Search results for

Seclusion and tranquility are the new forms of luxury in a world that is so accessible and plugged in. Aqua Wellness Resort successfully marries contemporary luxury accommodations with serene surroundings, providing a memorable and rejuvenating experience for travelers. Accessible by a two-and-a-half-hour drive or 40-minute helicopter ride from Nicaragua’s international airport in Managua, Aqua offers peace and privacy so that you can enjoy the beautifully wild landscape of Nicaragua’s Pacific “Emerald Coast.” 24 Tree Houses accommodating 50 luxurious villas and suites dot Aqua’s forested hillside, which overlooks a private, white sandy beach.

Hansen’s was started in 1939 by Ernest Hansen, who engineered a loud, homemade machine that shaves the ice to a fineness that many argue is unmatched across the city. (Oh, and they will argue.) The shop is still run with considerable care and attention by Ernest’s granddaughter, Ashley. Snowballs—cups of thinly shaved ice topped with brightly colored sweet flavorings—are a minor obsession in New Orleans. While widely available, snowballs, as well as the culture that surrounds them, seem more advanced at Hansen’s. The selection of flavors is vast, and true connoisseurs mix and match flavors, adding two or three to an order to get just the right balance. (Almond-lime? Orange-coconut?)

You enter Mister Jiu’s off of Waverly Place and step first into the dark and dreamy bar, a perfect place to pause for one of the restaurant’s inventive cocktails. With the mood set, follow the hallway, which gives way to the light and bright dining room that overlooks the lanterns and Chinese signs of Grant Avenue. Chef Brandon Jew and his talented team buzz around the open kitchen, whipping up small and large dishes of organic, locally sourced meat, fish, and vegetables. The cuisine makes modern versions of old classics: instead of the usual white doughy wrap, pork buns here are served on Dutch crunch rolls; hot and sour soup is served with Dungeness crab; and shui jiao dumplings are filled with lamb. Banquet-style dining is encouraged—how else will you get to test out that old-school Chinese restaurant mainstay, the lazy Susan, built into each round teak table? A prix fixe menu and à la carte ordering are available. Within six months of opening, Mister Jiu’s earned a Michelin star.

As wine booms in Chile, Barrica 94 is the newest addition to the city’s wine bars. Located in the tourist-friendly Patio Bellavista in Bohemiam Bellavista, Barrica 94 is all about La Vid. Interior murals were designed by local painter and designer Tomás Ives and are contrasted by plush leather benches, and a wine list that will make grape lovers sing with delight. What to do here? Taste, taste, taste. The knowledgeable staff can help you and while wine is the star of the show, you can order some nibbles to complement them.

Set among the labyrinthine streets of the Gothic Quarter, this café offers a delicious selection of cakes, tarts, cookies, and other desserts—all baked by nuns from convents and monasteries around Spain. There are truffles from the sisters of Valladolid, cider cake from Santa Inés of Seville, and tea biscuits from the Convento Madre de Dios in Cáceres. Enjoy them with a cup of coffee or pot of tea, or try the famous hot chocolate. You can get a table upstairs, but it’s down below that you’ll want to score a seat: The space—a medieval-era Jewish bathhouse—features ancient stone walls and high vaulted ceilings. Live classical music concerts are occasionally held there, making for one of the more magical places to indulge your sweet tooth.

Just 25 minutes from Cancún’s international airport is Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa, surrounded by 200 acres of preserved jungle. Guests here still enjoy direct access to the Caribbean Sea and its powdery, white-sand beach, as well as to a wide variety of physical fitness and wellness activities and services. Rooms are generous in size and are filled with sunlight, let in through large windows. Tile floors and design accents—throw pillows and furniture, for instance—have an earthy color palette. Many rooms feature indigenous artwork and handmade furniture. Though it might be tempting to stay within the confines of the resort, the area is home to a number of worthwhile attractions, including the Maya site of Tulum and a biosphere reserve; the concierge can provide information about both, as well as tips for guided excursions and reputable outfitters.

Among Andalucía’s well-known treasures are its white towns, with their whitewashed buildings glowing in the Spanish sunlight. Near Málaga at some 430 meters (1,400 feet) above sea level, Mijas, made up of several small hamlets, is one of the finest with a strong contingent of British expats. Shops in town sell pottery and other handicrafts, while a small folk museum is also a draw. After strolling the town, visitors will want to stop into one of the small tapas restaurants or local bars to refresh.

