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Chef Laurent Tourondel’s LT Steak & Seafood, located inside the historic Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive, is popular not just with hotel guests but locals as well, who stop in for an afterwork cocktail or a nice night out. The restaurant does what its name indicates, and the menu is evenly divided between prime cuts of porterhouse and rib eye and fresh seafood from local waters and elsewhere, as well as sushi, sashimi, and ceviche. At dinner, there is often live entertainment such as jazz in the conservatory or a performance by an opera singer.

The Mountain Room Restaurant at the Yosemite Valley Lodge isn’t open for breakfast or lunch, so make your dinner reservation before dark to catch the star attraction: drop-dead views of the 2,400-foot Yosemite Falls from almost every seat in the dining room. Alternatively, you can stop by for Sunday brunch, which includes nearly as many offerings as the one at the Majestic Yosemite but for about half the price. In warm weather, diners can sit on the outdoor patio and enjoy such dishes as seafood risotto, several cuts of steak, and grilled pork chop with stone fruit, arugula, and smoked pecans. There’s also a lounge with a limited yet tasty menu (ceviche, charcuterie plates, sandwiches), which is popular with climbers and those who enjoy watching a game on the TV or cuddling next to the Swedish fireplace. Note: This restaurant is open year-round.

This Oklahoma institution opened its first Colorado outpost in 2018 at the Lumière Hotel, offering unconventional menu items like cauliflower steaks with mushroom risotto, mahi-mahi mango ceviche, and new spins on local classics, like a green-chili chowder with roasted corn and poblano peppers. Beyond the food, the cocktails here really sing—you’ll want to try the Misty Maiden, with locally distilled vodka, lemon, grapefruit, and St. Germain.

Just inland from Ensenada, Baja California exists a wonderland of fine wine, haciendas and Provencal restaurants. There is an energy here that is worth dawning the bullet proof vest and heading a couple hours south of the Mexican boarder to check out the excitement and culinary innovation. In the Valle de Guadalupe wineries and restaurants are redefining where fine wine comes from and what Mexican cuisine can be. The Valle de Guadalupe sits in a valley that warms through the day and is cooled every evening by the onshore flow off the ocean, allowing perfect conditions for grape growing; which has been going on here for over a hundred years. Additionally, the valley is a source of fine olive oil, locally grown herbs and produce, local farms and seafood from the nearby ocean. The best way to experience this culinary movement is to stay at a winery like Adobe Guadalupe or Vinedos Malagon in the heart of the valley. These wineries offer more than just wine tasting and luxury, they offer activities, ranging from horseback riding to cooking classes, deep sea fishing or dirt biking. The best part of it all is you can still fill up on classic Mexican tacos and mariscos when the fine dining and wine becomes too much.

This is dinner (or lunch) theater like you’ve never experienced before. You’re guaranteed a show at the Miraflores Restaurant, atop the Miraflores Visitor Center, when your table has views of the ships passing through the locks. It may be a touristy spot, but the restaurant gets high marks for its lunch buffet and dinner menu, with the ceviche and fresh grilled fish especially good options.

Behind a massive bougainvillea vine that covers a century-old mansion on the corner of a quiet, cobbled street, San Telmo’s Café Rivas evinces an elegant, 1920s vibe—but the food is decidedly contemporary. The menu is short and to the point. Three prix-fixe options are posted for lunch and change daily to delight a claque of assiduous regulars. Standout items at dinner include a nightly ceviche special and the dry-aged beef. There’s also a Sunday brunch with traditional favorites like eggs Benedict. In the evening, a bartender arrives to serve up cocktails, and there’s live piano on weekends.

A few years back, when Lima’s Central Restaurante was closed because of zoning issues, Peru‘s celebrity chef, Gastón Acurio, was one of many who petitioned for it to be reopened. I knew that meant the young chef at Central, Virgilio Martinez, must be doing something truly special. Virgilio’s restaurant is located in Lima’s hip Barranco neighborhood. I stopped in solo one afternoon for lunch and was dazzled by the dishes his servers put in front of me: charred purple corn with scented octopus, lentils, yuzu, and bok choy; “mask of the suckling pig” (or pig face) with tart green apple, baby tomatoes, and galangal; and suckling goat with chickpeas, goat cheese, and lemon verbena. Each course was plated like a work of art and was a beautiful riddle on the palette. My enthusiasm for my food earned me a tour of the open kitchen and the rooftop garden, where servers pluck flowers or clip herbs for dishes like the citrus gelée with edible flowers (pictured above). Chef also gave me a tour of his incredible chocolate cellar, where he shows off his favorite chocolate bars from around the world.

Just when it seemed like the Riviera Maya Riviera had become nothing but a sea of all-inclusive beach resorts, you stumble upon the quaint little Mexican village of Puerto Morelos. There are almost no huge developments, no shopping outlets, and no chain restaurants. The place is absolutely magical and is like traveling back in time. There is a small town square or plaza lined with palm trees, small cafes, and local boutiques. You can always find a good margarita to sip on at the super hip little bars scattered around the small town. If you find yourself on the Yucatan peninsula don’t miss this opportunity to travel back in time 50 yrs and experience the “old” Mexico.

Straw Hat, on quiet Meads Bay, is an established favorite with over 20 years to its name. Its creative menu of Caribbean cuisine with a twist will have you returning to this beautiful indoor-outdoor beachfront restaurant. It’s the perfect spot for a meal and an afternoon on the sand, or for watching sports. Try the ceviche of red snapper, the bigeye tuna flatbread, or the grilled crayfish with Anguillan rice and peas, among many other picks.

