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Nobu, at the Atlantis, is the Bahamian outpost of acclaimed master chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Venturing far beyond familiar sushi and tempura, the kitchen here turns out food so extraordinarily good that you will either guard your plate jealously or insist that everyone at the table try a bite. The mini tacos, filled with seafood or steak, are a fun starter, and for entrees, one of Nobu’s signature dishes is a black cod that has been bathed for three days in a marinade of miso and sake—the result, seared and served simply, is sweet and buttery and unforgettable. Dinner here often begins (and sometimes ends) at the magnificent bar, and if you get the chance, visit the sake cellar, one of only a few in the Western Hemisphere.

You’ll have to pick your jaw up off the ground before you start your alfresco breakfast or dinner on Elk Island, in the middle of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Just one mile from Elk Island (the largest island in Wyoming—not a hotly contested title), the hulking Mount Moran explodes up 7,000 feet from the lakeshore. It’s so close you might be able to spot crevasses on one of its glaciers. In this setting, standard fare—trout, steak, and chicken at dinner, and eggs, pancakes, and hash browns at breakfast—tastes almost sublime. The cruise to and from the island is a bonus.

Lovers of Vienna’s homegrown early-20th-century Wiener Werkstätte design style will want to visit the Café Schwarzenberg: It was the preferred haunt of Josef Hoffmann. The illustrious architect who cofounded the Werkstätte drafted many ideas there that came to fruition. Opened on the Ringstrasse in 1861, the café takes its name from the nearby square that is itself named for the Prince of Schwarzenberg, a prominent Austrian field marshal in the Napoleonic wars. Guests are treated to huge vaulted windows under high ceilings and those who sit outside on the terrace enjoy views of the illuminated Karlskirche dome while they sip their Einspänner coffee with its dab of whipped cream on top.

Privately owned Cavallo, just a mile off Corsica, is the only inhabited part of the Lavezzi Islands. It’s no more than half a square mile in size (120 hectares), but it was valued even back in the days of ancient Rome, when the Romans established granite quarries here. And while the island is French, it has been a favored retreat for Italian vacationers since the 1970s, when celebrities first came to frolic among its secluded coves. It’s still a peaceful oasis, with only bicycles and electric golf carts allowed on its winding roads.

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.

The past two decades have seen the dozens of islands scattered across Boston Harbor transformed from barely noticed dots on the horizon to one of the city’s most popular attractions. The Boston Harbor Island National Recreation Area, established in 1996, has propelled them into prominence, with ferries carrying day-trippers and overnight campers from downtown Boston, Hingham, and Hull to eight of the islands (19 more are accessible by private boat or charter excursions). Most visitors head to Georges Island, home of the Civil War–era Fort Warren, or the beaches and hiking trails of Spectacle Island, the one closest to downtown Boston. (Don’t skip the concession stands here: The food is from James Beard Award–winning Boston chef Barbara Lynch.) You can also camp on Peddocks, Grape, and Bumpkin islands, or take a tour to Little Brewster Island to witness the 300-year-old Boston Light, the nation’s oldest lighthouse.

The Caramoan area, on the eastern tip of the Caramoan Peninsula in Bicol, is a rugged and remote landscape of white-sand beaches, rich woods, swampland, lakes, and caves. Numerous seasons of the reality TV show Survivor have filmed around this region, including at Gota Beach. Most travelers explore the pristine Caramoan Islands by small outrigger boat. There are too many to scope out in one trip, but don’t miss famous Matukad Island with its pure white sands, exotic rain forest, limestone rock formations, and even a hidden lagoon. Another must-visit is Manlawe Island, a one-kilometer-wide sandbar surrounded by ankle-deep water. Other highlights include Cotivas Island, Gota Island, and Sabitang-Laya, a triangular landmass with powdery sand, caves, and superb snorkeling. Accommodations in Caramoan include family-run inns that are equipped with modern amenities but rustic enough to accentuate the region’s remote and unspoiled ambience.

The feudal lord Arnust of Begur built his castle on a coastal hilltop in the 11th century, and to this day it remains the centerpiece of the medieval town that rose up around it. The castle was sold to the city in 1604; it has played a key role in a number of conflicts since then, including the Spanish War of Independence at the beginning of the 19th century. Visitors can only explore the outside of the fortress, which does, however, offer spectacular views of the coast.

Palermo’s Norman Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been a seat of power in Sicily for centuries. Its apartments (open to the public Friday through Monday) provided quarters to King Roger II during his reign in the 12th century, and the palace is still in use today: It now houses the Sicilian Regional Assembly. Visit the basement to see the stone walls of the original Phoenician structures upon which the palace was built. The opulent Palatine Chapel, added by Roger II in 1132, is an attraction in its own right.

On Palermo’s western side, the Zisa Castle was built in the 12th century by Arab craftsmen as a summer retreat for King William I of Sicily. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with handsome windows overlooking the gardens. The main hall, called the Fountain Room, has a distinctive Arabic-style vaulted ceiling with muqarnas—adornments that resemble honeycombs. The upstairs rooms hold a range of artifacts, including Anna’s Tombstone, a grave marker whose inscription is repeated in four languages: Hebrew, Latin, Greek and Arabic.

For a satisfying mid-afternoon snack, seek out one of the city’s ubiquitous walk-up counters. Nni Franco U’ Vastiddaru is typical, serving classic street food like arancini (stuffed rice balls) and panelle. The latter is a Palermo specialty: These chunky, chiplike fritters made of chickpea flour are simple yet addictively delicious, with a spritz of Sicilian lemon.

Today, Ketchikan’s Creek Street crawls with visitors hunting for souvenirs among the boardwalk’s shops, but in the early 1920s crowds came here for very different reasons—to visit the speakeasies and brothels. Dolly’s House Museum is located in what was, until 1953, one of the more popular brothels along the creek. Today you can see old photos and memorabilia from that era, including Dolly’s boudoir, complete with a brass bed, an organ with sheet music and a hidden liquor cabinet.

Among the three Cayman Islands, Brac is the most topographically endowed, thanks to its distinguishing feature: the Bluff, a limestone cliff rising along the length of the island and topping out at about 140 feet at the eastern end. Between that and the island’s densely forested interior, the local hiking options have a lot to offer—one of the best cases in point being the Lighthouse Footpath, a trail that runs two and a half miles (one way) along the bluff’s edge and that serves up endless sea views and likely encounters with the absurdly adorable brown boobies and soaring frigate birds. Try to go in the morning or late afternoon, and of course, take along plenty of water: You’re looking at a two-hour outing to the most beautiful of boonies.

Retail therapy takes on new significance at this nonprofit, where the vintage-inspired dresses, jackets, and bags are designed and handmade by the inmates of the women’s prison on Giudecca island as part of a skills training program. Fortuny and Bevilacqua donate some of the more sumptuous fabrics, and colors tend to be bold and cheery.

If you want to eat like a local, try heading to Potter’s Cay—an enclave of modest fish shacks tucked beneath the bridge to Paradise Island. The most famous of these is Twin Brothers, which serves up paper plates full of deliciously authentic cracked conch, conch fritters and citrus-marinated conch salad.