But the rooms have a bit more 20th-century flair, with modern art on the walls, clean-lined furnishings offsetting the building’s gaudier nature, and oversize marble bathrooms fit for a king. Luckily, you don’t have to be a king (or even a duke) to get the royal treatment here.
  • Calle Isabel La Católica 356, Santo Domingo 10210, Dominican Republic
    Hotel Atarazana is a simple, airy, and clean hotel a stone’s throw from Plaza España at the north-east of Santo Domingo’s Zona Colonial. There is a cute walled courtyard where you take breakfast, and an open rooftop (with some shade) for sunbathing, reading, and rum; drinking water is included; and the staff are friendly and some speak English. All the Zona Colonial’s sights are within easy walking distance; the pedestrianized El Conde is a ten minute saunter south. (Note: The hotel is so close to the bars / clubs off Plaza España that it can get noisy at night.)
  • 106 Calle Emiliano Tejera
    La Casa De Los Dulces translates to The House of Sweets in English. You can see why this is every kids favorite spot in the colonial section of Santo Domingo. I used to visit all the time. It brought back so many memories to return and the owner was still there! He recognized my mom immediately. This place only sells the very best and everything is fresh. It would be a mistake to go to the island and not make a stop here. If you are looking for “traditional” and want to eat what the locals love, then this is the place. Try the milk desserts that are filled with coconut or guava. They also have all kinds of treats made with caramel. Address: Calle Emiliano Tejera 106, Santo Domingo 10212, Dominican Republic Phone:+1 809-685-0785 Photography by Ruddy Harootian
  • Santo Domingo 10212, Dominican Republic
    Don’t miss this Gothic Renaissance palace in the Zona Colonial, built between 1510 and 1514 for Christopher Columbus’s eldest son, Diego Colón (governor of the colony and viceroy of the Indies), and his wife, María de Toledo (niece of King Ferdinand of Spain). Unfortunately, Francis Drake and his band of pirates pillaged the place in 1586, setting fire to the third floor on their way out. What’s left today is a believable re-creation of the original palace—minus one floor—where visiting conquistadores Balboa, Cortés, Pizarro, and Velázquez planned expeditions in grand rooms and plotted to conquer other lands. Visitors can take a solid audio tour of 22 restored rooms, including the viceroy’s waiting room and a ballroom with a crystal chandelier.
  • 3a Calle Oriente 28 A, Antigua Guatemala, Guatemala
    When in Antigua, definitely stop by the Casa Santa Domingo. First off, this place ain’t no ordinary casa! It is a large hotel (convention center, spa, museum etc) but executed well. There is a lot of history and guides standing out front would happily show you around. We were in the mood for just soaking it up on our own. You will enjoy the colorful tropical birds, the beautiful fountain and the historic ruins. It was the bastion of one of the grandest convents of the Americas (according to them.) If you like every amenity at your fingertips then this is the place for you in Antigua. At the very least stroll the grounds and have a Gallo, Guatemala’s national beer.
  • Piazza Santo Spirito, 8, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
    This Santo Spirito classic has two main selling points: Daniele, the barrista, who makes one of the best cappuccinos this side of the river, and the comfortable back room, where you can sit down without having to pay extra. There’s also a wonderful terrace out front that looks onto the comings and goings in one of Florence’s most lively piazzas, but you have to pay to sit there. Ricchi is great for coffee and afternoon tea, but you can also eat lunch and dinner here, and their homemade ice cream isn’t bad either.
  • Calle Las Damas, Santo Domingo 10210, Dominican Republic
    At the top of Calle Las Damas—where María de Toledo (the niece of King Ferdinand of Spain) and her ladies in waiting strolled in fine dresses every afternoon—you’ll find the former Spanish Governor’s Royal Court, made up of the governor’s palace, the treasury, and the courts of law. Built in 1508, the three stone buildings were joined in 1520 and now serve as a cultural history museum, detailing the story of the Dominican Republic from the colonial period through the days of slavery and up to the country’s first independence from Spain in 1821. Highlights include models of Columbus’s three ships and a large map showcasing his four major voyages; portraits of other Spanish explorers and the pirate Francis Drake; treasures from sunken galleons; and ceramic artifacts made by the Taino, the indigenous Indians who occupied the island when Columbus first arrived.
  • Plaza Espana, Ciudad Colonial, Santo Domingo 10210, Dominican Republic
    Experience living history at this charming European brasserie, housed in a space that’s thought to have been the first tavern in the Americas. Opened in 1505 by a Dutch pirate, Pata de Hierro was a favorite hangout of buccaneers on Plaza España, facing the Alcazar de Colón. Since then, not a single change has been made to the interior’s original brick arches or stone walls, making it easy to imagine rowdy nights here in the 16th century. Close your eyes and picture the pirates as you dig into everything from charcuterie boards and tuna carpaccio to hearty short ribs, grilled Chilean sea bass, and squid ink risotto with langoustines.
  • Via dei Michelozzi, 9/R, 50125 Firenze FI, Italy
    In spite of featuring in all the guide books, this Santo Spirito favourite has a loyal local following, and the place is always packed out with a mix of tourists and Florentines who line up for good value, homecooked food. I would recommend choosing the Tuscan specialities such as the hearty minestrone with rice and black cabbage and the oven-roast guinea fowl (‘faraona’). Homemade apple cake is a great way to finish.