Search results for

Costa Rica isn’t known as a shopping destination but there are some excellent gift shops and galleries around the country. Don’t miss the Central Market in San Jose or farmers markets in smaller towns. You can think of the fresh fruit you buy as your souvenir of the day.

Two photographers traversed five countries—spanning 9,000 miles—and captured countless stories that reveal the diverse cultures of a continent.

The dish is fundamentally Peruvian—it blends the many cultures, traditions, and flavors that make the country (and its capital) unique.

From beers at open air bars in beach towns to craft beers and cocktails on dance floors in San Jose, Costa Rica’s bars serve up good times. There’s plenty of live music to pair with whatever you’re drinking (and plenty of new friends to make among locals and tourists at dance clubs) so go, have fun and enjoy Costa Rica’s spirit of pura vida.

A once-impenetrable country reveals itself to writer Matt Gross one meal at a time.

Tomato fight, anyone?

From roast pork, empanadillas, and plantains to street snacks, seafood, and freshly-made ice cream, Puerto Ricans enjoy many hearty local flavors. To really experience local culture and customs, you must take time to try each region’s culinary specialty. These foodie delights could be a unique twist on non-Puerto Rican food, or a delicious concoction of fruit and juices, to sandwiches stuffed with three kinds of meats. Locals love the flavors, and you will too!

Writer Lisa Abend discovers that Malta is a dream of Europe past, all faith and firepower.

Drive just over an hour outside of Cape Town and you’ll find yourself in the middle of the Cape Winelands. Here, farms established by Dutch colonists and French Huguenots in the late 1600s now function as South African wine estates, with tree-lined driveways leading to impeccably manicured gardens and gentle hills covered in vines. When visiting, be sure to taste the full-bodied cabernet sauvignons and pinot noirs; the lighter chenin blancs and chardonnays; and unique varietals like pinotage (an earthy red wine) and méthode cap classique (South Africa’s version of Champagne).

Brooklyn native, Jason Lampkin, shares his love for the neighborhood Fort Greene and the staple places to visit.

A land of contrasts, Baja California Sur has both lonesome desert landscapes dotted with date palms and deserted missions and the raucously popular beach resort towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, collectively known as “Los Cabos.” The variety of things to do is just as striking: whale watching, snorkeling with whale sharks, sailing, and discovering deserted coves and beaches are just a few of the adventures that await you in Baja California Sur.

AFAR chose a destination at random—by literally spinning a globe—and sent writer Susan Orlean on a spontaneous journey to Denmark.

The Ocucaje Desert holds some of the most important fossils in the world. And their only defender is a renegade guide with an eye for shark teeth.

Small boutiques, fragrant bakeries, serious bookstores, and flea markets make up only a tiny portion of the tempting shopping opportunities you can find on the streets of San Francisco. This city takes its local wares seriously!

Spend your days in Costa Rica going from national parks to open air restaurants. Along with some of the best rice and beans in Latin America—they show up at breakfast, lunch, and dinner—there’s plenty of seafood and other proteins. Local ingredients include seafood, corn, beans, and root vegetables so you’ll see a lot of them on Tico tables. And the culinary scene is expanding quickly so expect flavors from Asia and Europe in the mix too.