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Located on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos (made up of San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas) is the ideal beach getaway. Here, a variety of accommodations—from boutique hotels with palapas on the sand to luxury resorts with infinity pools, golf courses, and even butler service—await, all with breathtaking views of surf and sunset.

Artists and poets like Paul Gauguin and Jacques Brel chose to live in the volcanic islands of French Polynesia for more than the turquoise waters, white sand beaches, coral atolls, and dramatic, green carpeted hills, you know. The fresh ingredients available in the Windward Islands—both the fruits and vegetables growing in the fertile black soil and the abundant seafood and fish in the surrounding Pacific—coupled with the culinary genius of the French colonists make this a paradise for food-lovers, too.

Many rivers to cross, and beaches to check out, and swimming holes to test: Jamaica offers visitors a busy schedule of taking it easy. When the most difficult hike on your itinerary ends at a rain forest waterfall, you know you’ve come to the right island.

The Pacific Ocean is a force that calls to some to jump in and join the dolphins that frequent its waters. Temperatures are warmest in August and September, but wet suits are available to rent year-round. Go surfing or take a stand-up paddleboard lesson to more fully appreciate the SoCal spirit and connection to the waves. For a more passive yet still exhilarating way to enjoy the coast, you can parasail above the waves or join a sailing charter from Marina Del Rey.

Born free, today’s post-apartheid generation asks, what’s next?

Hampstead Heath is a legend: 800 acres of wide-open space dotted with ponds, woods, walking tracks, and the odd stately home. North Londoners take pride in this place, where you will find dog walkers, picnickers, Saturday soccer players, and hardy outdoor swimmers at all times of the year. It brings a touch of true wilderness to the city, and it’s also home to a lido, a stately home with an unrivalled art collection (at Kenwood House), and the famous bathing ponds established by the Victorians (and thus separate for gentlemen and ladies). Parliament Hill also offers one of the best views in London.

East Coast Park is a wonderful stretch of seafront greenery containing plenty of trails where runners, walkers, cyclists, and in-line skaters can frolic in nature. There are shops where you can rent bikes and Rollerblades (just follow signs in the park), so come on down and join in the fun. If you’re feeling especially brave, try your hand at motorized wakeboarding—or just watch as a machine whips brave souls around the East Coast Lagoon (near the East Coast Seafood Centre) on a wire.

Sanur is a beautiful and quaint part of Bali with hotels along the boardwalk that lines the beach. The boardwalk really makes Sanur special, as walking in Bali can be treacherous in most of the towns with narrow streets and tiny sidewalks, but this paved path in Sanur is great for biking and long walks along the beach. Walk to the south end of the boardwalk for a great view of the sunset and find a nice little cafe to have a Bintang (beer) or a Bali kopi (coffee).

The start of the path is quite easy to find in Friar’s Bay. Just walk North past Kali’s Beach Bar and past Friar’s Bay Beach Bar until you see a path marked by orange arrows. It should lead up a hill. (There appears to be another path that goes around the rocks lower down, but I wouldn’t recommend taking that one.) Once you crest the hill, the still somewhat clearly marked path opens wide in all directions. You get a clear view of the ocean on your left and grassy hills on your right. Cross through a fence. Walk past some old ruined condos. Meet up with a road. Wait, a road? I could have driven here? Yeah, well… the walk is pleasant and you’re at Happy Bay before you know it. And talk about “happy”! This secluded bay is often almost devoid of the throngs which plague some St. Martin beaches like Orient Bay. Here, there are practically no facilities (though they have been talking for a long time about adding some) so it just doesn’t attract crowds! It’s not as expansive as my favorite beach on St. Maarten (Long Bay) though… Anyway, once you take your pick of the many excellent spots to spend the day on this beach, it’s just a matter of deciding how much you’re going to take off. ;-)

Created from two renovated vintage motels in 2016, the 102-room Coachman blends midcentury bones with a modern, outdoorsy sensibility. A few blocks from both Lakeside Beach and Heavenly Ski Resort, it works equally well as a summer or winter base. The seasonal outdoor pool, year-round hot tub, nightly s’mores around the firepit, and lobby beer-and-wine bar make it easy to settle in after a day outside.

Accommodations range from guest rooms to one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites, plus a standalone cabin with a full kitchen that sleeps four. Rooms pair modern-rustic design with Bellino Italian linens, Malin+Goetz toiletries, Apple TV, and rubber flooring at the entryway—a thoughtful detail for wet boots and ski gear. A complimentary continental breakfast is included.

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From trinkets and tchotchkes to silver jewelry, high-quality hand blown glass, and the pottery of your dreams, the shops on the Baja Peninsula can cover your every spending whim. There are plenty of clothing shops too, if you forgot to pack enough bathing suits or some beach-to-dinner-perfect flip-flops. Between San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas, you can shop an art gallery or 12, open air markets, and shopping malls.

Southern California’s surf-centric city offers beautiful beaches and big-city attractions, from seriously good restaurants, breweries, and boutiques to several top hotels. Historic properties in Old Town, the Gaslamp Quarter, and Coronado continue to offer lodging in the grand style, with proximity to everything classically San Diego, while coastal options feature beachfront cottages, tiki themes, and the sound of the breeze from your bed.

A miniature volcanic archipelago made up of seven idyllic islands, only two of which are inhabited, Îles des Saintes (commonly known as Les Saintes) is one of Guadeloupe’s crown jewels. This reef-hugged set of isles offers French sophistication mixed with a funky, laid-back Caribbean lifestyle. Take a day-trip via daily ferry to Terre-de-Haut, the archipelago’s main island, and enjoy the white-sand beaches, sailing, and snorkeling in the bay or head up to Fort Napoleon on foot or by rental scooter for panoramic views. Make sure to dine at one of the French and Creole bistros along the water, and to try a local tourment d’amour—a crusty-edged, soft-centered tart flavored with guava, pineapple, or coconut.

Larvotto is a small stretch of pebbles along the shore, and the country’s only beach. Gathered at Monaco’s extreme eastern border, it is the ideal spot to appreciate the Mediterranean. Paddle boards and kayaks are available for rent, while SkiVol offers inner tubing, water skiing or parasailing. It is a great place to snorkel, but insiders continue walking the Sentier Littoral into Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France, following the pedestrian tunnel under the exclusive 1930’s Monte Carlo Beach Hotel to the tiny public beach and cement jetty, where there are no amenities, but plenty of peace and quiet. Photo : Sylvia Sabes

Previously the home of Peruvian sculptor Victor Delfin, who still keeps a studio and gallery on-site, Second Home Peru is the guesthouse everyone would want to know about (but doesn’t). The beautifully maintained Tudor mansion is one of the first boutique hotels to open in Lima, though being hidden away in a residential section of the Barranco arts district, few realize it is there. Its neighborhood location is ideal—a few blocks from the lively plaza and from a cobblestone walkway down to the beach, the Bajada de los Baños, that is lined with restaurants. The highlight, however, is the ocean view, as the house is set near the edge of Lima’s coastal cliffs, and several rooms have balconies that look right over the water. The vistas are better from here than from the often-gray skies of the more posh hotels in Miraflores up the coast, and guests can enjoy them from the small outdoor pool, gardens, and shared terraces as well. The eclectic décor includes wood floors, Louis XV–style claw-footed bathtubs, and a small contemporary art collection that lines the halls and stairways. The family-run property isn’t flashy or ultra modern by any means, though flat-screen TVs and Wi-Fi come standard.