Search results for

If you research “pretty seaside towns in Greece”, Nafplio often pops up on the search. Located in the eastern Peloponnese, Nafplio boasts narrow, bougainvillea-covered streets, rich-hued neoclassical mansions, wrought-iron balconies and cobblestone and marble streets. It is a popular weekend resort for Athenians due to its waterfront cafes and restaurants, fresh seafood, and pretty boutiques. It is also the perfect base to explore all nearby ancient ruins such as Mycenae, Epidaurus, and Sparta. Sip a cold drink in Syntagma Square, the town center; climb 999 rock steps up the Palamidi Castle for the expansive view; swim in the clear blue waters of the local beaches; and take a sunset stroll along the marina waterfront before dinner.

Laguna’s very first restaurant, the White House opened way back in 1918. It’s been updated several times over the years so the menu feels fresh, but you come here for the cocktail lounge anyway. Head straight to the bar for well-made drinks like the Casa Blanca Organico (tequila, lightly muddled organic blackberries, agave, and club soda) and the house Old Fashioned, made with Bulleit bourbon and orange bitters. Some nights bring live entertainment, but there are always several flat-screens going so you can catch the game while you throw back a few drinks.

The oldest bar on the island, Flor de Oriente was established in 1935 and remains a favorite for both island natives and repeat visitors. It’s a great spot to grab a happy hour drink away from the crowds at the beach, as well as a bite to eat, like locally caught fish, burgers, and bitterballen (a deep-fried Dutch meatball and the perfect accompaniment to the lengthy beer list). There’s usually live music on the outdoor patio, too, from jazz to oldies to the ever-popular house band Flor de Oriente Social Club, which plays merengue and salsa every Friday.

The best of several great Atlantic beaches around Punta Rucia, Playa La Ensenada is made up of a fishing village and 4.5-mile stretch of sand with calm, crystal-clear water. Here, you can snorkel around submerged reefs in waist-deep water, or take a 12-minute boat ride through mangroves to a dreamy sandbar (named Cayo Arena but also called Cayo Paraiso, or Paradise Island) to see even more colorful fish. The size and shape of the sandbar change depending on the currents and season, so you’re always in for a bit of a surprise.

Prana began as a low-profile boîte, short on tables but long on creativity. Word spread quickly and soon, long lines trailed out the door. Prana then merged with O Quintal Zen, a health-food restaurant in one of Rio’s most charming neighborhood, Jardim Botânico, and the result is a winning fusion of vegan food, meditation, and serious yoga classes. In the new larger space, the focus is still on quality. Every day, the chefs offer two vegan, gluten-free specials alongside several heathy desserts, so you can enjoy a great lunch before a trip to the Botanic Garden or the beach.

Set deep in the jungle—about an hour from Cancún and far from the usual beaches and resorts—this adventure park boasts the region’s most impressive ziplines, designed for daredevil travelers in search of real adrenaline rush. Fun-loving guides glide heels-over-head through exuberant foliage along each circuit, from canopy-rope courses and traditional ziplines to a bungee swing and Superman-style flying above the tree line. You can even book packages that include a swim in a nearby cenote, complete with high-dive platform, or a (be forewarned, very dusty) ATV ride.

In the Caribbean’s Windward Islands, a string of some 600 islands and islets dot the sea between St. Lucia and Grenada. It’s a paradise for yachters, where you can drop anchor off an uninhabited island and live out your Robinson Crusoe fantasies. A handful of these islands are home to resorts, including the private Palm Island, first leased to an American couple in 1966 for $1 per year. They established the ten-room Palm Island Beach Club, which over the years has grown—though there are still only a total of 43 guest rooms on this single-resort island.

If you’re looking for a break from the beach and the noise, head to Konoko Falls Park (formerly known as Coyaba River Garden) for a quiet picnic, swim, and nature walk through beautifully manicured gardens. The Mahoe tiered waterfalls—a smaller, just-as-picturesque version of Dunn’s River Falls but rarely crowded—cascade through the park, and an on-site museum showcases the history of Jamaica’s first inhabitants, the Taino. The park offers gorgeous views of Ocho Rios’s bay below. Climbing and swimming in the falls, at your own pace, is great fun.

On the north coast of Donegal, take a drive on part of the Wild Atlantic Way around the Fanad Peninsula and Rosguill Peninsula for some spectacular coastal scenery. There’s a mix of golden beaches, rolling farmland, and dramatic rocky headlands before you reach Fanad Head itself, where the Atlantic waves often bash the rocks of the photogenic Fanad Lighthouse, built in 1817. On the adjoining Rosguill Peninsula, an exhilarating seven-mile route called the Atlantic Drive has more spectacular views of cliffs, headlands, and white sandy bays around every hairpin bend. Stop along the way to take in the views over Tranarossan Bay, one of the drive’s highlights.

