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Pass over limestone rocks and through a protected landscape and you’ll arrive at this enchanting pool, which gets up to eight feet deep at times. Surrounded by volcanic outcroppings, it’s so removed from other island attractions that it feels undiscovered and romantic. The water is warm and bubbly and there are some ledges for sitting, all of which make you feel as if you’re in a natural Jacuzzi. Whether you arrive by foot, mountain bike, or jeep, the journey is as exciting as the destination itself. For a dose of adventure, opt for the half-hour guided horseback tour, which winds past caverns and other rock formations on its way to the pool.

Chef Pedro de Artagão went from fresh-faced promoter to celebrity chef at Irajá, where instead of trying to take things more haute, he gathered traditional—maybe even disdained—Brazilian ingredients and transformed them into something spectacular. The restaurant’s mansion setting requires guests to squeeze past the kitchen to the dining room, on a high-ceilinged loggia, framed by a vertical garden. Locals marvel at what Artagão does with once-lowly cassava, now stylishly presented as high-toned aipim (whole fried), farofa (fried meal), mash, or tapioca. Regulars and out-of-towners alike enjoy sampling ingredients from the Amazon, such as tucupi (manioc juice), jambu (a Brazilian guava), and tacacá (a spicy seafood, pepper, and jambu stew).

One of Caye Caulker’s best beach bars is also its friendliest. Set right on the Split—a narrow channel dividing the island’s north and south portions—Caye Caulker’s most social corner invites tourists and locals to gather for a swim off an extended dock, or to enjoy a cocktail and music. Lazy Lizard’s recently upgraded look includes a variety of umbrella-covered wooden picnic tables, seating under palapas, and a new beach extension with steps leading into the shallow sea areas for easy entry. On the menu, you’ll find typical bar bites: burgers, fish tacos, and full meals like a lobster plate. The bar holds occasional full-moon parties, live music, family-fun days, and beach volleyball tournaments.

Why we love it: A sprawling retreat offering high design and a beachfront location

The Highlights:

• Guest rooms with private plunge pools or whirlpools
• The only Thalasso therapy wellness spa in Baja
• Five separate pools, plus 4,000 square feet of beachfront

The Review
Though the Baja Peninsula has welcomed a slew of luxury properties over the past few years, it seems the 128-room Solaz is only in competition with itself. First, there are the sophisticated stone-and-wood interiors, which balance high-tech details (remote controlled lighting) and luxe amenities (outdoor showers, private plunge pools) with locally sourced decor and wall sculptures by Mexican artist César López Negrete.

Guests even have the option to add personal butler service, which can arrange everything from swimming with whale sharks to ordering a bottle of local wine from the property’s wine cellar. Outdoors, the landscaping features endemic desert plants like agave and cacti, with a hardly a palm tree in sight.

Then there’s the spa, a 10,000-square-foot refuge that features the region’s only Thalasso therapy seawater treatments and a Himalayan salt igloo. Five pools (including two sleek infinity ones that overlook the Sea of Cortez), four dining outlets (a Mexican breakfast spot, a seafood restaurant, a poolside cafe, and a coffee lounge), a beachfront fitness center, and 4,000 square feet of white-sand shoreline complete the desert dream.

Eating raw herring is a right of passage for many who visit Amsterdam. Order yours from the friendly Dutch matrons in blue and white-striped aprons at Stubbe’s Haaring, a herring stand with a view on the bridge over Singel Canal, just off Haarlemerstraat. For decades, this local institution has satisfied the fish cravings of Dutchies and visitors with lightly brined herring, smoked eel and other delicacies from the North Sea. Unless you want bragging rights, there’s no need to eat your buttery snack Dutch style, grabbing it by the tail, throwing your head back and lowering the fish whole into your gaping mouth. Most locals eat it in a less flashy way: cut up into small pieces, covered with onions and sweet pickles, topped with a Dutch flag. It’s served on a waxed paper plate, sans bread or cutlery. Use the flag-festooned toothpick to stab the soft, mild-flavored morsels and bring them to your mouth. For a more filling meal, order a broodje haring (herring sandwich) on a soft, white bun, filled with fish, pickles and onions. Eet smakelijk!

Mount Kilimanjaro is a treasure of Tanzania and a popular attraction for tourists wanting to conquer Africa’s tallest mountain. Because of its fame and relatively easy ascent—if you don’t count the altitude sickness—this hike attracts more than 16,000 climbers a year. If you want to climb in relative peace, take the Northern Circuit detour, which avoids the busiest trails.

