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While the Cycladic island of Serifos has stayed blissfully under the radar for most tourists, savvy Athenians have been quietly snapping up property while preserving its dusty charms. COCO-MAT Eco Residences, opened by the eponymously named Greek sleep-product company, is emblematic of this mindset: Its 13 rooms were reclaimed from stone miners’ houses built in 1910 at the foot of a hillside, just steps from the sand and calm waters of Vagia Bay. The one- or two-bedroom units feature bedrooms on the (cooler) bottom floor and living spaces and kitchenettes above (they’ll do the grocery shopping); you choose your mattress preference from the brand’s sustainably made line. Carved into the cliff face, the Lounge Bar serves buffet breakfast in the morning, lunch and light snacks during the day, and dinner in the evening—including right on the shore (for an additional charge). The hotel also supplies car or motorcycle rentals should you want to explore the island, and also will arrange diving trips and excursions to different beaches.

This extensive white-sand beach is the one Cancún locals love the most, and it’s still largely unknown to tourists. Bisected by a lengthy pier, Playa Langosta has calm, shallow, crystal-clear waters like most other beaches on the Cancún Hotel Zone’s northern side, making it an ideal escape for families with small kids as well as those who just want to lounge beside the sea. Restrooms and a playground are on-site, but beach chairs are not always available for rent, so consider bringing your own.

Handily situated two minutes from the subway, and at the junction of three of the city’s most popular tourist neighborhoods, the Hotel Place d’Armes makes for an easy, car-free vacation. Situated in a beautifully restored stone building with intricate gargoyles, pillars, and oversize arcade widows dating back to 1870, it was originally the Great Scottish Life Insurance Company building. The rather masculine formal lobby gives way to plenty of cozy nooks and inviting couches, with a pool table on offer for those who fancy a game. Guest rooms feature original, exposed brick and stone walls, and the earthy natural palette is brightened by deep-red leather chairs and couches. The Place d’Armes has an easy upgrade policy, so it’s worth asking for one upon check-in; most guests will get an upgrade on request, depending on availability. Throughout summer, the hotel’s rooftop Terrasse is one of the city’s most popular outdoor hot spots.

An old shoemaker’s workshop hidden above a tiny café has been transformed into what Copenhageners call the world’s smallest hotel—a 12-square-meter room outfitted in vintage-inspired decor and the highest quality gadgets. It feels like a hideaway from reality, on the border of two of Copenhagen’s coolest, undiscovered-by-tourists neighborhoods. With a Royal Eden bed, hidden flat-screen TV, iPhone with stereo dock, and free Wi-Fi, Central Hotel & Café has thought of every requisite modern convenience. The 1950s-style decor even feels straight out of a movie—not surprising, actually, since one of the owners previously worked as a set designer.

Downstairs, the café feels like your own, even if just for a day, with its sounds and smells wafting up through the windows and vents. Open the flower-framed window to get a better smell, and arrange to have your coffee delivered to your door, or simply head downstairs to order in the café.

Let’s start with this. The province of Quebec produces over 80 percent of the world supply of maple syrup. You’re welcome. Which means we know our stuff; we know precisely how to use it, with what ingredients and in what quantities (that is, with everything and as much as possible). The Maple Delights shop is definitely for tourists to spend money, but that doesn’t mean that money won’t be well invested. Visitors can either opt for an on-the-spot treat, like ice cream, macarons (yes, you read that correctly), and even maple beignets, a traditional Québécois dish. Others can load up on take-away products like maple butter, all kinds of spreads, teas, and of course syrup. All of these can be gifts for your loved ones back home, or gifts for yourself—for absolutely no reason other than you being fabulous and in Montreal.

Hopkins Village is a coastal escape with a perfect balance of culture, local and international dining, and some of the best accommodation options in the country. Once a remote Garifuna fishing village, Hopkins has become a full-fledged tourist destination without losing its local flavor. You’ll find yourself immersed in the Garifuna way of life, laid-back during the day and alive at night. The village’s main stretch of beach is one of the safest in Belize, even if the sea isn’t that typical turquoise hue. Inland, explore a host of activities ranging from Garifuna drumming classes at Lebeha Drumming Center or cooking classes at Palmento Grove Cultural & Fishing Lodge to hiking at nearby Mayflower Bocawina National Park. Nights bring options for drinks and dining—try a Garifuna restaurant, but also treat yourself to alfresco gourmet meals at Chef Rob’s. Weekly drumming nights are popular on the beach, as is gazing at the stars from your hammock.

It was love at first sight. Everything about Orvieto is charming, with the exception of the Duomo (Cathedral) which more appropriately would be described as elegant and grand, especially the facade. Originally a thriving center of Etruscan civilization, Orvieto is a little less then half way between Rome and Florence. We had a lovely meal on one of the cute cobble stone lanes before heading up the clock tower and gazing over the perfectly preserved city. You could easily spend a day or two wandering through the town, enjoying its history and culture, both past and present. We were treated with the utmost hospitality at every turn. There weren’t many visitors during our visit, which I found to be unusual, given its popularity on the tourist circuit. This will be a place to revisit, and immerse ourselves into the everyday life of this gorgeous gem.

