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Are there any nobler or more beautiful horses in the world than the gray-white Lipizzans who wow audiences with their high stepping at the Spanish Riding School? In the 16th century, the Hapsburg empire used Andalusian horses to create the breed in Lipizza (located in Slovenia). As they have for centuries, the Lipizzans perform their acrobatic haute école dressage in the Hofburg Palace’s Winter Riding School arena, an all-white baroque hall designed by Fischer von Erlach. Riders still wear the traditional uniform of bicorne hats and tailcoats, part of the reason UNESCO granted the Riding School its Intangible Cultural Heritage status. In addition to watching the performances, visitors can also tour the stables and sit in on morning training sessions set to classical music.

This lodge offers a private island stay, paired with the option of experiencing the Swahili architecture, music, and culture of Stone Town (Zanzibar’s main town, 20 minutes from Mnemba by boat plus a 90-minute drive). Ten high-ceilinged, thatched bandas are footsteps from a flour-fine sand beach and are romantically furnished with elaborately carved wooden beds. For those who want a change of scenery, verandas and shaded beach beds offer a variety of places to sleep off all the early morning safari wake-up calls. Just under one mile in circumference, Mnemba Island has permanent residents that include poodle-sized Suni and rabbit-sized Ader’s duiker antelope, breeding doves, and enormous terrestrial coconut crabs. Sunbathers can spot dolphins from the beach year-round, and scuba divers might encounter the occasional whale shark.

Situated closer to Cambodia than Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand, Phu Quoc has arguably the best beaches in the country. An international airport opened in 2012, raising the island’s profile and bringing in droves of visitors. Despite this, the island retains a laid-back, underdeveloped charm, and its coast is still dotted with small fishing villages with brightly painted boats. The interior of the island includes plenty of forest, while some of the land is earmarked for growing black pepper—pepper from here is famous throughout Vietnam. The best beach lies to the west of the town of Phu Quoc; it’s a 13-mile long straight stretch with golden sands, coconut palms, and clear turquoise waters. The An Thoi Islands, south of Phu Quoc but still part of its marine park, offer excellent snorkeling and diving during the dry season from December through May.

Domenico Ghirlandaio’s beautiful fresco representing the Last Supper is one of my favorite paintings in Florence, and luckily, most tourists ignore it, so you may find you have the place to yourself.

One of Hyderabad’s lesser-known gems: the Paigah Tombs are intricate, ornate, and often deserted. Members of the noble Paigah class are buried here, and a visit is peaceful and haunting — and beautiful. A photographer’s dream.

Thriving marine life and crystal-clear water make Curaçao an unforgettable snorkeling destination. At Tugboat Beach, you can head 17 feet below the surface to explore a sunken vessel. Mushroom Forest is known for its hard corals and cute (creepy?) critters. And at Playa Grandi, you can watch turtles glide close to shore while fishermen clean catch every afternoon. Dance with the fish along PortoMari beach, or plunge deeper to explore its double reef system. Dive shops abound for PADI classes or equipment rentals—get ready to merge with Mother Nature.

Smack in the center of Willemstad, the Renaissance Curaçao is adjacent to the historic Rif Fort shopping and entertainment complex and within walking distance to everything downtown. It solves for not having beach access with two infinity pools overlooking the ocean and cruise pier, each edged in a man-made, sandy beach that can pass for the real thing at first dip. The colorful lobby is connected to a casino, mall, and the island’s only Starbucks. Be sure to check the local cruise schedule before booking an ocean-view room, as you may have your vistas blocked by a ship. You may also want to rent a car to explore the island’s natural beaches but, come nightfall, it’s easier to walk to the Punda and Pietermaai districts for dinner.

A delightful peach-colored villa set directly on Treasure Beach, this Jamaican-owned guesthouse is a gem, and feels more like a vacation home than a hotel. There are six spacious guest rooms and two larger suites, each with their own patios or balcony with a glorious sea view. The interior is intricately decorated with carefully chosen African-themed paintings and sculptures, and the owner—who returned after many years in the US—takes pride in providing true Jamaican hospitality. There’s a bar and no restaurant on site, but that doesn’t prevent the large kitchen and staff cook from taking your daily orders for breakfast and dinner, dishing out excellent local specialties that are served poolside with the sea in front of you. It’s one of my favorite places to stay and get away from it all.

Also known as Old Navarino Castle, Paleokastro—built by the Frankish ruler Nicholas II de St. Omer around 1278—is located above Voidokila Beach in Messinia’s Mediterranean area. Make sure to bring your camera, as a trek to the castle awards panoramic views of the Ionian Sea, the city of Pylos, Voidokilia Bay, the Romanou-Petrochori beaches, Gialova Divari lagoon, the olive tree-lined Peloponnesian Hills, the Sykias chanel, Sphacteria island, and Navarino Bay. When hiking, you’ll be taking the same path as you would to reach Nestor’s Cave, a popular cave in Greek mythology.

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.

Always a crowd, but how could it be otherwise? Shore panoramas frame breathtaking nature, turquoise seas and sugary, white sand. Mighty close to the perfect beach, dreamy and hot, with great sightseeing opportunities. Keep eyes peeled for jumbo starfish and other marvelous creatures, now a main beach attraction. The shopping’s good, too, especially for artisanal handicrafts and dishware.

We were lying in the sand in Vieques. We’d been told to watch out for horses, but nothing could prepare me for this. What a majestic experience to see wild horses free on the sands of Sun Bay Beach.

Within Miami‘s most famed Fontainebleau Hotel is an gastronomic superpower, but it’s the mixology by bartender Hector Aceveda that really sets the eatery apart. Try some of the innovative cocktails using food products and specialty preparation. A great alternative to the pool bars and nightclubs.

When it opened in 2016, Playa Largo, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, was Key Largo’s first new luxury hotel in 21 years, and its casual, sun-drenched luxury was a welcome addition to the mellow Upper Keys. The resort’s 177 rooms and suites offer a range of accommodations—most with great bay views. Upgrade to one of the ten bungalows for a private back porch surrounded by lush gardens and a second-level balcony. For ultimate privacy—and luxury—book the Beach House with three master bedrooms, wrap-around balconies, a private pool, event lawn, and private beach. The property’s four restaurants (the toes-in-the-sand Sand Bar is ideal for watching sunset), spa, fitness center, pool, and beach offer plenty of ways to relax, or partake in activities like snorkeling, diving, kayaking, paddleboarding, parasailing, fishing, sailing, or a glass-bottomed boat ride. Pro tip: Hobnob with the school of more than 100 tarpon that linger near the resort by hand-feeding them from the resort dock.

Going to the beach at the North Sea in fall/winter is one of my favorite things to do in Belgium. I love the miles of empty, clean beach. Yes, it’s cold and the wind is blowing like mad, but then you get to run inside a restaurant and have a nice hot meal. That is exactly what we did today. After walking around on the boardwalk, renting an electric car for the kids to drive around, we chose the brasserie Le Bord’Eau for lunch hoping it will be nice. Their fish and potatoes stew is delicious and hot. I loved the presentation too. It comes to the table in the cast iron pot they cooked it in. It is steaming hot and smelling incredible. It kinda looks like fish waterzooi, a Flanders specialty. This dish had three different kinds of fish, boiled potatoes and vegetables in a superb cream sauce. Very pleased with my choice and will have it again next time I feel like bracing the elements at the beach, in winter.