Search results for

Perched on a steep hill in the lovely neighborhood of Alfama, you will in no doubt leave with a great souvenir or gift. Sellers throw down blankets or rugs in rows and sell a variety of hand-made goods, antiques, books, clothes, military objects, etc. I took home two wonderful brass bottle openers and a couple of old world maps. Getting to the market is easy and the trip there is quite beautiful; take the Tram 28, or Tram 12 up the hill through the tight, and narrow neighborhood streets (becos). After you’ve spent all of your Euro, take a short walk over to the Santa Engracia Church, Museum of Decorative Arts, or the National Pantheon. Oh, and don’t forget to take in the views and snap a few pictures.

Wind through the Santa Monica Mountains to Malibu Wines, a grassy garden retreat with gorgeous views for picnicking and sipping wine with friends. The space is accented by Instagrammable features like the metal WINE sculpture that emulates the iconic LOVE sculptures by artist Robert Indiana that are found in cities around the world. Entry is free; just order wine from the farmhouse-style tasting room and enjoy the live music and festive atmosphere on the weekends. (Weekdays are more mellow.) Table reservations, including one inside a vintage school bus, are recommended for groups—but if you’re more flexible, simply bring a blanket and some food, find a spot to spread out on the lawn, and explore the grounds.

One of the newer boutique inns to emerge in the Catskills, this 11-room property is a gorgeous mix of old-fashioned elegance and urban styling. Guests can expect classic features such as stone fireplaces and sheepskin rugs along with a glorious hodgepodge of vintage sofas, Moroccan tiling, and framed butterflies. Rooms feature white walls and matching linens, with pops of color in the form of grass-green rugs, tufted velvet chairs, bright wallpaper, and serene, forest-inspired art prints. Just be aware that about half the rooms—specifically, those on the third floor of the old house—share common bathrooms. There’s also a cottage with three bedrooms and its own kitchen, where guests can bring their pets provided they let the owners know ahead of time. Don’t miss the Sunday brunch served in the intimate Bar Room—one of the inn’s owners is a chef by profession, and his culinary artistry gets consistently rave reviews.

Looking for a romantic break from the bustle of Whistler Village? You can do no better than Nita Lake Lodge, the area’s only lakeside resort. Located a five-minute walk to Whistler Mountain’s Creekside gondola and just under three miles from town, each of the lodge’s 77 rooms evokes a feeling of calm with dark wood, creamy linens, leather upholstery, and rock-faced fireplaces; all feature kitchenettes, two-person soaker tubs, and lake or mountain views. During warmer months, the lodge offers complimentary kayaks, canoes, paddeboards, and bikes for adventure seekers, while the plunge pool and hot tub are available year-round. Though the lodge provides free shuttle service every half-hour to the village, guests shouldn’t pass up a chance to dine on site at Aura, where many of the menu’s herbs and vegetables come from the restaurant’s own rooftop garden. Before dinner, try a seasonal craft cocktail on the patio at the resort’s Cure Lounge.

The four huge red cubes set amid the verdant mountains around Medellín will seize your attention and pique your curiosity—they are pavilions that architect Alejandro Echeverri designed to house Parque Explora, a science museum that is rather a monumental toy itself. The goal was to strike a proper balance between wonder and learning—and to avoid at all costs the sort of place that quickly grows obsolete. The result offers a nice sort of carnival or market feeling in its wide-open spaces. Inside, the pavilions, aquarium, planetarium, and cool science and tech exhibits keep both wee ones and grown-ups entertained and awed.

Fans of the Montage brand’s Laguna Beach and Beverly Hills flagships will love this mountain version, a ski-in, ski-out hotel wedged into the head of Empire Canyon. The sprawling, Craftsman-style manor debuted in 2010, solidifying Deer Valley’s standing as one of North America’s most luxurious ski resorts. Service shines, starting with the “Mountain Host,” who greets guests in the majestic lobby rotunda. Up the grand staircase, the full-service Vista Lounge acts as a communal living room, with vaulted ceilings, exposed wood beams, floor-to-ceiling windows, and leather furnishings gathered around limestone fireplaces. To further entertain guests, there’s also a museum-quality collection of Western art, including Carl Runguis panoramas, John James Audubon prints, and Frederic Remington portraits.

The hotel’s X-shaped footprint means nearly every room has small deck with mountain or valley views. Averaging around 600 square feet, large guestrooms are airy and inviting with lofted ceilings and soothing natural hues. Remote-controlled gas fireplaces are the centerpiece of each room, though the bath suite with heated limestone floors, marble vanity, rain shower, and soaking tub could occupy your entire evening.

The Sandía Mountains rise to over 10,000 feet behind Albuquerque. From the top, the view over New Mexico is unparalleled: on a clear day, your eyes can take in eleven thousand square miles--almost one-tenth of the state! The quickest way up is the fifteen-minute ‘flight’ on the Sandia Peak Tramway, ascending from high desert to alpine evergreen forest. Swiss-designed, this aerial tramway has one of the longest spans in the world. Hiking, winter skiing and mountain biking are all available at the top, as well as a restaurant--a steakhouse two miles above sea level. (Prices are what you’d imagine at this altitude.) In case you’re wondering why this mountain range is called “Sandía,” which means ‘watermelon’ in Spanish--at sunset, the mineral content of the granite crags glows pinkish-red; along with the green of the conifers, the profile is reminiscent of a cut watermelon...

