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I love exploring the markets in São Paulo. There are many, some big and some small, but my latest discovery is the big one on Sundays in Praça da República in the center of the city, very close to the famous Italian and Copan buildings. This lively market takes place around one of the city’s historic buildings. Artisans sell their work, and there’s a nice selection of handicrafts, jewelry, and other typically Brazilian goods for sale. There is a large food area with tables, live music, and vendors selling traditional Brazilian street food, including the specialties of Bahia. If you take the subway, get off at the Republica station. The market takes place during the first half of the day on Sundays.

Especially after its recent $35 milllion refurbishment, Four Seasons Costa Rica sets the standard for service and luxury in Costa Rica’s burgeoning luxury resort market. Its location is unmatched: perched atop a narrow isthmus, overlooking beaches on both sides, at the very tip of the Papagayo Peninsula. Three swimming pools form the hub of action, spanning the width of the peninsula; on one side of the enormous main pool is an adult pool leading to serene Playa Virador on the Pacific, while the busier family pool leads down to Playa Blanca, where most of the water activities happen—snorkeling, stand-up paddling, kayaking. There’s also an 18-hole Arnold Palmer–designed golf course that’s been tamed from the surrounding jungle. Guest rooms have marble baths, and outdoor terraces or verandas, while the larger suites (one- and three-bedroom) include their own pools. For light dining options, try the ceviche offerings poolside at Bahia or Italian seafood at Pesce. For a splurge, head to Caracol at the golf course for steaks and lobster tail.

Straddling Cancun’s sandy beach in the heart of the Hotel Zone, the CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort features 450 re-modeled rooms and suites with balconies with ocean views. The AAA Four Diamond-award winner houses a wide selection of restaurants and bars, offering Argentine, Japanese, Southwestern, Italian or Thai cuisine. La Isla-Pool Bar serves poolside snacks and drinks in a family setting, while Bahia dishes up fresh seafood on the beach. Las Ventanas Lobby Bar is the place to meet for drinks and appetizers and enjoy nightly entertainment, while Las Ventanas Gift and Coffee shop offers “grab and go” and late night snacks. A full-service fitness center, pool and onsite tennis and water sports complete the recreational package. The Marriott Kid’s Club offers entertainment for the younger guests. High speed Wi-Fi is available in rooms and public areas throughout the resort.

On the Dominican Republic’s southeastern coast, near Bayahibe, this 300-square-mile UNESCO World Heritage site spans both land and sea. As you snorkel or row a glass-bottom boat out to one of the three islands in the reserve—Saona (a turtle nesting site from March through November), Catalina, and Catalinita—be on the lookout for bottlenose dolphins, manatees, four species of sea turtles, and, from January through March, humpback whales. You can also hike the Sendero del Padre Nuestro trail to explore caves filled with well-preserved Taino pictographs, or try to spot some of the 144 bird species that call the park home, from white-headed doves and red-footed boobies to barn owls and Hispaniolan parrots. There’s even a frigate bird colony at Bahia de las Calderas.

Set amid the mangrove swamps, coastal lagoons, and stretches of coral reef in Portobelo National Park, this Design Hotels property features just five colorful villas. The “houses” range from a small, one-bedroom retreat nestled near a waterfall, to an over 8,000-square-foot residence spread over two floors. The whole property is awash in a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues, from the bright interiors with their boldly patterned tiles, decorative fabrics, and local artwork, to the multi-colored lounge chairs surrounding the infinity pool, which seems to merge seamlessly with the turquoise Portobelo Bay. Those seeking adventure can take a deep-sea dive to explore the wreck of a C-45 airplane, while guests looking to relax can book an outdoor massage on the hotel’s century-old barge.

The Bonfim church in Salvador, Brazil has become famous for their colorful wish ribbons. Thousands of ribbons are tied to the fence surrounding the church. It’s an amazing sight and ritual! Visitors to the church can tie a ribbon to their wrist and make three wishes (one for each knot tied to secure the ribbon). Legend has it that their wishes will be granted when the ribbon naturally disintergrates and falls off. It cannot be cut off or removed. My ribbon took over a year to fall off. It’s quite the commitment.

There are multiple outposts of the popular pozoleria La Casa de Toño all over Mexico City, but only a few of them are open 24 hours, including this one in the Zona Rosa neighborhood. Whether you’ve worked up an appetite dancing or need to soak up all the alcohol you’ve had to drink at one of the Zona Rosa clubs–or maybe you’re just hungry at 4 a.m.—La Casa de Toño can fill your belly with a steaming bowl of pozole, a hominy stew piled high with rounds of radish or slivers of avocado, or both. Tseng/Flickr

Not far from the white-sand beach within the Four Seasons Costa Rica, Bahia restaurant is the physical and spiritual heart of the resort, with a casual vibe by day and a cozy feel by night, thanks to soft mood lighting and a nightly live band. A wood-fired open kitchen serves a Latin American-inflected, regionally-sourced menu: Try the octopus carpaccio, or the grill menu’s enormous Pacific blue prawns with locally grown heirloom tomatoes and a side of sweet plantains.

