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This clean and cozy bar/café in the midst of Barcelona‘s Raval neighborhood is cheap and good. The cafe amb llet is hot and creamy in the morning, and evenings, there’s not much better than a frosty beer and some patatas bravas with friends. Grab a spot at the window for some of the best people-watching in Barcelona. Opening hours are 8am to 9:30pm Monday-Thursday, 8am to 10:30pm Fridays, and 12pm to 10:30pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Open since 2000, Victrola is a fixture on the 15th Ave strip, and its mismatched outdoor seats are always full of patrons sipping coffee drinks and enjoying the people-watching. The cafe features art openings and local art on its walls, and the occasional live band on the weekend. At Victrola’s online store, you can buy single-origin coffees and blends, including the popular Streamline Espresso served in their cafes. There’s a roasting schedule posted on their website, so you’ll know when to expect your beans; they’re shipped within 12 hours of roasting.

In swank St. Barth’s, it’s hard to imagine that it’s only the Gucci-clad glitterati that live here. In an effort to see for myself, I rented a jeep and on a quiet Sunday morning drove around the island. I stopped at L’Orient Beach where my question was answered. Families played in the turquoise sea, suntanned, surfed, ate sandwiches while leaning against the colorful surf shack. It was the antithesis of the rosé-fueled scene at Nikki Beach on the other side of the island. I sat and watched for an hour, trying to take photos, but slipped away, feeling very much the interloper.

At a French Pyrenees mountain retreat in the village of Clermont La Grausse, yoga is practiced in a renovated barn and the top-floor studio of a château that overlooks a lake. Hour-long hatha-based classes are taught twice a day in English and are geared to all levels. Guests stay in converted stone barns and have access to three kitchens. Bikes are available for guests to ride to nearby markets where they can buy groceries. This story appeared in the January/February 2012 issue.

You’ll be hard pressed to find anything other than postcard-perfect scenery in the Exumas, and if you’re ambitious and up early enough, there’s a good chance that you can have Horseshoe Bay in Saddle Cay all to yourself for a few hours. A trip to a private Bahamian island isn’t out of reach for the intrepid traveler, as plenty of outfitters offer affordable tours, overnight adventures, and sightseeing cruises to these gorgeous islands.

In early April, I spent a week on a yoga retreat at Amansala in Tulum, Mexico. We had four hours of yoga and Pilates practice a day, and I spent the rest of my time on the beach, swimming in the ocean, reading books (I finished Gabrielle Hamilton’s excellent memoir, Blood, Bones, and Butter), drinking coconut juice, and snacking on delicious homemade tortillas, salad, salsas, and guacamole. At night we ventured out to explore, and discovered a wonderful new open-air restaurant called Hartwood, where I wish I could eat every night.

You’ll love the views you’ll have of the EBMUD Watershed while you’re hiking or mountain biking along Nimitz Way in both Wildcat Canyon Regional Park and Tilden Regional Park. The views really open up once you’re in the area considered the Bay Area Ridge Trail and the East Bay Skyline National Trail. I’d encourage you to grab one of the printed maps you’ll find at every trailhead in the park that is next to a parking lot. If you park in the Inspiration Point parking lot, you’ll end up exiting the lot and turning right on the Nimitz Trail. It’s a lovely, rolling, paved path that turns into the East Bay Skyline Trail. It’s up to you how far you’d like to go and whether you’d like to create a loop or do an out-and-back hike. With map in hand you can easily descend by taking a left off the Nimitz Way at several different points, such as Laurel Canyon, Wildcat Peak Trail, or Conlon Trail. Just know that your return back up to Inspiration Point via the Meadows Canyon Trail or the Curran Trail means you have some beautiful uphill terrain. If you’re a trail runner, a dog walker, or just someone that values a long walk in a beautiful spot to clear the cobwebs, Tilden Regional Park should be your go-to place in the East Bay. Happy hiking!

