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Near Shinjuku Station you’ll find Takashimaya Times Square, which includes the Takashimaya department store and a large branch of Tokyu Hands. The depachika, or basement food floor, at Takashimaya has some excellent food counters for sukiyaki and both Japanese and Western sweets. Home cooks can pick up all of their pantry staples at Kinokuniya supermarket, which also has a colorful variety of prepared foods and seafood counters with takeout sushi, and the wine and spirits department hosts jizake vendors who offer samples of local sake. The rooftop garden has seating for impromptu picnics, so you may want to pick up some sake—just remember to ask for a small cup.

One of the best places to feel the local side of Reykjavik life, the Kolaportid Flea Market is set in a spacious industrial warehouse close to the city’s old harbor. Open at weekends only, you can find anything from wool jumpers and vintage fashion garments to fermented fish and licorice, plus plenty of second-hand books and decorative knickknacks. Best to go early to avoid the crowds (it opens at 11 a.m.)—and best to have cash on you since many of the market’s vendors don’t accept credit cards.

Walk, cycle or people-watch along the shores of Elliott Bay, a downtown stretch known for its circusy flair and spectacular vistas. You can ride the Great Wheel or visit the beloved Seattle Aquarium, home to wolf eels, sea otters, and the world’s largest octopuses. Refuel with chowder from local favorite Ivar’s Acres of Clams, then hit the market’s 200 owner-operated shops, ranging from a radical book collection to the Northwest’s oldest magic store. Just don’t turn your back on the famous salmon-slinging fishmongers: They’ve been known to wallop selfie-photographers with a plastic decoy for yucks!

A step through Tío Pepe’s swinging saloon doors is a walk back in time indeed, to a classic cantina (dating to the 19th century) that, while skewing divey, harbors no ill will toward thirsty people of all stripes. Some regulars prefer to just stare into beer mugs, but you’ll also see mixed groups of colleagues from nearby offices popping in for attitude adjustments. Leave the haute mixology for another venue; but do take in the long, elaborate bar and whimsical beer-barrel light fixtures—something you just don’t get much anymore. Note that unlike many traditional cantinas, you’ll find zero food here, so BYO peanuts or potato chips if you’re feeling peckish.

Guadalajara visitors craving an escape from the city should know that the ocean breeze isn’t far away. The bohemian beach town of Sayulita is about a four-hour drive, and even closer by plane. Popular in the 1960s among American and Canadian surfers, the sleepy fishing village has more recently become known for its laid-back vibe and impressive food scene. If you’re looking to get even farther off the grid, the surrounding area is filled with beautiful bays that are less trafficked by tourists than the main town.

Have you been here? Tell us about it below!End your day in Old San Juan with a pre-dinner stroll along the water, alongside the Old City Walls. It’s that time of day when everything seems to slow down, even the waters of the Caribbean Sea begin to ease into a glassy stillness - perfectly reflecting the midnight blue sky and the incandescent glow of the street lamps. Start from Paseo de la Princesa, at the Raices Fountain, and wind your way around the walls. Take in the views of the setting sun from the benches that line the walkway. Reminisce about the day and linger. There’s no need to rush into the night and tomorrow will come soon enough.

I could have spent days at Camden Market! There’s loads to see and something for everyone. My favourite find from Camden is an awesome nautical style rockabilly dress (which I saved £10 on :). I also ate the most epic burrito of my life in Camden. It was heavenly.

Don’t miss Parque del Retiro—a stunning area complete with a lake, playgrounds, gardens, and fountains. It’s the perfect public space where anyone can enjoy the day by taking a walk, playing a game, going on a boat ride, or exploring to your heart’s content.

Even with Segway tours rolling through and street performers loudly competing for audiences, the 15th-century Piazza Navona somehow retains a shred of grace and elegance in modern Rome. Calm Renaissance palazzi face the piazza’s centerpiece, the famous and complicated Bernini work, Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (“Are these colossal male depictions of the four great rivers of the world writhing on top of a boulder not fancy enough? Let’s top it with an obelisk for a little visual interest.”). The piazza itself was created when a 1st-century arena was paved over to create a market square—you can still sense the oval track of the arena in the shape of the opening. Come for a gelato and some excellent people-watching, especially in the evening.

Coney Island’s history dates back to the 1800’s, when it was envisioned as a working man’s paradise. For pocket change, you could enjoy rides and hot dogs. While you’ll need a little more than pocket change now, this venture outside Manhattan has a true charm, and can connect with most anyone’s inner child. Over the summer you’ll find packed beaches, Friday night fireworks, and the famous Nathan’s hot dog eating contest on July 4. But if you’re coming from Midtown or the Upper East/West Sides, be sure to take an express train or you’ll be in for a ride not quite as amusing as the Cyclone.

Formerly the headquarters of the U.S. District Court in these parts, the low-slung brick building on the central waterfront now houses the island’s best handicrafts display. The maze features 150 artisans selling everything from handmade dolls and quilts to note cards and wooden serving items. There are also food vendors on site.

Hobart’s most famous cobblestoned square was once known for whalers and sailors. Today, it’s inhabited by artists and food purveyors, who mix and mingle every Saturday at the Salamanca Market—the largest outdoor market in Australia, which boasts some 300 food and craft vendors. Sample locally produced cheeses, chocolates, and jams; browse jewelry, ceramics, photography, wool scarves, and bowls hand-hewn from local Huon pine; or do your organic grocery shopping for the trip. Also on this blessed square is the Salamanca Arts Centre, a collection of 1830s Georgian sandstone warehouses converted into more than a dozen galleries and performance spaces. Look for timeless tunics and capes by designer Leonie Struthers at The Maker, and some of Australia’s best cheeses at the Bruny Island Cheese Co.

Tucked away in the heart of downtown Seoul is the quaint Insadong district, where a Korea of yore comes to life in the form of traditional artists and musicians, shops selling Korean crafts and souvenirs, and street performers dressed in native costumes. This is the place to go if you’re set on buying the wooden masks, paper lanterns, and tea sets that the country is famous for. Two other stores also stand out from the crowd in Insadong: Gounjae Handcraft can be smelled before you even enter the door. This handmade soap shop, in the small brick courtyard of Ssamji Gil Center, offers sumptuously scented soaps, lotions, and bath products in scents like avocado, ginger, and almond. I love the tiny, traditional mask-shaped soaps that make inexpensive and lightweight souvenirs. The Ee Gee boutique is a veritable treasure chest bursting with glimmering necklaces, bracelets, and other one-of-a-kind baubles–it’s located on Insadong’s main drag.

Handicrafts made from woven straw have been a staple of Bahamian life for generations. The technique was traditionally used to create functional items like fish traps and baskets for carrying food, but today such items are made primarily for souvenirs. A great place to find these and many other keepsakes is the Nassau Straw Market, where around 500 vendors sell a wide variety of goods, from baskets and handbags to wood carvings, drums, and T-shirts. The Nassau Straw Market is a short walk from the Bay Street shopping district. It’s open every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Old Town’s main street, Stradun, also known as Placa, can’t be missed—it’s the biggest and widest of all the thoroughfares, and you will probably walk it several times during your stay here. It’s especially nice in the late afternoon, when the angle of the sun makes the pavement shine and the swallows soar overhead. Continue down to the old port and along the waterfront to the far end. Porporela Pier, built courtesy of the Austrian administration’s rule in Dubrovnik during the 19th century, is today somewhat of a lovers’ rendezvous. After your stroll, the benches along the pier provide a simple relaxing moment to take in the views of Lokrum island and Cavtat in the distance.