Located in the southeastern corner of the island, Savaneta was Aruba’s first settlement and former capital. Founded by the Dutch in 1816, it’s also home to the island’s oldest surviving home. A visit to the sleepy town offers the chance to explore some of the island’s most historic buildings far from the bustle of Oranjestad. At the end of mazelike streets, you’ll find two small beaches lined with a handful of low-slung hotels and restaurants. Blissfully remote, both stretches of sand offer excellent fishing and snorkeling. For something more adventurous, sign up for a kayaking or ATV excursion.

This property is currently closed for hurricane-related repairs.

Peter Island is “an oasis of tranquility,” known as much for its five flawless beaches as its word-class spas and luxurious ocean view villas. The island is the largest of the private islands and the fifth largest of the 60 islands in the BVI. Visitors can hop a ferry to reach the island from Tortola or opt for booking a helicopter, water taxi, or private yacht.

A fairly new addition to the Waikiki waterfront, the seven-year-old Modern was a dream come true for those young urbanites who never quite felt at home in the more traditional Hawaiian resorts. It’s not directly on the beach—the closest is the lagoon and expansive beach in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village, a quick walk on the hotel’s ramp—and instead overlooks the picturesque Ala Wai Boat Harbor, where many of the island’s boating excursions depart. Designed by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg, celebrities in the world of fashionable hotels, the look is warmly modern, all whites and creams and luxurious wood, and some striking art pieces, including a large surfboard installation in the lobby (titled “Wreck-tangles”). There’s a fun nightclub and some seriously good restaurants, though the real scene is out on the Instagram-worthy two-tiered teak pool deck, lined with lots of cushy chaises and shady corners to curl up. Upstairs is the adults-only pool—less a pool than a shallow water prop for frequent DJ-hosted dance parties. But for as much as the Modern is a hipster haven, the service is surprisingly good at making sure guests never feel like they’re crashing someone else’s party.

Located in the heart of Whalers Village on Kāʻanapali Beach, Hula Grill is a busy hangout with live music seven days a week. You can sit for a meal in the open-air dining room, but the real party happens at the restaurant’s Barefoot Bar, right on the water’s edge. Kick off your shoes and sink your feet in the sand, then order a Barefoot Brew (made specially for the bar by Maui Brewing Co.) or cocktails like piña coladas, mojitos, and Maui Mules with organic vodka. Also on offer are a range of non-alcoholic drinks, from house-made sodas and fresh-squeezed juices to local kombucha and pure coconut water, as well as a solid food menu that highlights Hawaiian farmers and fishers. For a great deal, head here for Aloha Hour, which takes place daily from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and includes special prices on pupus and drinks.

For the time it takes most Angelenos to commute to work, you can be ferried into the alternate reality of Catalina Island, a romantic escape far from the daily traffic jams and urban sprawl. The evergreen-shrubbed hills spotted with an artists palette of summer homes and surrounded by bright hues of blue waters, coves and marinas feels more like the islands off the coast of Spain than the United States. It is rejuvenating to arrive at a place so close to the city yet feel so completely removed.

This hotel is on our list of The 11 Best Hotels in Chicago.

Set directly across from the Art Institute of Chicago, this former members-only men’s gymnasium is now the Chicago Athletic Association, which is part of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection. Enter at street level off Michigan Avenue and walk toward the back to find a staircase that leads to the old swimming pool, now a venue for parties and pop-up concepts. Take the nearby elevator to the restaurant, Cindy’s, easily the best rooftop scene in the city, with highly Instagrammable terrace views overlooking Millennium Park, the swooping Frank Gehry–designed bandshell, and Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate (aka the Bean).

Park yourself in the second-floor lobby and hang with locals as they tap away on their laptops and sip lattes by the two oversize fireplaces. Walk through that expansive by Roman & Williams–designed room, where light beams in through ornate stained-glass windows, and you enter a warren of table games and darts, all festive and typically open to the public. There’s also the secret six-seat bar, the Milk Room, a relic of Prohibition, and the James Beard Award–winning Cherry Circle Room—a sexy, dark restaurant with a circulating martini cart and a meat-centric menu.

Upstairs in the 1893 landmark, 240 guest rooms reflect the building’s former life, with gym horses as foot beds, working fireplaces in some rooms, plasterwork ceilings, ornate carved wood wainscotting, and a clubby vibe. Some of the rooms are rather small, but the location is hard to beat, and the cozy, wintry ambiance makes it a popular (and fun) place to spend a weekend. And because the CAA keeps an eye on its water conservation, sources its food locally, and adheres to strict recycling standards, eco-conscious travelers can feel good sleeping here.