Search results for

Guavate, a section of Cayey better known as the Ruta del Lechon (“Pork Highway”), bursts into a rush of food-infused ecstasy every Friday and Saturday. People from all parts of the island come to watch someone roast a whole pig over the open fire before chopping it with a machete. Side dishes abound. I recommend sorrullos (corn sticks), bacalaitos (cod fritters), alcapurrias (fritters made of plantain dough and stuffed with meat), and rice with different types of beans. The blood sausage is not for me, but my father and boyfriend devour it every chance they get. Here in the mountains, shacks of all sizes let you pick your poison—beer, piña colada, or mojito (made from lime, mint leaves, rum, and sugar)—and drink to the beat of salsa and reggateon music. This creates the euphoric atmosphere for which Puerto Ricans are so famous. The cherry on top of the piña colada: Guavate lets you absorb the laughter, music, and food for a reasonable price. If you want the pig, but not the rambunctiousness, take your food to El Yunque National Forest and eat it by a waterfall (see my “Swimming Under a Hidden Waterfall” highlight). To find it, get on Luis A. Ferre Expressway, take the exit toward PR-184, and follow the signs for Guavate. You’ll start seeing pork soon after you take PR-184, but wait about fifteen minutes (until you’re around km 27) before you stop to get all the real action.

L’Arca, formerly known as L’Arca de l’Avia, specializes in recreating historical clothing, especially ball gowns and wedding dresses, but it’s a great place to pick up antique and vintage accessories like lace gloves, Spanish fans, and jewelry, as well as fabrics and housewares. Things here are beautiful, but far from cheap. Of course if you plan on attending a fancy dress ball or getting married, a dress from L’Arca would be an incredible souvenir...

A writer walks into a bar. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but when it happened at the Buena Vista on November 10, 1952, a new drink was born. Stanton Delaplane, a longtime columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, walked in on that chilly November day and told the bar owner, Jack Koeppler, about a warm whiskey-and-coffee concoction he’d tasted in Shannon, Ireland. The oft-told story goes that the two men spent the evening measuring and mixing and testing in an effort to re-create the drink. Eventually, the recipe was mastered, and seven decades later, the Buena Vista’s Irish coffee is as legendary as San Francisco fog. Bartenders in crisp white jackets line up glass goblets on the bar and make up to 2,000 Irish coffees per day.

Why we love it: A beachfront getaway with low-key vibes and high-design interiors

The Highlights:
- A cash-free policy that makes trips to the ATM virtually unnecessary
- The open-air La Popular restaurant and its chipotle-pineapple margaritas
- Regular talks and workshops led by local practitioners

The Review:
Tulum has gone from backpacker’s paradise to jetsetter’s getaway in just a few decades, but some of that gypsy spirit endures at Nômade. The beachfront property comprises 35 palapa-style casitas and tented suites, each featuring hippie macramé hangings, antique rugs, cozy beanbag chairs, and woven hammocks. Moroccan tray tables, lanterns, and poufs dominate the public spaces, which include a thatched yoga shala, a Bedouin-inspired meditation tent, and Macondo restaurant, where you can catch a live DJ set after sampling vegan fare and Yucatán specialties sourced from local fishermen (the chili stuffed with soft shell crab is a standout). Dinners are served at a communal table carved from a single tree trunk, offering equal amounts of physical and spiritual nourishment.

Why we love it: An intimate retreat with an attentive staff that guarantees fuss-free tranquility

The Highlights:
- Personalized attention from a small, dedicated staff
- Guestrooms filled with Mexican antiques
- The all-day, oceanfront restaurant that serves local cuisine

The Review:
With just 12 guest rooms and a staff that’s smaller than a football team, NEST is more private home than resort. Owned by former music industry executive James Chippendale, the intimate property features simple, subdued rooms, individually appointed with antique and artisan furnishings sourced from San Miguel de Allende and throughout the Yucatán, as well as king-size beds, locally made bath products, and handcrafted French doors that fling open to welcome warm ocean breezes. Start your day with a probiotic smoothie and huevos rancheros at the beachside restaurant, then secure your spot on a palm-fringed daybed overlooking the powdery shoreline and azure waves. Your biggest decision may well be whether to watch the sun dip below the horizon from your plush perch or head back for complimentary happy hour at the bar.

Steps away from Mérida’s prestigious mansion- and monument-lined Paseo de Montejo, this residence turned boutique hotel is a stylish retreat full of Instagrammable moments. Colonial-era details like wooden antiques, wrought-iron chandeliers, and exposed ceiling beams are sprinkled throughout the seven guest rooms, but modern comforts keep things current—think bathrooms with organic toiletries and rain showers illuminated by skylights. There’s plenty of tile flooring and colorful art on the walls, but the most scenic spots are the breezy colonnaded patios that overlook the hotel’s lush outdoor spaces. Head to the tranquil pool area to while away the time with a good read or an expertly crafted cocktail in one of the hammocks that swing beside the water. The next best seat in the house? You’ll find it on the breakfast patio, overlooking the palm-dotted garden. A seat at the granite-topped bar isn’t too shabby either, with personable bartenders serving up a wide variety of top-quality tequilas.