Austin’s very own grand dame, this landmark hotel opened in 1886 as the city’s first iconic hotel, both a testament to and display of the success of cattle baron Jesse Driskill, who wanted to build his beloved frontier town a palace to rival those in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. The city fared better than Mr. Driskill did; financial troubles forced him to sell the hotel just two years after opening, and he died of a stroke just another two years later. After some initial ups and downs, his hotel ultimately flourished, housing a rotating cast of Texas elite and hosting important political events in Austin—in particular, gubernatorial inaugural balls—in the 20th century. President Lyndon Johnson had an especially close relationship with the hotel, from his first date with his wife to awaiting presidential re-election results in one of the suites.

Multimillion-dollar renovations in 2008 restored the hotel to its original grandeur, maintaining its historic charm alongside all the amenities of a modern luxury hotel. Brave guests might request a room on the reportedly haunted fifth floor. And, no stay at the Driskill is complete without a cocktail in the elegant Driskill Bar, where cattle, oil, or railroad barons would still fit in.

On Tahiti’s rocky east coast, the volcanic Lava Tubes of Hitiaa are underground channels and eroded sections of rock in caves that have been penetrated by water. Although you can visit solo, it is really best to visit with a guided 4WD tour. Check with Marama Tours, which also does a range of other island tours from encounters with dolphins to 4WD trips across the Papenoo valley that is rich in waterfalls and archeological sites.

Graffiti, stencil, sticker, and poster art, and temporary sculptures are all part of San Salvador’s street art scene, with themes of pieces touching on topics as diverse as anti-capitalist sentiment, social justice, political history, women’s and indigenous people’s rights, and pop culture. Use the Facebook page of Street Art El Salvador as an informal guide to the capital’s biggest, most interesting pieces and to learn more about the artists who made them.

If walls could talk, you’d be stuck in conversation with the Fillmore for hours. The building was a dance hall when it opened in 1912 and a roller rink during the 1940s, and led its first concerts in 1952 with artists like James Brown and Ike & Tina Turner. But in the mid-1960s, the venue really had its moment. Concert promoter Bill Graham made the ballroom a hub for psychedelic music and brought would-be legends like the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, and Santana to the stage. Needless to say, there’s history here. Learn it best by attending a show. The standing-room-only ballroom still brings in big-name artists—think Lorde and the 1975—at budget-friendly prices, along with a constant stream of smaller acts. There’s a full-service restaurant and a bar, and the vibrant collections of old photos, artwork, newspaper clippings, posters, and billings will school you on the club’s colorful past.

Walk down this narrow alley connecting Valencia and Mission Streets and you’ll be surrounded by dozens of colorful murals by local artists depicting environmental and social justice, artistic freedom, and community collaboration. Funded by the nonprofit Intersection for the Arts, more than 700 murals have been painted in this vibrant display of public art since CAMP began in 1992. In a city known for its rising rents and gentrification—and especially in the Mission neighborhood at its epicenter—Clarion Alley is a sight worth visiting.

In the daylight, tacones (high heels) can be dangerous on cobblestoned streets, but during a night on the town, they’re great for dancing. San Miguel offers something for everyone’s taste. Salsa lessons can be enjoyed at places like Hacienda Guadalupe. Live music, at clubs like VC & Friends and on rooftops like Quince or Bond’s 007 Gin Bar, brings out everyone’s best Travolta moves. The younger set opts for the dance floors at El Grito and Mint, where the velvet rope amps up the Manhattan factor. That said, what happens on the dance floor at Cent’anni (pictured here)—even after a comforting Italian dinner—tends to be much more impromptu, lively, and festive.

Day-trippers in search of awesome views, cool drinks, and light bites score at this oasis in the middle of Arikok National Park. The menu is simple and heavy on island favorites, from fried whole fish to seafood served with plantains, salad, and pan bait (a pancake-like bread). There are also hamburgers and cold sandwiches, along with frozen cocktails and local beer. Still, it’s the views that really stun. From its perch between Boca Prins Bay and the Fontein Cave, the restaurant has sweeping vistas of desert, hills, and sea.

Head up to the fifth floor of the bustling, popular La Fonda Hotel for stellar sunset views of city and distant mountains. Arrive early to beat the crowds and settle in. Relax with the signature margarita called the Bell Ringer, makes the experience all the more authentic.

Bonafide is a classic Argentine café whose roots reach back to 1917 in Buenos Aires. The name stands for “good faith” to reflect his family’s history in the coffee business and a symbol of trust for his clients. They also sell “Bocaditos” (sweet bites) and “Nugaton” (wafers filled with nougat cream), which have become classic Argentine chocolate snacks. Peatonal Sarmiento 102 - Mendoza. Tel: +54 261 423-7915