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The Maya name for Laguna Bacalar means the Lake of Seven Colors, and spending a little time here will show you why it’s such an apt moniker: from turquoise to cobalt blue to jade green and everything in between, the colors of this fresh-water lake seem to shift and change against its white-sand bottom. When you’re ready to do something else besides admire the breathtaking view, you can go swimming or kayaking, enjoy spa treatments and yoga, or adventure off to a nearby cenote and fort. And there are plenty of comfortable hotels and good eats in the town of Bacalar. This oasis in the middle of the jungles of Quintana Roo is the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination for travelers ready to escape the touristy Riviera Maya madness. It is also a refreshing rest stop on the way to the ancient Maya ruins of Dzibanché, Kinichná, and Kohunlich.

As you approach Mina street, just south of the 20 de Noviembre market in Oaxaca, the smell of chocolate fills the air. There are several chocolate grinding shops along this street. One of the most popular is Chocolate Mayordomo, where you can almost always see cocoa beans being ground to make the Oaxacan chocolate that is frequently consumed here. The shop attendant puts the cocoa beans along with some cinnamon sticks and almonds in the top of the machine and out the bottom comes a thick, rich paste, which he mixes with sugar. This is the very simple process by which Mexican chocolate is made. It creates a somewhat gritty product which is more suited to making hot chocolate than to consuming on its own, but since they’re giving out free samples, you may as well have a few pieces while you decide what kind you want to purchase to take home with you.

This handicraft shop in the center of Oaxaca is run by a group of women artisans. It’s one of the best places in town to purchase well-priced handicrafts, and it’s satisfying to know that the profits go to the women who produce the pieces. Walk through the various rooms—don’t forget to look on the second floor—and make your selections, then make your way to the front of the shop to pay. The little tin magnets near the entrance always catch my eye. There’s a huge variety of designs, and they’re so inexpensive. What better way to keep the memories of your trip alive than with a fridge magnet? But there’s so much more to choose from—lovely embroidered blouses, rebozos, leather huaraches, woven handbags, pottery, rugs, tin work, and jewelry... they’ve got it all.

No trip to Oaxaca is complete without spending at least a few hours sitting in one of the outdoor cafes around the Oaxaca city main square (the “Zocalo”). It’s the perfect spot to watch the street scene: couples and families walking by, vendors selling their wares, shoeshine boys offering to polish your footwear to a gleam. Strolling musicians wander by and perform a few songs in exchange for a handful of pesos. Balloon sellers with their colorful merchandise suspended above and around them entice passing children. In the morning enjoy a frothy hot chocolate with pan de yema, a local bread made with egg yolk. In the afternoon, sip a cold beer and snack on some spicy peanuts or chapulines, spicy fried grasshoppers. Any time of day, this is a wonderful spot to enjoy the bustling but unhurried pace of life in Oaxaca.

Festive Plaza in La Villita, a complex with shops run by local artisans, offers a more unique experience than the souvenir-selling El Mercado. Aside from shopping for authentic handmade goods, you can learn about its rich history. Self-guided walking tours (you can find many online for free) are a great way to explore this area. Browse shops while you learn about the surrounding landmarks and buildings.

Located in the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park, the Saltos de Petrohué (or Petrohué Falls) is a waterfall surrounded by verdant woodland with paths to explore if you feel adventurous. You can get close to the water on a small bridge (but if you intend to, we suggest wearing shoes with a good grip). In addition to the falls, there are dramatic views of the peak of the Osorno volcano. The falls are a popular day trip so don’t expect a quiet communion with nature and instead appreciate that you are sharing the stunning sight with so many fellow travelers.

A chic deli to be sure, Belmondo serves American-style sandwiches like Reubens, tuna melts, grilled cheeses, etc.—about which its young, fashionable adherents rave—but the menu holds some surprises as well, like a barbecued brisket or a chicken curry on peasant bread. The salad selection is varied and creative, in everything from an old-fashioned Cobb to exquisite local beets with goat cheese and avocado. Breakfast (weekends only before 1:45 p.m.) is also about greatest hits; think eggs Benedict and French toast or one of the very few bagels with gravlax you’ll ever see south of the Rio Grande. The place, in Roma Norte, is famed for celebrity sightings and generally crowded, yet the vibe is low-key, cool, and friendly.

In a city teeming with markets, this is one of the capital’s only true farmers’ markets. Everything is grown and produced within 100 yards of the city limits. It takes place at the corner of a park in the Roma neighborhood, and wooden benches are set up so that visitors can enjoy mushroom tamales, hippie-style tacos filled with cactus and wheat berry salad, and refreshing ices in flavors like cardamom or cucumber lime. Don’t miss the booth that sells one of my favorite mezcals. It’s made in the state of Guerrero, and at the market, vendors funnel the liquor from huge vats into beer bottles decorated with colored straw and papier mâché animals.

