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While much attention is paid to the Japanese and Italian influences on Los Cabos cuisine, one of the very best spots in town is an Argentine entry. The low-key, low-lit courtyard restaurant Chamuyo features a dozen or so tables, a long bar, and a traditional Argentine grill. The steak-house menu sends you on a culinary adventure through Buenos Aires dance halls and the verdant pampas. Meat-stuffed Argentine empanadas (markedly different from the Mexican variety) are served oven-baked or fried, and make excellent starters. For your main course, try chef Marcelo Romby’s 22-ounce beef ribs, which he slow-cooks for more than four hours. Pair it with a bottle of Baja red and, if you can, save room for some first-rate alfajor cookies.

A reflective site for Marian believers, these stone caverns function as a New World counterpart to the famous French shrine to Our Lady of Lourdes, where it’s said the Virgin Mary’s apparition once appeared. You’ll marvel at the naturally formed twin grottos, positioned across the road from each other, as well as the oversize statue of the Virgin Mary, which weighs in at 1,500 pounds. A priest named Erkamp and his parishioners placed the imposing icon here in 1958.

It makes sense that the California cool of James Perse’s clothing and accessories for men and women has made its way to Cabo, where its sold at one of several shops that opened on the property of Flora Farms in late 2015. Whether you forgot to pack for the coastal climate of Baja or you just want to expand your wardrobe, attentive staff can help you add a few items to your style repertoire.

The most stunning dining room in celebrity chef Neil Perry’s restaurant empire has got to be Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. Seated amid soaring green marble columns and Art Deco windows in a space designed by Emil Sodersten, diners can choose between the finest steaks, seafood, cocktails, and wines—more than 3,000 of them—that Australia has to offer. Dry-aged beef and sustainable fish are simple yet succulent, cooked over an open flame or in the wood-fired rotisserie. Start with the signature Four Raw Tastes of the Sea before savoring the Wagyu or Cape Grim steak, or opt for classy appetizers and cocktails in the candlelit bar, adorned with 2,682 hanging Riedel riesling glasses.

Set right on the banks of Lady Bird Lake as it passes downtown, the Four Seasons Hotel Austin performs the impressive juggling act of feeling like both a glamorous city stay and a picturesque, elegant resort. On one side is Live Oak, a local hot spot for live music, on the other the sun-lounger–lined saltwater pool that looks out over the sprawling lawn and the lake beyond. This outdoorsy-meets-hip dichotomy is part of what defines Austin, and the hotel is right at the heart of it: Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail is the closest of many urban trails, and the food trucks and record stores of the trendy Downtown and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods are within walking distance—a rarity in this expansive city.

A Hill Country–inspired spa and Latin restaurant draw locals, while elegant rooms (updated in 2017) with lake views and signature Four Seasons service—think seasonal lemonade or hot apple cider on arrival and s’mores (weather permitting) on the back patio—make stays extra special.

The front section of this small spot was crowded with locals having a quick drink and a plate of cicchetti. We had reserved one of the six tables in the back. The menu, written on a blackboard, was all almost all unknown to me. Thankfully my Milanese traveling partners were there to translate. We ordered plates of baccala manecato and polenta, a Venetian style fish lasagna, and a seafood pasta. All washed down with jugs of a cold local white.

The Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal is a majestic resort that sits at the spot where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortéz meet. All 119 rooms have an ocean view, complete with binoculars for whale-watching, as well as a private plunge pool, a fireplace, a rain shower, and a welcome bottle of Clase Azul tequila. Decorative accents include tasteful local art, such as hand-embroidered pillows, ceramic sculptures, and hand-forged metal light fixtures. On the service side, every guest is assigned a round-the-clock personal concierge. The relatively small number of rooms keeps the vibe intimate and creates a sense of privacy throughout the property.

Chef Jorge Vallejo—an alumnus of the capital’s most famous restaurant, Pujol—rose to star status with his internationally-ranked Quintonil, a restaurant he runs in partnership with his wife. Vallejo’s more recent venture is Fonda Fina, where his protege, Chef Juan Cabrera, interprets the renowned restauranteur’s dishes in a warm, inviting setting. Guests will find clever, thoughtful design touches like clay cooking pots that have been turned into light fixtures. The servers are attentive, and every dish on the tradition-inspired Mexican menu is presented beautifully.

