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The country’s original Palacio Nacional burned down in 1889; the one standing today was rebuilt between 1905 and 1911. It’s said that the structure was paid for by levying a sort of tax on coffee exports: one colón for every 100 pounds of coffee. Visitors may be disappointed that they can’t access most of the interior rooms, but they can walk through the beautiful courtyard and learn more about the building’s history with museum exhibits in English and Spanish.

Colca Canyon, a three-hour drive north of Arequipa, is one of Peru’s most popular and extraordinary tourist attractions. The chasm is over 13,600 feet deep, making it one of the deepest in the world, and more than twice as deep as the Grand Canyon. From the Cruz del Condor viewpoint, it is possible to get a panoramic view of this special place along with the chance to witness the flight of majestic Andean condors. This is a great place for partaking in adventure sports with a surreal view.

The Taj Mahal is referred to as “the jewel of Muslim art in India,” by UNESCO in its listing on the World Heritage Site registry. The Mughal ruler Shah Jahan had the truly magnificent white marble mausoleum built in 1632–1648, in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. For its construction, artisans from all over the empire, Central Asia, Iran, were summoned and the final result of their stonework, calligraphy, carvings, gardening, woodwork, and soaring domes remains one of the universally admired masterpieces of world heritage. Allot ample time to tour the site—besides the mausoleum, there is a mosque, a guest house, cloisters, courtyards, gates, and vast gardens. In addition to being stunningly beautiful from afar, the iconic site is evocatively romantic and up-close, the intricate details in its architecture, ornamentation, and history, are revealed.

Just off Cerrillos Road, this casual, light-filled venue does double duty as an inventive market and restaurant. Chef Noela Figueroa’s rotating menu is known to feature hearty fare made with local ingredients. Start with breakfast (kimchi egg scramble), move into brunch (sauerkraut latkes), and stay for lunch (buttermilk fried chicken with bok choy slaw). Sample from fresh juices, alongside wine and beer compliments of Rowley’s Farmhouse Ales. Before you leave, stock up on kitchenwares and jars of the kitchen’s preserved garlic confit, pickled vegetables, or pumpkin butter.

Unlike most parts of Mexico, Los Cabos isn’t really known for locally made crafts, but a welcome exception is Vitrofusión y Arte, where artisans blow and pull glass into dozens of shapes and figures. Tours are available, but if you’re short on time, you can spend a few minutes watching the glassblowers at work before purchasing some souvenirs.

Cuban cigars, considered the best of the best by tobacco connoisseurs, are technically out of reach for most Americans, thanks to the U.S. embargo of Cuban goods. If you’re in Cabo, though, there’s nothing preventing you from taking a puff on an authentic Cuban, and if you enjoy a good cigar, the best place to find one here is at this shop.

There are no guarantees the Northern Lights will start dancing on the night you look skyward, but it’s so worth taking the chance. One of the great rewards for hanging out in Alaska once the dark and cold settle over the state, the Northern Lights (or if you want to be scientific about it, aurora borealis) serve up a light show that is equal parts science, magic, and art. Your best bet for catching the light show is to head away from city lights. That’s one of many reasons it’s worth making the trip to Denali National Park, open year-round. When the park’s summer crowds disappear, visitors feel as though the massive national park is an intimate personal space.

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.

The mysterious rooftop of Casa Mila both charms and haunts visitors. The glorious October sky above frames the organic forms, each sculpted face watching as I creep up and down the rolling ramps. Children can’t resist playing here, and fortunately there are now fences all around. In my mind, I erase all of those pesky safety features to envision the smooth sculptures growing towards the sky from a scrolling sandy field. Once a site for a scene from Star Wars, the rooftop is now a destination for lovers of Barcelona and Antoni Guadi’s “Modernisma” style. When you visit, you’ll learn the secret behind those long vertical faces rising up above the mystical rooftop.

A short drive south of Da Nang, Hoi An is a spellbinding UNESCO World Heritage site, with intact 16th-century architecture that celebrates its origins as a trading port that long welcomed merchant ships from China, Japan, and Europe. The Old Town on the Thu Bon River has a number of sights that visitors must check off their lists. These include the covered bridge, also known as the Japanese Bridge; gorgeous riverside French-colonial buildings; traditional merchant shop-houses; historic pagodas and temples; ornate assembly halls where Chinese immigrants would congregate; and the town’s tailors, for custom garments. But the greatest joy of Hoi An comes from wandering round its quiet streets—the town center is car-free and a blissfully pleasant place to walk, especially at night, when it’s lit by red lanterns strung on the exteriors of buildings.

If you’re feeling a bit short of breath, you’re not imagining things: the elevation of this restaurant, is more or less on par with Denver at around a mile high. Special not only because of its altitude, this restaurant is also unique because of its location in a volcano (don’t worry; it won’t erupt). Ceviche and grilled meats are the specialties of the house, which diners enjoy while watching hummingbirds flutter about in the air.

Enjoy all the thrills of skydiving with none of the drama—no parachute or airplane at all. After a brief orientation, participants pull special flight suits over their clothes and then enter a wind tunnel, where all the excitement takes place. A giant fan that creates wind speeds of up to 120 miles per hour lifts the skydiver and holds him or her aloft for an exhilarating three minutes. Having doubts? Skilled coaches are on hand and the experience is far safer than jumping out of a plane. It’s also a great first step for those who’ve hesitated to try skydiving.

A 40-minute drive from Dubrovnik, past panoramas of the Adriatic and green Konavle fields, brings you to this fertile valley, the region’s agricultural backbone. At Đivanović Mills, you can learn how flour was milled 500 years ago. Follow the forest path to the nearby restaurant of Konavoski Dvori for a taste of their famous trout dish and for the cool breeze off the Ljuta River. (Calling the mill in advance is recommended.)

Since it was built back in 1976, the CN Tower has topped the must-visit list of most Toronto tourists. Until recently, a visit was pretty standard; hop in elevator, shoot up to the observation deck, and ogle the city from a hawk’s vantage point. While this was certainly fine and enjoyable, the since-developed EdgeWalk experience has ramped up the Tower’s bucket-list potential. Thrill-seekers can now do a hands-free, breezy circumnavigation of the tower’s roof, up at 1,168 feet. And, yes, they do perform sky-high weddings complete with elasticized rings and special attire for the big day.

Cobá holds what remains of a large pre-Colombian Maya civilization located on the Riviera Maya. Lesser known than Tulum, the name Cobá means turbid (cloudy) waters—probably having to do with the five cenotes (underground rivers) in the region, which played an important role in agriculture during the development of this region. At one time the city is believed to have had 50,000 inhabitants. Much of the area is still unexcavated, although recent excavations unearthed a stele, which is unique to the Maya world, as it is covered in hieroglyphics. A restored ball court confirms that the popular ball game was practiced here. Bloodletting rituals traditionally followed Maya ball games at Cobá and slaves were forced to participate. This differs from what was practiced at the later site of Chichen Itza, where the captain of the winning team was beheaded after the game.