In the shadow of El Yunque, The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort is situated on 486 acres of former coconut plantation and native maritime forest. There are still plenty of palms here, but now the flora also includes all manner of tropical flowers and trees, positioned around numerous trails for walking, running, and biking. Families love the resort for its many amenities, from four tennis courts and a Robert Trent Jones Jr.-branded golf course to a luxurious spa and state-of-the-art fitness center. A new partnership with Aquavento Water Sports provides equipment for everything from kayaking and paddle-boarding to fishing and sailing on nearby lakes, while the Soul of Bahia program gives guests the opportunity to volunteer with a rescue organization for local cats and dogs or help maintain a turtle sanctuary during hatching season. Still, the most popular activity might just be lounging at the pool or on the two-mile-long golden beach.

Part of a $60 million renovation following Hurricane Maria, the hotel now features a design by celebrated Puerto Rican designer Nono Maldonado and San Francisco-based firm Hirsch Bedner Associates. The plantation-style dark woods and warm browns have been swapped out for more modern, sea-inspired colors, and the 139 rooms have a chic, residential feel, with sprawling bathrooms, private terraces, and glass bar cabinets that can be stocked to your personal tastes by a 24-hour butler. Occupying a two-story building overlooking the ocean, the Casa Grande lobby is the place to go to experience the hotel’s daily Champagne sabering ritual, enjoy live music from a Steinway piano, admire the mural over the St. Regis Bar, or enjoy Greek-inspired fare at the hotel’s signature restaurant, Paros. The poolside restaurant and beach shack have also been redone to ensure uninterrupted views over the water.

Bahia’s oldest fort dates to 1698 and is best known for housing South America’s oldest lighthouse, which sits perched on the southwest end of Salvador’s upscale Farol da Barra beach. Inside, the excellent nautical collection—the city’s best museum—offers fascinating exhibits on Portuguese maritime history and the slave trade. Join the locals outside on the grassy lawn, one of Brazil’s best spots to watch the sun go down.

The Paracas National Reserve is located in Ica, about three hours south of Lima. The park spans the Paracas Peninsula, the surrounding coast, and the tropical desert. While the peninsula provides an amazing ocean view with some local birds like flamingos, the Huacachina dessert is a perfect location for sand-boarding, and it even cradles a lush oasis. If you head to Bahia Lagunillas, you will find unique red sand beaches, a product of the erosion of porphyry rocks that can be found on the hills of the peninsula. This area is also a great starting point for exploring the local wineries, many of which produce pisco.

While there, you can take a tour boat about 1 hour off shore to tour around the islands, with a chance to see some the diverse bird species, including penguins.

There are nearly as many snorkeling options in Los Cabos as there are fish in the Sea of Cortés, and that’s saying a lot. If you’re somebody who prefers going it alone, pick up a snorkeling mask and fins and head to Chileno Bay for some undisturbed fish-seeing. But if you need a little more hands-on guidance, the outfit to dial is Pez Gato. Their twice-daily, four-hour tour includes everything you’ll need—snorkeling gear, drinks, fresh fruit, and sandwiches—plus a friendly and knowledgeable crew who will keep you entertained with facts about the region as you navigate the waters to Santa Maria, a horseshoe-shaped bay that’s home to a marine sanctuary and some of the clearest waters around.

SUR Beach House is everything a beach retreat ought to be. This chic Medano Beach property offers a relaxed, almost private-residence feel. Breakfasts range from healthy, green, and juicy to the indulgent croque madame. Pair any meal with a handcrafted cocktail; the SUR Caesar is a nice play on the classic Canadian cocktail and comes with crispy rib eye tips and roasted habanero sauce. The raw bar is like a love letter to the sea. Not least of all, the kitchen turns out delightful oyster preparations, but don’t leave Cabo without trying the raw chocolata clams. Named for their color, not their flavor, these meaty mollusks are best with just a little lime and hot sauce. (Come early for stand-up paddleboarding; Cabo SUP is located on-site and offers rentals as well as lessons.)

On this week’s episode of Travel Tales by AFAR, we explore two regions in Argentina that most travelers miss.

Enjoy everything from Cartagena’s colorful coastal lifestyle along the Caribbean to the dazzling urban vibes of Bogotá and Medellín on a trip through Colombia filled with history and culture.