This family-run micro-village in Valais offers 36 rooms across six separate chalets. Huddled together on a hill above the popular ski resort of Zermatt, the buildings reference the area’s traditional architecture, from the timber frames to the hunting-themed decor.

Have dinner on the hotel’s terrace in the summer, when clear skies afford a picture-perfect view of the Matterhorn. The modern menu pulls inspiration from traditional Swiss cuisine.

All the rooms have balconies or terraces to make the most of the superlative views. Rent a whole chalet to accommodate up to 10 people. These come with separate living and dining rooms, and wellness areas (sauna, massage room) as well as open fireplaces.

Located next to Emporio village, Perissa Beach and Kamari are divided by Messavouno Mountain. Perissa’s black sand is attributed to several volcanic eruptions, giving it an unusual appearance compared to other beaches in Greece.

Santa Monica has plenty of posh spots, but the best-known might be the Bungalow, a beach-bar-style lounge right across the street from the ocean. There’s a high-ceilinged main bar inside, but the real action happens on the front patio and in the back garden, where patrons can take full advantage of the pleasant L.A. weather. Patio seating is coveted space, but if you can snag one of the funky couches and wooden tables—especially if it’s by a fire pit—you can comfortably spend the rest of the night chatting over cocktails under twinkling lanterns, a cool ocean breeze at your back. A second location in Huntington Beach has vintage interiors and ocean views right on the Pacific Coast Highway.

There’s a comfortable stillness to the acres of Ojai Valley Inn and Spa that’s apparent even when a cacophony of voices fills the air. Sunlight shines brightly against the resort’s white façade, which gleams in unison from the restaurants, accommodations, spa, and pools outstretched on shaded grounds. Flowers – from roses to bougainvillea, lavender to jasmine – line pathways where views of the surrounding rolling mountains peek out between buildings. And even when bicyclists, pedestrians, and the occasional golf carts use those pathways, the motion is as calm and quick as the breeze. Originally built in 1923 as a country club and golf course, the inn has never lost its luxurious appeal for intimate, quiet privacy. Old Hollywood stars have come and gone through its Spanish-style property, and today, the resort is still known as a place where big names can tee off or swim undisturbed. Its more than 300 guest rooms are tucked away in a series of terracotta-topped buildings that share a style of calm blue and white shades. Many rooms feature fireplaces enclosed by a sitting area, and private balconies are scented by the surrounding blooms. In the morning, sip a Keurig coffee from the soft white sheets of bed, or step outside for the view. Then, walk or bike to breakfast before a swim in the newly opened, “adults only” pool.

The two owners of Galapagos Safari Camp dreamed up the idea for this luxury tent camp while sitting in a tree and admiring the views on the 135-acre farm where the lodge now sits. Opened in 2007 in the highlands of Santa Cruz’s transition zone at 1,575 feet above sea level and bordering Galapagos National Park, the camp is modeled after African safari camps but sports an Ecuadoran theme. The main lodge, complete with a 15-foot Balinese teak dining table and a glass wall looking out to sweeping vistas of the Pacific Ocean, anchors the rural property. The luxury tents are connected to the lodge by a volcanic rock path and sheltered under three layers of covering to protect from sun and rain. They sit on elevated platforms and are outfitted with balconies and en-suite bathrooms with hot showers. Part of the owners’ vision for the property has been to rid the former cattle farm of invasive species, allowing the endemic plants that are better protected in the national park to once again flourish. These measures will increase the activity of the giant tortoises that occasionally make their way onto the property.

If you have time, you could travel nearly two hours south of the capital into wine country to dine at the outstanding Miguel Torres restaurant near Curicó, part of this Spanish winery’s headquarters--or you could dine at their outpost in the upscale area known as El Golf. The focus is on blending seasonal Chilean ingredients to showcase their ample portfolio of wines with small plates and tasting glasses rather a full meal. For any meal, be sure to kick off with their pink sparkler, Santa Digna Estelado made from the traditional “país” grape. The winery supports many small, organic producers to make their wines and this is just one example. Salud! Isidora Goyenechea 2874, Las Condes Phone: 56 (2) 2245 7338 Photo: Miguel Torres Chile

Though it was built in 1968, Hotel de Mendoza reflects its 16th-century surroundings. Nestled in the heart of Guadalajara’s centro historico, the hotel features 104 simple yet elegant rooms, with hand-carved, colonial-style furnishings (some hand-painted by Jalisco artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo) and views of Teatro Degollado. Original arches salvaged from nearby Templo Santa María de Gracia’s former convent create architectural contrast in the courtyard pool area, a sunny space lined with terra cotta tiles and cascading greenery. Similarly atmospheric is the on-site restaurant, La Forja, where guests enjoy global cuisine in an elegant dining room decorated with cane-backed chairs and blue-and-white talavera pottery.

Avenida Central was the city’s great commercial core in the first half of the 20th century; though its heyday has ended, the swarm of humanity packing into its various shops, bars, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses attest to ongoing vibrancy. The classic stretch extends from Plaza Santa Ana to Plaza 5 de Mayo, where art deco and streamlined moderne landmarks are still on view. El Banco Nacional, the former Kodak building, and “La Pollera”—thus nicknamed for the resemblance its balconies bear to the traditional full skirts of the Los Santos region—figure among them. These avenue blocks are pedestrian-only; peddlers and street vendors selling every imaginable snack and trinket abound.