Situated in a candy-colored colonial-style building, the Diplomat Boutique Hotel feels like a cool friend’s house. With just four guest rooms, the property has an intimate vibe and personal service, beginning with welcome drinks and botanas (Mexican snacks) served on arrival by the inviting Canadian owners. Each of the crisp, contemporary accommodations is embellished with hints of history, from the wrought-iron beds to knick-knacks like antique typewriters, yet talavera-tiled bathrooms feature modern touches like walk-in rainfall showers and organic toiletries infused with local honey. It’s easy to lose track of time while swinging in a hammock, cooling off in the pool, or sampling different varieties of tequila and mezcal from the free poolside bar. Just pace yourself. You don’t want to miss the complimentary morning spread, loaded with fresh fruit from the market, homemade breads, and delicious dishes like breakfast tacos, French toast with caramel sauce and passionfruit jam, or quinoa-crusted quiche.

Visitors to Oaxaca who would like to acquire some beautiful embroidered clothing have a few options. There are women who sell their work along Alcalá street in the city center, and some can be found in the Benito Juarez market in the traditional clothing section, but for the best quality pieces, head to the village of San Antonino Castillo Velasco, very close to Ocotlan de Morelos, where there are several women who are known to produce very high quality intricately hand embroidered blouses and dresses.

On a walk through Oaxaca‘s Centro Historico any evening, you’ll come across carts selling steaming corn. Order an elote and you’ll get the corn on the cob on a wooden stick. If you request it “con todo,” the vendor will squeeze some lime juice on it, slather it with mayonnaise, and add crumbled cheese and chile powder. If you prefer your corn in a cup, ask for an “esquite” and you’ll be served a cup of corn with the broth it was cooked in, and the garnishings will be added on top for you to mix in. Any way you like it, this makes a great snack to eat while you’re enjoying the street scene.

Oaxacan artist Francisco Toledo spearheaded the project of converting an abandoned textile mill into an arts center, which was inaugurated in 2006. The Centro de las Artes San Agustin (CASA) hosts exhibits of a variety of media, as well as courses and workshops. It is an ecological arts center and encourages artistic creation using environmentally friendly processes, and community involvement. CASA is located in San Agustin Etla, about a twenty minute drive from Oaxaca city. It is open daily from 9 am to 6 pm, and if you go on Sundays, there is an organic market on the grounds (Mercado Los Eucaliptos).

You might detect the aroma of fresh coffee on your stroll along the Macedonio Alcalá tourist corridor, and if you’re hankering for a caffeine hit, just follow your nose. Cafe Brújula has three locations, but the more central of the three is on Oaxaca‘s main pedestrian street. Order your coffee and snacks at the counter, then make your way to the back of the building and find a spot in the typical Oaxacan arched patio. Besides great coffee (roasted in small batches at their location on Garcia Vigil), they also offer tasty salads and sandwiches. There’s free Wi-fi, so if you need to get some work done, this is a good spot for it.

If you enjoy partying near the beach, Cancun won’t disappoint you. A number of beachfront clubs have music (live or DJ) and dancing that spills out onto the sand into the wee hours. Some, such as Mandala Beach Club offer tables and bottle service on the beach. Many resorts - including The Royal Cancun and Me by Melia Resorts - host beach parties on a weekly basis. Often, these parties have a particular theme: burlesque or full moon party, for example. Hotel concierges and restaurant waitstaff can point you toward the area’s best beach parties in the area.

Coco frios are sold on every corner during the high season (fall and winter) in Puerto Rico. Cold, fresh coconut water is the lifeblood of island living. Literally, if you were ever stranded on an island, you could sustain yourself on what’s inside a coconut (just ask Les Stroud). There is a difference between coconut water and coconut milk. Coconut water is clear to translucent and not as sweet—you harvest this from a fresh green coconut that has just fallen, or is ready to fall from the tree. It might taste unusual at first if you have never tried it, but this is actually the best form of natural electrolytes to replenish yourself after a workout or surf session. Watch the roadsides for the carts and folks with machetes—because this is your hint that coco frios await you!

When people think of southern Arizona and its border with Mexico, cactus and sun-baked sand may come to mind — but a mountain canyon with fall foliage, homestead cabins, and deer? Go high enough, and you’ll find this and more. The Huachuca Mountains climb to over 9000 feet just north of the border in Cochise County, about an hour and a half from Tucson. Toward the southern edge of the town of Sierra Vista, the Nature Conservancy has set up the Ramsey Canyon Preserve, which is ideal for hiking and birdwatching. The deer are tame, wild turkeys are common, and fourteen species of hummingbirds have been spotted among the 150+ species of birds that find refuge in this “sky island” — a mountain range that rises high enough above the surrounding desert to provide a cooler and wetter ecosystem. By late fall, the cottonwoods, maples, and sycamores transform the canyon into a landscape that would be reminiscent of New England if it weren’t for the omnipresent agave plants. Watch your step, and stay alert for the occasional black bear, javelina, or mountain lion. Chimneys, log cabins, and apple trees remain from early homesteaders who found refuge from the desert in these mountains, which were originally named “Huachuca"—meaning ‘thunder'—by the Apaches.

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is what remains of the first settlement in Sacramento. John Sutter was given a land grant from the Mexican government in 1839 (when California was still part of Mexico). He used this land to develop agriculture and set up the first non-Native American settlement in the Central Valley of California. Now Sutter’s Fort sits right in the center of Sacramento, surrounded by Midtown apartment buildings and restaurants, but offers a place to see a bit of California history. The large white fort has been restored to look as it did in the 1840s. Original rooms include a kitchen, stables, store, carpenter’s shop, mill, doctor’s office, and other places that served the small local community at that time. A free audio tour is available. The grounds of the park include the California State Indian Museum and a small but nice area to walk with ponds, fountains, and heritage trees. Sutter’s Fort is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Entrance fees are $5 for adults and $3 for kids over five. Street parking is available, and free street parking can be found one to two blocks south on 27th Street.