This all-inclusive, adult only resort offers a truly exceptional experience. The staff is friendly, the service is excellent and the location is ideal for exploring Cancun. Honeymooners, couples and any vacationer in search of a chic, trendy getaway will enjoy staying here. Straddling one of the area’s best beaches, this newer hotel offers three infinity pools along with modern accommodations peppered with a luxurious South Beach vibe. When you’re ready to take a break from the beach, check into Secrets Spa by Pevonia to detox your body as well as your mind. Steam, sauna, plunge pools and a soothing array of body and facial treatments are sure to cure whatever ails you. Chocolate wraps for exfoliation, green coffee wraps for cellulite, seaweed wraps for detoxification, black mud treatments for aches and pains.....the list is endless. For a romantic touch, moonlight couples massages on beach beckon. In addition to spa services, a beauty salon and fitness center provide more “wellness” escapes. For a unique experience. you can even have a garra rufa fish pedicure.

A true desert outpost, the Peruvian town of Mancora enjoys the most sunshine hours of anywhere in the country. Unlike the rest of Peru the water is warm enough to surf without a wetsuit, a welcome complement to an area already featuring some of the best waves in South America. Hemingway knew what he was doing when he set up shop in nearby Cabo Blanco, an authentic fishing village where the ceviche is some of the freshest on the planet and the days pass with a simple peacefulness unique to many coastal escapes. While outdoor activities abound around Mancora, from kitesurfing to fishing to morning yoga sessions, on this particular morning the to-do list consists of nothing more than a good book, a cold drink, and watching whales splash on the endless horizon.

The San Francisco Proper Hotel is the hottest new hotel in town. The reason why? International grande dame of maximalism, designer Kelly Wearstler, revamped a down-and-out tourist hotel deep in the heart of the city, and established the Proper as a magnet for trendsetting visitors and locals. When guests arrive at the 131-room hotel and step inside the flatiron building, they’re treated to Wearstler’s signature pattern-on-pattern aesthetic. In the ground floor lobby, Wearstler sets the mood with salon-style seating areas using richly reupholstered vintage furnishings and Cubism-inspired paintings. Michael Adams, formerly of Central Kitchen, oversees the hotel’s main restaurant, Villon. And while the Proper isn’t the place for those looking for a Zen retreat, it is the place to order a Fifi the Flea cocktail (Tequila Ocho Plata, Ancho Reyes, Ancho Reyes Verde, grapefruit, honey, vanilla, lime, smoked salt) at Charmaine’s, the stylish rooftop bar. Between the fire pits and the bird’s-eye view of Market Street all the way to the bay, it’s no wonder the Proper has become the destination to see and be seen.

At the entrance of Lake Izabal stands a stone citadel. Built in the mid-1600s by the Spanish, the imposing structure thwarted thieving pirates from attacking the lake, which was used as a storage facility for transport goods. El Castillo de San Felipe later served as a prison. There are cannons and weapons along with sweeping natural vistas. The site is also home to myriad wildlife, including a variety of monkeys.

If the romance of a vineyard sounds appealing, several wineries offer you the chance to dine among the vines. Locals choose the Vega Manchón Winery (pictured here), where former Rosewood chef Carlos Segura pairs entrées with the vineyard’s wines. Restaurante de la Santísima Trinidad, nestled within the grounds of its namesake vineyard, is open only on weekends but can provide a relaxing daylong respite, especially if combined with the winery’s other diversions like polo matches (and polo lessons for all levels of expertise), yoga, or massages. For best romantic results, follow the recipe of poet Omar Khayyam, “A jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou….”

The church of San Cataldo and its neighbor, La Martorana, both overlook the Piazza Bellini but offer contrasting experiences. San Cataldo is modest on the outside, and its interior remains unfinished more than 850 years after its construction—but it is no less beautiful for that. La Martorana (also known as Santa Maria dell’Ammiraglio), on the other hand, is one of Palermo’s greatest remaining churches from the Middle Ages. The elaborate mosaics that decorate its interior are thought to have been created by the same artisans who created the Palatine Chapel.

“Everyone from the late blues musician Stevie Ray Vaughan to the Butthole Surfers has played at the Continental Club. Musicians who do big gigs in Austin like to play small shows here afterward,” says Liz Lambert.