Prague is absolutely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Its abundant beauty is not only related to the variety of architecture styles (Gothic; Art- Nouveau and Baroque) but also to natural elements such as wild swans that gracefully float along the Vltava River at sunset. Wherever you step in; a restaurant, a bar, a pizzeria... no matter, you will feel embraced. Czech citizens speak Czech, German and English (especially the young crowd). Even though Prague‘s touristic appeal brings thousands of tourists every year, it is a very affordable city and doesn’t give off any feelings of greediness at its core. Food and fun are affordable here. One of the simplest and most exuberant things to do in Prague is walking along the Vltava River. Cross Charles Bridge, enjoy old town, check out the Astronomical clock and do not skip the “Dancing Building”! It’s a masterpiece and a must see. If you love architecture, design, art, photography or even if you are just a visual person, you will have a great time when you see this building because it’s just so cool! It’s also easy to spot as it’s located in Old Town and it’s also a hotel. The building was designed by Croatian-Czech architect Vlado Milunić in cooperation with Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry (the same architect that designed Disney Opera Hall in Downtown Los Angeles). The Dancing House was designed in 1992 and completed in 1996. The building design was controversial at the time because the house stands out among the Baroque, Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings for which Prague is famous. However, then-Czech president Václav Havel (who also lives nearby) gave all of his support hoping that the building would become a center of cultural activity. It turned out to be a great decision to support the project since designers, architects, artists, and enthusiasts from all around the world are drawn in flocks to see “Fred and Ginger”, a nickname given by Gehry as the building resembles a pair of dancers. The nickname is not commonly used but refers to famous dancers Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, the Sydney Opera House was inspired by its dramatic setting on Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, a location that’s long been sacred to the native Gadigal people. While construction took 16 years, including four years to figure out the spherical solution to the icon’s soaring sails, any controversies melted away when the masterpiece was completed in 1973. The same outside-the-box thinking that built the shell-shaped sculpture seeps through its walls today in the form of boundary-pushing opera, theater, and dance as well as contemporary music and mind-opening lectures. The landmark is also home to the beloved Opera Bar and Bennelong Restaurant upstairs, where diners can eat pavlova shaped like the landmark in which they sit.

The man behind the award-winning molecular gastronomy at el Bulli and his younger brother are the great culinary minds behind contemporary tapas bar Tickets, on Avinguda Parallel in Barcelona’s theatre district. Don’t miss molecular favorites like the spherical olives, liquid ravioli and air-baguette from el Bulli that made it onto the menu.

Climbing uphill from the port, the streets of Vigo’s casco vello, or old town, retain their authentic flavor because locals still live above the neighborhood shops, taverns and tapas joints. The narrow streets open up to sunny little squares, including one at the cathedral, Santa María de Vigo (also called La Colegiata). Note the street names in the casco vello: They still often correspond to the wares offered there (buy a hat on Rúa Sombrereiros or baskets on Rúa dos Cesteiros).

Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1985, the Jardin Menara was created in the mid-12th century by the Almohad dynasty. Since then, its gardens have been added to and embellished by varying degrees for other sultans but always centered around a huge, flat reflecting pool, which captures the Atlas Mountains in the most sensational way on a clear day and forms the focus of a space that covers nearly 250 acres. An elegant pavilion was installed during the Saadian rule of the 18th century and proved a popular summer escape from the heat among city dignitaries. Unlike other, more formal gardens of the city, Menara’s vast olive groves, orange orchards, and cypresses feel more natural and create a true escape from the fray. Although extremely popular with picnicking Moroccan families in the afternoons, the place is blessedly free of tourists and a lovely, peaceful place for a stroll.

It may be only 22 miles west of San Juan, but Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve feels a world away. The resort has a spectacular location on a three-mile stretch of beach on Puerto Rico’s north shore, where Clara Livingston once ran a sugar plantation—and Amelia Earhart visited before departing for her fateful world tour. In 1958, Livingston sold the property to Laurance S. Rockefeller, who turned it into the first of his legendary Rock Resorts. Known for his green streak, he designed the hotel to respect the local beauty, mandating that buildings could not be taller than the surrounding palm trees.

The Ritz-Carlton—which reopened in October 2018 after a meticulous restoration following Hurricane Maria—pays homage to that original vision. Here, every room is beachfront, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that disappear into ocean views, plus deep soaking tubs, outdoor showers shaded by gardens, and either spacious balconies or private plunge pools. As part of the property’s renovation, rooms were refreshed with a color palette that amplifies the natural beauty just beyond the doors. Additionally, the grounds showcase 3,000 new plant species, the spa is offering new locally inspired treatments and cuisine, Encanto Beach Club Bar & Grill features a refreshed dinner menu, and the Positivo Sandbar debuted an omakase and ceviche bar directly on the sand. There’s even an entirely reimagined signature restaurant, Coa, which serves farm-to-table fare cooked on the grill. Still standing strong on the verdant, 1,400-acre grounds are the five 18-hole championship golf courses. The biggest challenge is pulling yourself away from the luxury of the resort to tee up a shot.

Plaza Cívica, or Civic Plaza, is Ensenada’s central square, buzzing with locals and visitors. Busts of some of Mexico‘s most important historical figures populate the plaza, along with vendors selling everything from used books to jewelry, crafts and street-food snacks. A gigantic flag and, often, musicians make this a uniquely Mexican spot, perfect not only for shopping but also for photos.

The choice of whether to build a church following a Gothic Revival or neoclassical design involved more than just aesthetics in 19th-century Québec. The former tended to be associated with Protestantism, and so the construction of the Catholic Basilica of Notre-Dame in that style raised eyebrows. When the St-Jacques Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 1852, the architects who designed a new church for the site, the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral, opted for the neoclassical style that was more typical of Catholic buildings. Constructed from 1874 to 1895, it is a quarter-scale version of St. Peter’s in Rome, complete with coffered vaults and twisting columns in imitation of those of Lorenzo Bernini’s baldachin in the Eternal City. The building’s green copper dome makes a statement, too, looming as it does over the largely Protestant neighborhood. The stucco crucifix by sculptor Philippe Hébert is one of most important works of art in the church.