No hotel in Jamaica blends better with its surroundings than the aptly named Rockhouse, a string of villas clinging to the top of a sea cliff at the western tip of the island. Local stone, timber, and thatch are the building materials, and a harmony of design and setting is the result. The feel is rustic, but not rough (the showers might be outdoors, but the rooms are air-conditioned), and the feeling carries over to the pool, which sits on a rock platform halfway down the cliff face, from where sunbathers can don snorkel and mask and clamber down into a usually calm Caribbean. Even the restaurant hangs over the water, adding emphasis to the promise of dishes being fresh from the sea.

As does practically every hotel in Jamaica, Rockhouse has its celebrity stories, going back to the early ‘70s when Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones added their names to the guest register. But it wasn’t until 1994, when a group of Australian owners took over, that Rockhouse began to evolve its reputation as one of the most Jamaican of Jamaican hotels. It happened in part because Rockhouse has none of the formality that some of the island’s best-known hotels, with their British colonial roots, still possess. And in part because of its active role in funding local education projects, it’s a valued, and popular, part of the community. That, and the restaurant’s homemade jerk sausage is legendary.

Kimpton Hotels are known for their playful energy—think nightly social hours, colorful design schemes, and pet-friendly amenities. Located within easy reach of downtown’s museums and theaters, as well as restaurants and shopping in LoDo and Larimer Square, the Hotel Monaco Denver fits the mold. Renovated guest rooms blend cool neutrals and bright accent hues with rich leather headboards, designer wallpaper, and yoga mats with a dedicated channel for guided workouts; spa rooms have separate soaking tubs, and suites have their own sitting areas and sleeper sofas. A $10 per night fee covers speedy internet, loaner bicycles, discounts on drinks at Denver’s Family Jones distillery, and free coffee and evening wine. If you prefer imaginative cocktails, head to Panzano, a northern Italian restaurant with a surprising number of gluten-free items. But if a moment of bliss is all you need to revive you for another day of distillery hopping, the Aveda spa has a sauna and Vichy shower and provides five-minute chair massages during the evening social hour.

Just an hour’s drive from the busiest town in Laikipia County, El Karama Lodge feels like a world away. Set on 14,000 acres of private land, six cottages and two riverfront cabins are simply decorated with locally sourced stone and thatch and regionally made furnishings, giving emphasis to the lush natural surroundings. If total immersion is more your speed, the staff can arrange a personal fly camp before your arrival: after a hike to a remote location, you’re greeted by a suspended tent with a clear view to the night sky, complete with comfortable bedding, a drinks table, and a small barbecue. What you won’t find here? Cell service, though you’ll hardly miss it. A drive through El Karama land is almost certain to include sightings of elephants, giraffes, and zebras, but guests can also see creatures that are unique to northern Kenya, including gerenuk and Laikipia hartebeeste. Back at camp, there’s nothing to do as darkness sets in but lie back, stargaze, and listen to the calls of the wild.

Located in southern Galilee in the Jordan Valley, Beit She’an National Park was created to protect and preserve the site of one of Israel‘s oldest cities. One can easily spend a few hours exploring the vast and fascinating park. Some of the country’s most spectacular artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age are on exhibit, as well as an impressive 7,000-seat Roman amphitheater, public baths, workshops, a temple, and the colonnaded Palladius street. Don’t miss She’an Nights, an evening sound-and-light show in which images of Roman buildings and people are projected onto the ruins along the central street, briefly bringing the city back to life.

Look out Las Vegas, Coco Bongo is in town. This wild dance club, in the heart of Cancun’s hotel zone, is packed with live shows—everything from faux Queen or Madonna to bar-top conga lines and airborne acrobats. Make sure to bring your dancing shoes because salsa, trance, rave, and hip-hop bands will have you jiving amid bubbles and streamers galore. The party starts around 10:30 and there is no seating, so be prepared to stand—or dance—until the wee hours of the morning. The entrance fee includes an open bar.