This all-but-plain-Jane spot—in Clavería, a neighborhood “no one” knows—is in fact among the most delightful lunches in the city, the project of architect turned chef Gerardo Vázquez Lugo, who decided to take the neighborhood restaurant his parents had run for decades to the next culinary level, yet without ever losing touch with his roots. The queen-bee hostess and waitstaff make sure every diner feels special, with plenty of talk about what’s fresh this season—and what’s so good it’s about to run out. Items on offer cover everything from refined versions of street classics to exquisite, almost exotic, wild-game preparations whose recipes come from some of Mexico’s remotest corners. Live music and an excellent mezcal cart sweeten the already delicious deal.

The close-in neighborhood called Colonia Roma was first developed at the dawn of the 20th century as a high-end suburb laid out along tree-lined boulevards and plazas. Prominent families erected elaborate residences in architectural styles ranging from neoclassical to art nouveau and even neo-Moorish. A century later—despite some ups and downs—the district is at a peak as one of Mexico City’s most fashionable areas, and old mansions now serve as retail spaces or smart dining rooms that open out onto the street, day and night, in that marvelous dolce vita way. Stroll the quarter’s main drag, Álvaro Obregón, afternoons and evenings, for a complete sampling of its urban pleasures; shopaholics with an eye for edgy design won’t want to miss the whimsical boutiques that line adjacent Cerrada Colima. Deeper dives into side streets and nearby plazas turn up even more surprises when you’re ready for a walkabout.

Lago Dos Bocas is a perfect place to take the family to spend a day. This man-made lake is situated behind a dam in the Utuado/Arecibo region of the west/central part of Puerto Rico. There is small park that is freely open to the public and is operated by the Department of Transportation. There are ferry rides around the island that leave on the hour, and these 20 minute rides are free of charge. The main draw of this area are the restaurants situated along the shoreline, to which the boats can bring you to for an meal of local comida criolla. Be sure to head there on the weekend to catch these places during open hours! photo by chelsea harms

This property is closed due to damage sustained during Hurriance Maria.

The W Vieques Island is a luxury boutique waterfront hotel located on pristine Vieques Island, located eight miles off the southeast coast of mainland Puerto Rico. What’s interesting about the island is that despite being so close to the mainland, it still has a very raw, untouched feel, with tourism weaving itself into the landscape instead of taking it over. Guests of the hotel can explore ecotourism on the island through kayaking tours of the bioluminescent bay, beach trips, scuba diving, mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, outdoor yoga, farm-to-bar social hours at sunset, and visits to the the local farm to see where the restaurant’s ingredients are sourced and even to create a meal for themselves. There’s also a sumptuous spa. Inspired by the holistic nature of the surroundings, the spa seems to blend into the landscape, with rivulets and canals flowing throughout the space, front-row views of the Atlantic Ocean, vine-covered treatment rooms, a reflection pool, and a spa pavilion surrounded by lush gardens.

For more than twenty years, vendors peddling antiques and collectibles have set up shop along Guadalajara’s Avenida Mexico every Sunday morning as part of the Tianguis Trocadero De Antiguedades. If you have a good eye, you’re sure to spot some gems among the junk, from furniture and china to books, jewelry, and other memorabilia. Haggling over prices is commonplace.

What began with Azul y Oro—chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita’s high-end university “refectory”—is now a multi-restaurant group famed for an almost museum-like reverence for traditional Mexican cooking in all its infinite variety. The downtown iteration, called Azul Histórico, is a gorgeous space in the courtyard of a 17th-century colonial palace (once inhabited by descendants of the Emperor Montezuma) and is now one of the Centro’s most sought-after tables, terribly romantic beneath its tree-and-candlelight canopy. Menus are seasonal and themed—often focusing on cuisine from Mexico’s regions and states—and are sure to present some delicacies even most Mexicans never knew before. Ask questions and swing just beyond your comfort zone. Out-of-towners and locals alike love the flair with which dishes emerge from the kitchen, in extravagant, eye-catching Mexican pottery.

Feel instantly cool when you slip through the unmarked wooden doors and enter La Factoria. Garden lights hang from the graffiti-covered walls (designed to look artsy-shabby with a stylish restraint), seductive music plays, and the liquor bottles behind the bar are lit from beneath to add to the glow. The flattering amber light in this neighborhood bar invites whispered conversations and lingering glances. La Factoria, which introduced San Juan to the craft cocktail when it opened in 2013, encourages experimentation. Take your time enjoying your drink of choice, but be sure to wander a bit further into the sprawling building where you’ll come upon separate spaces with different moods: a wine bar, a speakeasy, a dance floor.