This restaurant feels like you stepped back in time - think Mexico in the 70s. The story goes - it all began in the VW van in Playa del Carmen. Tacombi used to sell tacos out of the van, and now he has a nice, cozy spot in Soho where the van is parked. It’s a garage with lights strung in the air. It just feels cool to be in. The design is great, but the food is even better. Virtually any tacos you order are wonderful. I also recommend the guacamole appetizer - yum! And don’t leave without ordering a drink.

For contemporary, high-end Yucatecan cuisine, look no further than K’u’uk. Chef Pedro Evia has taken the spirit of regional food and given it a modern twist. He presents common Yucatecan recipes like suckling pig, then uses ingredients like star fruit and sapote to showcase subtler flavors than those found in traditional cochinita pibil. All the essences of Yucatecan delicacies can be found here, but in ways that are almost unrecognizable, such as in the atole ceviche or the dessert of Yucatán honeycomb with pollen and passion fruit. Located amid the grandeur of a colonial mansion close to the Monumento a la Patria in Mérida, K’u’uk has high ceilings, original-tile floors, and large chandeliers that set the scene for an exclusive dining experience. Guests opt for a recommended nine-course tasting menu or order from an à la carte bill of fare that changes periodically.

Starting in 2014, this collection of historic buildings was reinvented as a gastronomic hub—helping to revitalize the city’s downtown in the process. An early 20th-century citrus packing warehouse became the Anaheim Packing House, a virtual United Nations of food: Walking through the 42,000-square-foot hall, you’ll find citrusy ceviche at Urbana, fried chicken sandwiches at Sweetbird, garden-fresh hot pot at Rolling Boil, organic curry at ADYA, and matcha shaved snow at I Am. Craft beer—quickly becoming a signature of Southern California—is in no short supply, thanks to bars like Anaheim Brewery, housed inside a 1925 mission revival building. A circa 1917 marmalade factory became the MAKE Building, where you can linger over a flight of California reds at Pali Wine Co. or a plate of pulled pork at Jav’s Barbecue. The compact district is distinctly Californian, from the succulents and air plants inside to the palm trees and olive groves of Farmers Park outside—a grassy knoll where, at any given time, you might happen upon a free yoga class, a gardening demo, or a live acoustic band playing under the sun.

Blackbird Caye Resort is the gateway to the stunning Belize Barrier Reef, but so much more than a stopgap hitching post for scuba nerds. Stretched across two miles of palm-fringed beach on the windward side of the Turneffe Atoll, Blackbird is set against a backdrop of more than 4,000 acres of untrammeled jungle, mangrove forests, sprawling lagoons, and migratory bird habitats. Many guests come to Blackbird to get under the water and at the reef – some of the best diving sites in Belize are a short five or ten minute boat ride from Blackbird’s dock – though this isolated island paradise has plenty to offer visitors looking to stretch their land legs. 18 ocean-view cabanas, each with its own private balcony and hammock, hold dominion over the Caribbean Sea. The Poolside Bar is a great place to unwind after a hot day in the sun, while the gallant High Tide Bar, with at least two feet in the sea at any one time, offers an excellent happy hour and complimentary snacks, including island fare like lion fish fingers, ceviche, conch fritters, and fried grouper. One of the top dive resorts in the world and a postcard-perfect island paradise, Blackbird is at once home away from home, and your own secluded hideaway. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/7.1 | ISO-640 | Shutter 1/30 sec.

Tayrona National Natural Park has become such a popular destination during typical vacation periods that authorities have had to limit admission. But an off-season visit offers singular luxuries like miles of all-but-solitary beaches, jungle trails, and a unique way to observe a variety of monkeys and tropical birds in every brilliant hue. Tayrona can be experienced as a day trip from Santa Marta or as a several-night stay at one of the park’s accommodations. From the main entrance at Cañaveral (El Zaíno), visitors can take a leisurely hike to the ocean while a donkey handles the luggage; horses are also available for those who prefer not to walk. This same park entrance also leads directly to high-roofed, native-wood cabins known as ecohabs, a slightly fancier option for staying in the park.

Located four miles south of Carmel on a coastal stretch known as the Gateway to Big Sur, the Hyatt Carmel Highlands feels like a true retreat, one that’s in easy reach of both civilization and wilderness. The 48 rooms (including 11 suites) all have wood-burning fireplaces and views of either the property’s gardens or the craggy coastline. Known since its beginnings in 1917 as the Highlands Inn, the boutique hideaway has been a repeat destination for generations of Californians, as well as legendary celebrities like Ansel Adams, Elizabeth Taylor, Marlon Brando, Julia Child, and Robert Redford. California Market at Pacific’s Edge sits overlooking the ocean (locals prefer the outdoor seating for lunch, especially after a hike at nearby Point Lobos), and its local, seasonal ingredients are featured in dishes like ceviche, fish tacos, and Dungeness crab cakes. Take one of the complimentary mountain bikes on a local adventure or relax at the heated outdoor swimming pool. In-room spa services and a fitness center keep wellness top of mind, although a workout may be the furthest thing from your mind when you’re enjoying a cocktail at the Sunset Lounge as the sun sinks into the Pacific Ocean.