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These two castles, both elements of the fortifications encircling the city, stand on either side of La Caleta beach. The fortress of Santa Catalina, entered directly from the promenade, was constructed in the 17th century. Its small chapel and a central patio planted with palms give it the sun-baked look of a Mexican mission. The castillo is now a cultural center where open-air concerts are held in summer. San Sebastián, meanwhile, is an imposing fort built (in 1706) on a small island connected to the mainland by a long stone causeway. This malecón is popular among locals and visitors as a pleasant place to walk for a cool breeze.

Quick Bites, located on the lobby of the Marriott Hotel at the City Center Mall, is a great place for a healthy breakfast, a grab-and-go lunch, or a light dinner. It has a home-made ice cream counter with every flavor under the sun and mouth-watering baked goods. It serves a delicious Turkish coffee, a wide selection of Arabic breads straight out of their stone oven, small pizzas, and pastries filled with za’atar (a mixture of herbs, sesame seeds, dry sumac and salt). With free wifi, a selection of national and international newspapers, lots of natural light and a relaxed atmosphere, Quick Bites is the perfect place to have just that: a small bite.

Behind a massive bougainvillea vine that covers a century-old mansion on the corner of a quiet, cobbled street, San Telmo’s Café Rivas evinces an elegant, 1920s vibe—but the food is decidedly contemporary. The menu is short and to the point. Three prix-fixe options are posted for lunch and change daily to delight a claque of assiduous regulars. Standout items at dinner include a nightly ceviche special and the dry-aged beef. There’s also a Sunday brunch with traditional favorites like eggs Benedict. In the evening, a bartender arrives to serve up cocktails, and there’s live piano on weekends.

When you’re staying at this historic property, it’s worth waking up early to watch the sun rise and turn the sky pink against the San Jacinto Mountains. Romance suffuses this upscale three-acre resort of low-slung bungalows, designed in 1952 and later refreshed by acclaimed designer Steve Hermann. The light-drenched Fireplace Junior Suite Bungalow—once Marilyn Monroe’s room of choice—is a favorite for couples, with its private outdoor shower and wood-burning copper fireplace, plus Frette robes and L’Horizon-branded eye masks. The property’s restaurant, SO•PA, is equally alluring, thanks to a linear fire pit and fountain outdoors and sparkling modern metallic chandeliers inside. While the menu of New American fare is inspired—try the honey mussels paired with an Infinity Paloma cocktail—the chef will also create, with advance notice and upon request, a personalized tasting menu riffing off the day’s best produce and in keeping with any dietary restrictions. Pro tip: The deep-tissue rubdown at the indoor-outdoor spa is unparalleled, but pampering doesn’t need an occasion here—hit the poolside sun beds early for complimentary back and foot massages.

One-hundred-fifty-year-old walls and tropical foliage frame the courtyard dining area at La Panga Antigua, an enchanting restaurant in downtown San José del Cabo. Walking through the unassuming front door is like taking a step back in time; there’s an old-world charm that envelops La Panga Antigua (and the whole arts district, for that matter). The menu, however, demonstrates a distinctly contemporary sensibility, blending ancient Mexican recipes with a 21st-century commitment to locally sourced and sustainable ingredients. Seafood comes from regional fishermen, vegetables from an organic farm in nearby Pescadero. The menu changes regularly, but you can expect items like scallop carpaccio, grilled rib eye, or the catch of the day, grilled with a pumpkin seed crust.

This museum is dedicated to Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (1914-2002), who gained worldwide fame when he crossed the Pacific Ocean on Kon-Tiki (a raft made from balsa wood) in 1947. After his return, Heyerdahl worked on a documentary of the journey, which won an Academy Award in 1951 (this movie is screened every day at the museum). The museum also houses several permanent exhibitions on his other journeys, including the expeditions on the reed boats Ra and Tigris, as well as his excavations on Easter Island and Fatu-Hiva. The archives of Thor Heyerdahl have now been included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World register. The museum is located on Bygdøy, an area ripe with museums and interesting highlights.

On the shoulders of Bali’s most sacred mountain is perched its Mother Temple, Pura Besakih, a complex of 23 sacred buildings. Several times annually, pilgrims flock here from around the island—on the backs of motorbikes, in buses and bemos, even crowded together, standing-room only, in the beds of trucks—to make offerings at the several clan temples (each family is part of a clan represented here) and at the largest and most important temple, Pura Penataran Agung, tiered and built into the mountain’s slope. Make sure to climb to the impressive second courtyard, which is as far as tourists are generally allowed to go. The complex is most alive during frequent festivals, when thousands descend, ceremonially dressed, and flow throughout the temple grounds. When the sky is clear, you can see from here down into the valley and out to sea.

