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Since 2014 the last word in Rio for contemporary cuisine has been Lasai. Chef Rafael Costa e Silva cut his teeth in the kitchen at the Basque country’s famed Andoni Aduriz. At Rio’s Lasai, he presents two menus—Festival and Don’t Tell Me Tales—both of which aim to take diners on a culinary tour of Brazil via local ingredients and garden vegetables. You can order your own wine bottle, of course, but the proposed pairings are highly recommended. The warm-toned surroundings and multinational staff ease you into the restaurant’s vibe. For these reasons and more, Lasai—one of seven Michelin-starred restaurants in the city—merits your visit.

The Palatine Hill was home to an early Roman settlement and had major significance for the city’s history. Legend states that Romulus founded Rome on that hill in 753 B.C.E., and Romans even maintained a cult site sacred to the founding father for about 1,000 years. When the emperors rose to power, they chose the Palatine as the location for their sprawling villas and built enormous marble-clad structures to showcase their wealth and power. Today, the ruins of their majestic estates rise above the Forum and Circus Maximus, reminders of the grand imperial past. A visit is included in the price of a ticket to the Forum or Colosseum.

While you can never go wrong with a tried and true cone of pistacchio e nocciola (pistachio and hazelnut) gelato, opt instead for one (or two or six) of the small ‘bicchierini’ here at Gelateria Excelsa for a few bites of different delicious flavors! The chocolate are exceptional - as are any of the ones with ‘frutti di bosco’ (red fruits like strawberry, cherry, and plum).

Chef Darren Walsh has come a long way since the 2001 New York Times review in which food critic William Grimes wrote that his Manhattan restaurant, Papillon, served “two-star food in a no-star setting”—all the way, in fact, to Guadalajara. The Irish chef, who trained in France and headed restaurants in New York, brings all these cultural and culinary influences—and many more—to Lula Bistro, where his food and presentation finally achieve parity. Diners can look forward to a seasonal, modern European tasting menu, complete with French-meets-Mexican dishes like beef filet, duck confit, and octopus, as well as a sophisticated wine list with several Mexican vintages.

Burano is quaint and touristy in the same breath. Some might argue that there is not much to see beyond the multi-colored buildings. But there is definitely something worth eating - sardines! Sit in the sun at Riva Rosa and enjoy along with seafood risotto and spaghetti alle vongole.

The best way to hop between popular tourist sites is to hitch a ride on one of Tumon’s ubiquitous open-air trolleys. Trolleys make stops along Hotel Row in Tumon, as well as at select locations in downtown Tamuning and Hagatna, including Two Lovers Point and Chamorro Village. Not only are trolleys among the only forms of public transportation available on Guam, they’re also a pleasant way to explore the island.

Cherubs hang from the ceiling and flying pigs decorate the bar. Aquarium bathtubs covered in glass are the tables and funky, modern art with Christian themes decorate the walls. Behind the bar a disco ball glitters the rows of liquor bottles and the bartender. The food is modern and classic: cuy and alpaca along a long list of beef tenderloin specialities.

One of San Salvador’s most popular restaurants, Los Balcones is located inside the Quality Hotel Real near the airport. It’s an unlikely location, perhaps, but guests rave about the food and the service here. With respect to the former, the variety—especially at the breakfast buffet—is notable, especially for visitors who have tired of pupusas and heavier foods that are typical to the Salvadoran diet.

In San Pedro, a town on Belize‘s northern island of Ambergris Caye, the Mestizo traditions are strong. The Mestizo people are descendants of the Maya and the Spanish, and when those two cultures mixed, a new one was born. You’ll find many Mestizo people in San Pedro, but you’ll hardly find a better Mestizo restaurant than El Fogon, a spot owned by a local woman known as Miss Suzanna and run by her daughter. All of the food is cooked in a traditional outdoor oven (fogon means “kitchen hearth”), and everything is delicious. Try the salbutes, a tacolike dish made with fried tortillas, with a texture that’s somehow both soft and crunchy, or the pig tail with split peas. And the coconut rice is to die for.

San Miguel’s iconic landmark, the Parroquia (officially the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel), is now world-famous. Look for its eclectic, neo-Gothic spires, crowning the city skyline, to locate the downtown area called the Centro. In 1880, self-taught mestizo architect and stone quarry master Zeferino Gutiérrez is said to have designed the church’s facade based on postcards of European cathedrals. He mapped out each day’s scope of work in the sand with a stick, since blueprints would have required reading and writing, two skills his craftsmen didn’t possess. You need not listen closely to hear La Luz, the largest of eight bells, tolling the hours clearly.

It’s fun to imagine that Xcalak, a sleepy coastal village south of Mahahual on Mexico’s Costa Maya, is what the entire Caribbean coast of Mexico looked like before the creation of the Cancún megaresort in the 70s. No Spring breakers, no cruise ships, no thumping beachside clubs, no big hotels. Just white sand and palapas, palm trees and pelicans, hammocks and fishing boats. Just you in secluded relaxation away from it all. Several clean and basic hotels are located on the old coast road and fresh, cheap seafood is abundant at local favorite Toby’s. Dive and snorkel trips can be arranged at XTC Dive Center (www.xtcdivecenter.com), located about 300m north of town.

These two castles, both elements of the fortifications encircling the city, stand on either side of La Caleta beach. The fortress of Santa Catalina, entered directly from the promenade, was constructed in the 17th century. Its small chapel and a central patio planted with palms give it the sun-baked look of a Mexican mission. The castillo is now a cultural center where open-air concerts are held in summer. San Sebastián, meanwhile, is an imposing fort built (in 1706) on a small island connected to the mainland by a long stone causeway. This malecón is popular among locals and visitors as a pleasant place to walk for a cool breeze.

Visitors looking to tour Casa Herradura—the distillery that’s been making Tequila Herradura for more than 145 years—should hop aboard the new Tequila Herradura Express. The train leaves from Guadalajara and travels through Jalisco’s agave fields, stopping in Amatitán (the official birthplace of tequila) before arriving at Casa Herradura. Once at the distillery, guests enjoy tastings, lunch, and live music, then get back on the train, where they’re treated to bar service and entertainment all the way back to Guadalajara.

Concalma is the store of designer Matilsha Marxuach, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design who creates fair-trade products that are made and sourced locally. Her specialty is chic cloth bags and totes for men and women, and her trendy line offers a variety of sizes, styles and designs. Clothing, bags and jewelry by other designers, both quirky and cutting-edge, are sold here as well.

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.