In the past few years, Las Terrenas has become a popular bohemian style destination alternative for those you are not into all inclusive resorts in Punta Cana. The European expat community has infused an international flavor into the local hotel, b&b, and dining scene. Las Terrenas is a bit over 2 hours by car from the capital Santo Domingo on the new highway. Caribe Tours bus terminal in Santo Domingo has frequent buses to town of Sanchez, and from there one takes a local mini bus to Las Terrenas. This way it can take up to 4 hours. Pueblo de los Pescadores (Fishermen’s Village) is a small area of charming restaurants and bars close to the beach. Years ago, this cluster of new establishments used to be a fishing village. There are still many fishermen who use the area as a base for daily fishing. At night the area is a great spot to try some of the local Dominican cuisine, and fusion restaurants. For a nice breakfast, stop by French-owned bakery El Pan de Antes (Plaza Kanesh on Calle Carmen ) in the center of town for delicious croissants, quiche, bread, and strong tasty Dominican coffee. A small, cozy, romantic bungalow style hotel to stay at is Casa Robinson, located at Calle E Prud’Homme 2, a few steps away from the ocean. The atmosphere of the hotel is wonderful along with great staff and service. At the end of the day, walk along the beach around sunset time and watch gorgeous colors come alive.

Blackbird Caye Resort is the gateway to the stunning Belize Barrier Reef, but so much more than a stopgap hitching post for scuba nerds. Stretched across two miles of palm-fringed beach on the windward side of the Turneffe Atoll, Blackbird is set against a backdrop of more than 4,000 acres of untrammeled jungle, mangrove forests, sprawling lagoons, and migratory bird habitats. Many guests come to Blackbird to get under the water and at the reef – some of the best diving sites in Belize are a short five or ten minute boat ride from Blackbird’s dock – though this isolated island paradise has plenty to offer visitors looking to stretch their land legs. 18 ocean-view cabanas, each with its own private balcony and hammock, hold dominion over the Caribbean Sea. The Poolside Bar is a great place to unwind after a hot day in the sun, while the gallant High Tide Bar, with at least two feet in the sea at any one time, offers an excellent happy hour and complimentary snacks, including island fare like lion fish fingers, ceviche, conch fritters, and fried grouper. One of the top dive resorts in the world and a postcard-perfect island paradise, Blackbird is at once home away from home, and your own secluded hideaway. Photo Finish: Nikon D800 | 24-70mm f/2.8 lens | Aperture f/7.1 | ISO-640 | Shutter 1/30 sec.

There aren’t too many opportunities in the Caribbean to ride on horseback to a cave. In Los Haitises National Park, located three hours west of the resorts of Punta Cana, Fun Fun (pronounced “Foon Foon”) Cave is officially known as the largest cave in the Caribbean. Though the cave itself is in the National Park, access to the land goes across a private ranch and requires a guided tour. While the nearly three-hour drive from the resorts of Punta Cana is a lengthy, bumpy, journey into the interior, the scenes from the window provide an authentic glimpse into rural Dominican life. Sugar cane sways, schoolchildren wave, and mangoes drip from the trees. Upon reaching the ranch where you begin the tour you are shimmied into a jumpsuit and saddled onto your horse. A 45-minute ride through the shaded forest brings you to the edge of the National Park. From here it’s another 30 minute walk through sun-swallowing trees until you reach the entrance of Fun Fun Cave. Sliding into a harness and climbing gear, entering the cave requires a 50 ft. repel into a tiny hole which can barely fit your shoulders. Once at the bottom, it’s a one hour slog through the depths of the darkness before reaching the other exit. Inside the cave, stalactites and stalagmites pepper the areas which fall in the beam of your flashlight, and at some areas you are forced to swim through the soothing, subterranean waters. Here, a lone rope helps guide visitors through the hidden recesses of the cave.