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Pronounced “ish-pu-ha,” this ranks among the most beautiful beaches anywhere on the Riviera Maya. With calm, very clear waters, it’s a popular spot for local families as well as travelers in search of a quiet afternoon. Despite the secluded location, south of Playa del Carmen, there are plenty of amenities for a comfortable day, like lounge chairs for rent, restrooms, snorkel-gear loan-outs, and a handful of excursions. You’ll also find restaurants and beach clubs famed for fresh seafood.

The Maya name for Laguna Bacalar means the Lake of Seven Colors, and spending a little time here will show you why it’s such an apt moniker: from turquoise to cobalt blue to jade green and everything in between, the colors of this fresh-water lake seem to shift and change against its white-sand bottom. When you’re ready to do something else besides admire the breathtaking view, you can go swimming or kayaking, enjoy spa treatments and yoga, or adventure off to a nearby cenote and fort. And there are plenty of comfortable hotels and good eats in the town of Bacalar. This oasis in the middle of the jungles of Quintana Roo is the perfect off-the-beaten-track destination for travelers ready to escape the touristy Riviera Maya madness. It is also a refreshing rest stop on the way to the ancient Maya ruins of Dzibanché, Kinichná, and Kohunlich.

As you approach Mina street, just south of the 20 de Noviembre market in Oaxaca, the smell of chocolate fills the air. There are several chocolate grinding shops along this street. One of the most popular is Chocolate Mayordomo, where you can almost always see cocoa beans being ground to make the Oaxacan chocolate that is frequently consumed here. The shop attendant puts the cocoa beans along with some cinnamon sticks and almonds in the top of the machine and out the bottom comes a thick, rich paste, which he mixes with sugar. This is the very simple process by which Mexican chocolate is made. It creates a somewhat gritty product which is more suited to making hot chocolate than to consuming on its own, but since they’re giving out free samples, you may as well have a few pieces while you decide what kind you want to purchase to take home with you.

This handicraft shop in the center of Oaxaca is run by a group of women artisans. It’s one of the best places in town to purchase well-priced handicrafts, and it’s satisfying to know that the profits go to the women who produce the pieces. Walk through the various rooms—don’t forget to look on the second floor—and make your selections, then make your way to the front of the shop to pay. The little tin magnets near the entrance always catch my eye. There’s a huge variety of designs, and they’re so inexpensive. What better way to keep the memories of your trip alive than with a fridge magnet? But there’s so much more to choose from—lovely embroidered blouses, rebozos, leather huaraches, woven handbags, pottery, rugs, tin work, and jewelry... they’ve got it all.

No trip to Oaxaca is complete without spending at least a few hours sitting in one of the outdoor cafes around the Oaxaca city main square (the “Zocalo”). It’s the perfect spot to watch the street scene: couples and families walking by, vendors selling their wares, shoeshine boys offering to polish your footwear to a gleam. Strolling musicians wander by and perform a few songs in exchange for a handful of pesos. Balloon sellers with their colorful merchandise suspended above and around them entice passing children. In the morning enjoy a frothy hot chocolate with pan de yema, a local bread made with egg yolk. In the afternoon, sip a cold beer and snack on some spicy peanuts or chapulines, spicy fried grasshoppers. Any time of day, this is a wonderful spot to enjoy the bustling but unhurried pace of life in Oaxaca.

Festive Plaza in La Villita, a complex with shops run by local artisans, offers a more unique experience than the souvenir-selling El Mercado. Aside from shopping for authentic handmade goods, you can learn about its rich history. Self-guided walking tours (you can find many online for free) are a great way to explore this area. Browse shops while you learn about the surrounding landmarks and buildings.

At Little Italy’s Herb & Wood, Chef Brian Malarkey’s wood-fired dishes include roasted parsnips with pickled raisins, parsley-shallot verde, and molten Marin County brie; roasted beets with sherry, walnut pesto, jamón Ibérico, and burrata; and grilled flat bread with whipped eggplant, za’atar, onions, and pine nuts. But the Mediterranean- and California-inspired menu isn’t the only big draw here: The industrial-boudoir aesthetic is equally inviting, with tufted sofas, soft lighting, and feathery fronds under the soaring ceilings of this onetime warehouse. A charmingly tattered edition of Emily Post’s Etiquette book has pride of place on the hostess stand. But the restaurant is unlikely to call guests on any manners infractions except one. In calligraphy at the bottom of the menu, you’ll find the following note: “Substitutions and additions politely declined.”

