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It makes sense that the California cool of James Perse’s clothing and accessories for men and women has made its way to Cabo, where its sold at one of several shops that opened on the property of Flora Farms in late 2015. Whether you forgot to pack for the coastal climate of Baja or you just want to expand your wardrobe, attentive staff can help you add a few items to your style repertoire.

Tahiti Iti, Tahiti‘s smaller sister island that’s connected to the main island at the southeast coast, is home to one of the most famous surfing waves in the Pacific, Teahupoo. This powerful reef break most certainly should not be attempted by anyone but the best surfers—a fall means being dragged by the current across the sharp coral right below the surface. That edge of drama makes for a tense but enjoyable afternoon of observation (from the beach). The left break is best between April and October. The Billabong Pro competition is held here August.

Chef Thierry Blouet’s Café des Artistes made an immediate impression on the region when it opened inside the JW Marriott Los Cabos Beach Resort & Spa in Puerto Los Cabos. Blouet has spent more than a quarter century perfecting his Café des Artistes concept, one that blends gourmet French techniques with highly curated Mexican flavors. The results are magical: A tuna tartare is stacked delicately with pickled vegetables, avocado slices, and crispy fennel; pork belly is served with hibiscus and red wine sauce; and shrimp comes with a plum-habanero mole. The setting is equally striking: A sophisticated dining room opens to a terrace with breathtaking views of Cabo San Lucas Bay and, in the distance, city lights.

Central Mexico’s Bajío region—San Miguel sits at its heart—is high mountain desert, with a landscape quite worthy of exploration. The 445-acre nonprofit nature preserve called El Charco del Ingenio—named a Peace Zone by the Dalai Lama in 2004—is a prime destination for nature lovers, thanks to miles of trails, an extensive botanical garden, and a fascinating wetlands preserve. Spend all day if time allows—an on-site café provides nourishment to keep you going.

A massive stretch of soft white sand calls you to the Caribbean at Cancún’s largest public beach, a quiet spot amid Hotel Zone resorts. The waves can be a bit rougher than elsewhere, so it may not be great for swimming, but the strand is one of the city’s few surfing spots. Playa Delfines also goes by the name El Mirador, thanks to its spacious hilltop deck overlooking the ocean and hotel skyline and its large, colorful “Cancún” sign that’s perfect for photo ops. Among the other welcome amenities: restrooms, a playground, small shady palapas, and an outdoor gym.

If you’re looking for the prefect French vacation destination, the picturesque city of Pau, in Southwest France, may just have it all. Its location is perfect, almost equidistant from the stunning Pyrenees Mountains, for hiking and skiing, and the seaside, for enjoying the sun and surf. It is surrounded by rolling hills covered in vineyards, producing sweet white jurancon, and rich fruity red wines. The bustling city market is one of the nicest I’ve visited in France and the restaurant offerings are varied and of excellent caliber. Throw in a photogenic chateau, friendly locals and proximity to international airports and you have the perfect holiday spot. The only problem is, (like me) you may not want to leave.

Pokhara, located in the center of the city, has one of the best ambiences around. The quintessential European café, with a touch of Paris and a touch of Spain, it attracts a younger, hip crowd. Don’t expect food beyond the obligatory croissants and tortilla española, but do try their carajillo. They put special care into this boozy alchoholic drink. First vodka or whisky (your choice—but choose whisky) is set aflame. Then a shot of espresso is pulled while the bartender whips body into cool, fresh cream. All of this goes into a glass to form the carajillo, one of the most delicious drinks known to man.

This bar in Gros is one, as the locals say, ‘de toda la vida’. A lifelong place to stop and enjoy one of their spectacular anchovy and tuna pintxos (I recommend the one that looks like a mountain of mayonnaise) or a pintxo moruno, a hanging kebab that is a house specialty. The pintxos are classic and delicious. Always a great ambience.

Simple, skilled treatment of raw product is the hallmark of the cuisine at Narru. With a chef once named in the Wall Street Journal as a top young chef to watch in Europe, the food here is quite simply delicious. Stars are the tomato salad, the seafood rice dish of the day, the crema de queso for dessert, and the secreto ibérico, an incredibly juicy cut of pork.

Bar Hidalgo 56 is probably one of my top three pintxo bars in the entire city. With a bar stacked full of equally delicious pintxos, a menu of hot pintxos that is incredibly varied and delicious, and an attention to product that you simply don’t find in other bars, Hidalgo 56 is worth a visit. Try the volcano of morcilla.

The churros here supposedly get their crispy exterior from being cooked over an ax-cut beech-wood fire. You can sample the results when the 140-year-old shop is open: only two Saturdays in June, every day during the San Fermín festival in July, and Sundays in October. 34/948-227-627. This appeared in the May/June 2012 issue.

Find everything from candles and straw hats to t-shirts and fine resort wear at Basil’s Bazaar, a tiny boutique adjacent to the famous bar itself. Most of the goods are branded with “Basil’s Mustique” in one way or another, so everyone is sure to know where you’ve been—but that’s the point, right?

Explore underwater arches, tunnels, and grottos at this north island dive site—one of Dominica’s most popular descents. Here, blackbar soldierfish and glasseye sweepers patrol a sweep of exceptionally healthy hard and soft corals. Make sure to look down, where a fumarole releases bubbles on the ocean floor. Suitable for all levels, Toucari Caves has a max depth of 38 feet.

On the white-sand beach of Playa Flamingo, Coco Loco has everything you need to set your afternoon or evening on the right note. Enjoy fresh food and delicious cocktails in a fun, laid-back environment. Make sure to try their signature drink, the Coco Loco: a sweet and flamboyantly colored concoction.

On the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, near the tip of the Samaná Peninsula, this unpopulated Atlantic beach stretches three miles from Cape Samaná to the cliffs of Cape Cabrón. To get here, you’ll need to take a four-wheel-drive vehicle or a boat charter from the small fishing village of Las Galeras, but once you arrive, you’ll find a nearly empty stretch of sand. The west end of the beach features calm waters ideal for swimming and snorkeling, while the east end has great waves for surfing. You’ll also find spots to rent kayaks, snorkeling gear, chairs, and umbrellas, as well as a few food vendors serving rice, beans, and seafood cooked over an open-hearth fire. This is the place to go when you want to get away from the crowds.