No matter how many postcards you’ve seen of Rome’s iconic Colosseum, you just don’t get it until you pass beneath its crumbling arches. Built by Emperor Vespasian in 72 C.E., the huge amphitheater held 50,000 spectators and marked its opening with 100 days of brutal spectacles like gladiator combat and animal fights. The Colosseum was in use for four centuries, and now you can tour the ruins. Walk through the Hypogeum, an intricate series of tunnels and elevators originally used to transport animals, slaves, and gladiators, to the performance above, or take a moonlit tour to have one of the world’s most storied structures all to yourself.

This club, housed in an old industrial warehouse, does not look unlike a mental ward and, inside, has as many fascinating levels as an Escher drawing. To dance with a sea of the coolest kids in Berlin (and Europe for that matter—it’s a landmark destination for partiers across Europe), stay on the ground floor. For a smaller scene, head to the top floor, which gradually attracts a more queer crowd as the weekend goes on. That’s the other thing: it’s only open from Friday until Monday morning. Wear plain clothes and no smile to get past the doorman. If at first you don’t succeed, come back on Sunday nights when the line is shorter and the bouncers are known to be less prickly.

St Stephen’s Green is a welcome spot of calm and green set in a Georgian square in the centre of Dublin. At around 20 acres, it’s large enough to feel you have escaped the bustle, but not so large that you can’t easily return to the fray once you are ready. There are formal manicured lawns and gardens in the middle, a large lake to the north - good for swan-watching - a bandstand and play area, and plenty of benches and other picnic spots. St Stephen’s is probably not the sort of place you’d deliberately set out to visit, but chances are good you’ll end up there anyway: it’s just off Grafton Street (one of the main shopping streets), and near other attractions dotted around what is known as Georgian Dublin, such as Merrion Square and Leinster House (the seat of Irish parliament).

I was in the Ribeira district of Oporto. I wanted to see the Gothic and Baroque Church of Sao Francisco. So I wandered into the church that was listed as one of the most important and beautiful churches of Oporto. It was said to be very ornate. I was mesmerized by the beauty of this huge edifice with the elaborately decorated interior said to have more than 300 kilos of gold dust covering altars and other decorative surfaces. I stood there and tried to think of the work involved in completing this church. It must have been a huge undertaking ( as were so many of the monuments the world over). The church was built originally as a small building in 1245 by the Franciscan friars in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1383, a much larger church was built.It was finished about 1425. The structure is a basic Gothic church with the large rose window. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Baroque architecture was added. The Franciscan friars were buried in the catacombs which you can visit. There is also an ossuary with thousands of human bones. The interior is very large and you need at least an hour to peruse this monument. This is an attraction that you should not miss while in Oporto.

Perched over the river that runs through downtown Chattanooga, the Tennessee Aquarium offers a novel way to discover the magic of sea life. Exhibits here trace the path from mountain streams to the sea, showcasing aquatic animals in representations of their natural habitats. In the ocean display, visitors can see exotic fish gliding over multicolored coral reef formations, but the most popular attractions are the river otters cavorting in cascading waterfalls, and the penguins diving in and out of their cold-water habitat. The aquarium also features thousands of insects that flutter from flower to flower in the butterfly garden, as well as a gigantic IMAX 3-D theater that screens fascinating movies about nature and science.

Take the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain on your way to Ruby Falls and Rock City and you’ll understand why the journey is often half the fun. In operation since 1895, the funicular has a maximum grade of 72.7 percent, making it the world’s steepest passenger railway and earning it the nickname “America’s Most Amazing Mile.” For its age and impressiveness, the railway is now a designated National Historic Site and a Mechanical Engineering Landmark. Before your ride, visit the machine room to see the enormous gears that drive the train, then sit back and enjoy the sweeping views of the valley below as you creep steadily up the track. Sure, you could just drive to the top of Lookout Mountain, but where’s the fun in that?

When the Hôtel du Vieux-Québec poured nearly $3 million into renovating what was once an 18th-century nunnery in 2014, it was already recognized for its green leadership and sustainability: it’s the only carbon-neutral hotel in the province and the only one in Canada to use 100 percent biofuels. Today this boutique property on Rue Saint-Jean, convenient to all old-city attractions, furthers its ecocommitment with features like rooftop gardens that not only grow organic produce for its clients and employees but help with cooling. The hotel keeps five beehives as part of the Urban Honey Project, which helps pollinate city gardens, and the honey is used at the hotel restaurant. All of the 45 rooms and six apartments are unfussy yet comfortable, and even standard rooms have mini-fridges and a work desk. Guests are particularly fond of the continental breakfast basket that’s hung from your door each morning (so long as you book directly through the hotel) and the espresso maker and fresh fruit available anytime in the lounge.

The Hotel Locarno occupies two adjacent buildings in the cosmopolitan district between the Tiber River and Piazza del Popolo. The original property, built and inaugurated in the 1920s, houses the majority of the standard and deluxe rooms, while the annex, a former palazzo owned by a Venetian family, houses the more luxurious suites. Both of the adjoined structures blend Old World charm and art nouveau elegance, and their rooms preserve turn-of-the-20^th-century decor, including lavish drapery, oil paintings, embellished ceiling stuccoes, and period furniture.

The two buildings are joined by a wisteria-filled courtyard, where breakfast is served in fine weather. The rooftop bar offers aperitivo (the Italian version of happy hour) cocktail service and sweeping views over the city and across the river to St. Peter’s cupola. The bar is open to the public and attracts a well-heeled Roman and expat crowd.