A nondescript shopping arcade in a tony neighborhood might not be the place you’d expect to find one of the world’s top restaurants—but if there’s any place that reinforces the adage about not judging a book by its cover, it’s Mexico City. Biko has been ranked on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for years now. The two executive chefs aren’t as visible as other local chefs on the list, but that may be because they’re constantly in the kitchen, turning out memorable dishes. Guests can order off one of two menus: one is more traditional-inspired Basque cuisine, while the other is contemporary. Expect playful presentation and exceptional service.

The causeway known as Calzada de Amador was constructed a century ago from nearly 3.5 million cubic feet of excavated material from the Panama Canal. It was built as a breakwater for ships awaiting entry as well as to connect Naos, Culebra, Perico, and Flamenco islands—and their U.S.-built fortifications defending the canal—to the mainland. Amador has been recently restored and is one of the best places to enjoy the sunset with an ocean view. One particularly nice approach is going out to Isla Flamenco and hitting one of its restaurant terraces overlooking the surf. There’s also a small shopping center there for duty-free purchases. Of course, if you’re looking for some open-air sun and fun, rent a bike at one of the stalls on shore, near the Figali Convention Center.

Few cuisines marry as well as Japanese and Mexican, a fusion that’s masterfully explored at Nick-San in Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo. Founding chefs Ángel Carabajal and Masayuri Niikura blend centuries-old Japanese recipes (including but not limited to sushi) with locally sourced ingredients to create exceptional bursts of flavor and a menu that has inspired additional locations around Mexico. The black and white tuna sashimi and tuna tostada are two of the most popular dishes, especially when paired with Nick-San’s own label of wines and sake. The original location is in downtown Cabo San Lucas, near the marina. A second Nick-San, in the Shoppes at Palmilla at the southern border of San José del Cabo, is a slightly more elegant space (gilding the lily, you might say) and includes a champagne bar.

There’s always a line in front of this hole-in-the-wall, but don’t be deterred: Jia Jia’s queue moves fast, and its steamed soup dumplings are worth the wait. When it’s your turn to order, you bark what you want—pork, crab, or pork and crab xiao long bao—pay, and move to the side to claim a plastic table. The only sounds in the restaurant are tapping chopsticks, satisfied slurping, and the occasional camera shutter. Jia Jia closes when it sell out, usually by early evening. And while the crab dumplings are available year-round, they’re absolutely incredible between September and December.

The Church of the Nativity, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located south of Jerusalem in Bethlehem in the West Bank. It was originally commissioned by the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great in 327 and built over the cave where Jesus is said to have been born—the precise site is today marked by a silver star. Rebuilt by Justinian as a typical five-aisle basilica in 565, the Church of the Nativity has subsequently expanded into the sprawling complex it is today.

This historic market has been in operation since 1892, and is beloved by locals as a destination for lunch, grocery shopping, or buying regional gifts at the Pennsylvania General Store. More than 70 businesses sell fresh wares here, including ice cream, cookies, meat, seafood, produce, Mexican cuisine, and artisanal grilled-cheese sandwiches—just to name a few. Philadelphians line up daily for just-baked goods from the Amish-owned Beiler’s Bakery, which also runs a separate doughnut stand in the Pennsylvania Dutch section of the market. The market’s location, across the street from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, can mean throngs of visitors on convention days; try to get to the market as early as possible to avoid the crowds.

Cornerstone Sonoma is a collection of shops, galleries, and gardens that offers an unusual experience in the Sonoma wine country. The series of walk-through gardens showcase the work of some of the world’s best landscape architects and designers. Each space is different and evokes a unique feeling or experience, but all contribute to the sense of creativity of Cornerstone Gardens. You can easily spend a couple of hours here, first walking through each of the garden installations and then checking out the unique shops and tasting wine. There is an outdoor sculpture garden as well. Cornerstone Sonoma is open daily 10:00-5:00, but the gardens close at 4:00. Admission and parking are free. It is located just a few minutes south of Sonoma and about 15 minutes west of Napa Valley.

Alain Llorca, one of the best-known chefs on the Côte d’Azur, runs a hotel, a boutique, and a series of seasonal cooking classes. While Hôtel Restaurant Alain Llorca in Colle sur Loup has stunning views and exceptional cuisine, its more modest, modern-chic cousin in Vallauris offers exceptional value for a delicious meal that is kinder to the wallet. Mixing Provençal cuisine with recipes from his native Catalonia, the chef woos guests with dishes like cold melon soup, sea bass with artichokes and mashed potatoes, and a tempting variety of pastries from the display case for dessert.