Located in the heart of the edgy Logan Circle neighborhood/14th Street Corridor, the Helix features 178 guest rooms with eye-popping patterns, bright colors, and a minimalist feel. Among the rooms are 14 apartment-sized suites, and 12 speciality suites, such as its Bunk Bed Room for kids and the Flex Room for the fitness gurus. Just off of the lobby, the 60s-mod Helix Lounge is a prime happy hour spot known for sparkling cocktails and its large seasonal patio.

We discovered this tiny Italian restaurant near Ave. Louise through a desperate, last-minute internet search. Like many of the hidden gems in Belgium, you could easily pass it by. In fact, when we found it we looked at each other with “is this it?” expressions on our faces. Inside the shabby-chic interior, delightful smells were emanating from the kitchen. Not long after we sat down, the small dining room began to fill. In addition to the rave reviews we read, these were two very good signs. Our pasta arrived looking almost as wonderful as it smelled; and the taste – velvety and delicious. This is authentic Italian, prepared with care and attention to detail - just the way Mama would make it.

San Juan Cemetery lies on the coast adjacent to El Morro (San Juan’s beloved fort) and nestled in the district La Perla, a rougher part of town. Its statues and tombs make it as beautiful as a New Orleans cemetery. Exiting El Morro, head down the grassy field to your left to catch this flustering overhead view. On this day, a powerful storm was rolling in, casting everything in gray.

A gloriously eccentric venue, Sketch isn’t a restaurant so much as a collision of ideas, design, food, and frivolity in a large Mayfair townhouse. Its Parlour serves all day breakfast and then evening cocktails in an ambience that’s less Alice in Wonderland and more seriously deranged Hatter. The Gallery is designed by artist and comic genius David Shrigley, meaning that your afternoon tea with one-of-a-kind pastries and cakes come with a side order of wit and a pinch of bitter satire. Upstairs, the Lecture Room and Library delivers a Michelin-starred tasting menu, while there’s breakfast, brunch, and cocktails in the Glade. A trip to the bathroom involves sitting in your own individual egg; try not to be put off by the carpet of red wax oozing down the stairs on your way in.

A multipurpose contemporary art center that opened in November 2011 in the Ottoman Bank building, Salt has a library with thousands of shelves of art publications—the most important, impressive collection in the city.—Sylvia Kouvali

This funky boutique hotel on the edge of the Britomart shopping district goes way back in Auckland history. Built in 1841 as The Commercial Hotel, the DeBrett building survived two fires and two rebuilds plus a stint as a hostel before becoming the quirky place guests experience today. The Housebar has always been the center of hotel life, and today, the intimate wood-and-mint venue exudes its original art deco style and serves classic cocktails and local beers and wines alongside refined pub snacks.

In addition to restoring the bar and adding a glass-roofed atrium that houses the hotel restaurant, DeBretts Kitchen, the current owners affixed contemporary artwork and photography throughout and sheathed the entire building in candy-striped carpeting, custom designed from 100 percent New Zealand wool. Besides the carpet and small-batch minibar selections, no two rooms are the same. Each features unique furnishings from the 1930s on, and every bed has an original screenprinted throw. Two of Hotel DeBretts centerpieces, the chandelier and water sculpture in the restaurant, were crafted by Auckland artists from materials salvaged during the latest renovation. The result is a local experience from top to bottom that gives guests a real taste of New Zealand.

Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market is crammed with 120 vendors, butcher counters, bakeries, ethnic eateries, and seafood shops. But there’s one reason why most people come here: the peameal bacon sandwich, which is dished up at the Carousel Bakery. It’s not really bacon—or at least not the bacon you usually eat—but rather tender, thicker strips of pork, cut from the loin and then rolled in peameal (like cornmeal but made from peas), and served on a kaiser roll with a swipe of mustard. It’s a porklicious treat!

This small farmers’ market takes place every Sunday from around 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Captain Cook on the west coast of Hawaii Island. There’s local produce on sale, as well as the obligatory macadamia nuts, honey, and Kona coffee, but much of the market is occupied with arts and crafts by local artists, including jewelry, pottery, wood carvings, and even some magic wands. Visitors can also look forward to live music, food stands, crystal healing, and massages. The vibe is chill and welcoming, with stallholders eager to chat and offer you samples of their wares—no strings attached. Come spring, the market will add another site for vendors on Halekii Street. Called the Pure Kona International Market, the indoor spot will be open six days a week.