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With fiestas throughout the year, it can seem like a celebration is always happening. From religious celebrations to civic occasions, here are some of the main festivities that you might encounter in this colorful city.

La Fiesta Nacional de la Vendimia celebrates Mendoza’s grape harvest with the country’s most important festivals. It’s one of the most exciting times to visit and experience the city’s culture.

Spring is a lovely time to visit Oaxaca. The weather is warm and dry, festivals and holidays showcase age-old traditions, and you can find delightful streetside refreshments like aguas frescas, organic coffees, and mezcal-flavored shaved ice.

Hail to New Mexican food—a melting pot of Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Pueblo Native American, and cowboy chuckwagon. The best New Mexican cuisine is earthy and home-style and includes dishes such as tamales, chiles relleños, green chili cheeseburgers, and enchiladas. The official New Mexican state question is “Red or green?” Your answer depends on the kind of chili sauce you want smothered on your dish. Unsurprisingly, the state hosts some of the best New Mexican food you’ll find anywhere.

If you have the cash, chances are whatever you’re looking for can be found in Barcelona. Luxury shoppers can max out their plastic on Passeig de Gracia. Hipsters can search for indie designs in Raval, Gracia and Borne. Foodies will love mom-and-pop style bakeries, charcuteries and cheese shops. Bargain hunters can barter for second-hand steals at Els Encants, or hop a bus to La Roca Outlets for deals on high-end brands.

After a string of personal losses, a writer heads to Tamil Nadu seeking solace from her sorrows. It takes two temples, a palm leaf astrologer, and the driver of a velour-lined taxi to make her feel whole again.

Part of Barcelona’s undeniable allure is its food: Catalan cuisine has romanced travelers with its greatest hits: paella, tapas, late-night dinners, tissue-thin slices of ham, street food, churros, breakfasts that stretch into afternoon, and Spanish wine. In the years since Ferran Adrià shook the food world awake with the experimental cuisine of his tiny El Bulli, Spanish cuisine has found new respect and attention, from its smallest rustic bodegas to spectacularly modern dining rooms.

Like a bear emerging from hibernation after a long winter, Copenhageners throw open their doors with a hunger for sunlight, food, and community. Summer is an amazing time to be in the city as it comes alive with events, festivals, and folks just soaking it all up.

You can listen to reggae everywhere in Jamaica, from dancing barefoot in the sand in Negril while a live band plays, to impromptu jams throughout the island. Real reggae aficionados should plan their trip around Sumfest, Jamaica Jazz, Rebel Salute, or Bob Marley Birthday Bash—just a few of Jamaica’s best music festivals.

The description may sound daunting: a 2,000-vertical-foot gain in less than a mile. OK, it is a little daunting—but the trick is to take your time. This nearly mile-long wooden stairway was converted from a funicular railway that washed out in a rock slide in 1990. Averaging a 24-degree slope, it has a few “false summits,” where it looks like you’re about to get to the top only to discover there’s still more to go. The reward for this effort is an incredible view looking out from the foothills over Colorado Springs. Up for the speed challenge? The current record was set on Sept. 25, 2015, by U.S. mountain-running team member Joseph Gray, who did it in 17 minutes, 45 seconds. Good luck.

Ranging from historic riads to big-name resorts, hotels in the Red City are as magical as you’d imagine, with unique amenities like luxurious hammams, central courtyard pools, and rooftop terraces with sweeping views of the Atlas Mountains. Whether you want a place with mint tea, traditional Moroccan décor, or a restaurant once frequented by Winston Churchill, you can find it here, all in close proximity to attractions like the Jardin Majorelle, the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, Djemaa el Fna Square, Bahia Palace, and the Saadiens Tombs.

Autumn is busy in Brussels, with school and work beginning after the lazy summer holidays. New expats and students descend on the city, and the streets have a renewed bustle. Festivals and events mark the ramp-up to Christmas (think beer, wine, and food), and a walk in Parc Royale or Tervuren is a great way to see the changing leaves.

Montreal is famous for its music scene, and not just because of exports like Arcade Fire, Halfmoon Run, Grimes, Stars and, yes, Celine Dion. There is an inordinate number of bands here, and enough people interested in seeing live music to fill bars, clubs and concert halls literally every day of the week. The scene is vibrant and enthusiastic, running the gamut from world-class electronic music (this is the birthplace of the Mutek festival) to renowned classical music, and everything in between.

The capital of the state in which it takes its name, Oaxaca is a destination for both art and food. Casa de Las Bugambilias, a bed-and-breakfast inn in Oaxaca’s Centro neighborhood, features locally-made artwork and crafts throughout its rooms. Travelers with more modern tastes might prefer the nearby Azul de Oaxaca Hotel + Galeria, which is housed in an 18th-century building but decorated in modern furnishings. Foodies should stay at Hotel Casa Oaxaca and book a chef-led food tour.

When Domingo Ghirardelli immigrated to the United States in 1849, he planned to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush. Unsuccessful, he opened a store in Stockton selling supplies and some confections to other hopeful miners. Flash forward a few years (and failed businesses), and Ghirardelli opened another confectionary company called Ghirardely & Girard, which would lay the foundation for today’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

Chocolate was made on San Francisco‘s northern waterfront for many years but eventually moved out of the city. Luckily the buildings still stand, including the historic power plant with clock tower. Two floors were added to a warehouse in 1923, and atop those the famous 15-foot-high letters spelling out “Ghirardelli.” Though the company continues to make chocolate, it is no longer owned by the Ghirardelli family.

Still, there are plenty of reasons to visit the brick buildings that have been transformed into a thriving marketplace with restaurants—including our favorite, an upscale dim sum restaurant, Palette Tea House—, art galleries, shops, a winetasting room, and of course, a place to taste and buy Ghirardelli chocolate, a true San Francisco original. The square also hosts some popular San Francisco events, including an annual Christmas tree lighting and a chocolate festival held each September.